During the 1970s, he was the lead vocalist for Tower of Power. As a soloist, he made several hit recordings, including “Cause I love You” (recorded on his solo album) and “So Very Hard To Go’
Background
Williams moved to Oakland at a very young age. Learning to play the trumpet in elementary school fueled his interest in music; his skills as a vocalist were first nurtured by singing in gospel choirs and groups around the Bay Area. He worked with several notable artists, such as Sly Stone, Andre Crouch, Billy Preston and members of the Hawkins family, Edwin, Walter and Tremaine.
Professional recordings
After winning several local talent contests, Williams signed his first record deal with Fantasy Records. He cut two singles for the label including “Lisa’s Gone” and “Feelin Blue”, written by John Fogerty of Credence Clearwater Revival. In 1972, Williams' stint with Atlantic Records was placed on hold, when he joined the emerging funk band Tower of Power. A string of hits, including “ So Very Hard To Go’,“Don’t Change Horses (In The Middle Of The Stream)” and Eric Jackson's luvin You, written by Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. During his two years with the group, Williams participated in three milestone albums, the gold LP Tower Of Power, Back To Oakland, and Urban Renewal, while touring throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Solo works
At the end of 1975, Williams returned to his solo projects. Initially signing with Motown Records in 1972, he later moved to ABC Records in 1977 (which was then purchased by MCA Records in 1979). Over the next four years. He scored ten charted hits, including “Shoo Doo FuFu Ooh”, ‘Choosing You”, “You Got Me Running”, “Love Hurt Me Love Healed Me”, and “Midnight Girl”. Williams recorded four more albums from 1977 to 1980, Choosing You, his first gold LP, Spark Of Love, Love Current, and Let’s Do It Today.
After leaving MCA, Williams recorded for independent labels, Rockshire and Knobhill. In 1986, he was invited to sing vocals on “Don’t Make Me Wait For Love” a track from Duo Tones, a multi-platinum recording by Kenny G. The song became a top 20 pop and R&B hit the following year.
Let's Talk It Over
Lenny Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter what you do
And I hope you understand me
Every word I say is true, 'cause I love you'
Baby, I'm thinkin' of you
Tryin' to be more of a man for you
And I don't have much of riches
Some men need lots of women
For their passions to feel
But I want only you, girl
If it's in, if it's in, if it's in Lord's will, 'cause I, 'cause I love you
I, I, I love you, baby
With all my heart and soul, oh, oh, oh
I love you
I need you
I want you
I need you
Oh, oh, oh, your love makes me grow stronger
It keeps goin' on, oh, baby, I'm glad I found you
I just love to be around you, oh, baby
You've been so good to me, oh, baby, oh, oh, oh
You know, one time things got so bad until
I had to go to one of my friends and talk to him
And I told him, I said, "You know
I'm having problems with the woman that I love
It seems that I call her on the phone and I, I just can't get her to answer
And then I went to her house and I saw a car parked in the driveway
I knocked on the door, but still my knocks went unanswered
And then I went home and I, I watched television until television went off
And then I played my records until I just didn't want to hear them
Anymore and finally I went to bed
But I found myself waking up a few hours later
And the tears were running down my face" And my friend told me
He said, "Lenny, you just oughta forget about her"
But I told my friend, I said, "You know, maybe you've never been in love
Like I've been in love, and maybe you've never felt the things that I've felt"
But this is what I told my friend
I said, "You know, sometimes you get lonely
You get lonely, you get lonely"
Oh, oh, oh and I cry, I cry
Oh, oh, oh
And the tears would fill up in the wells, in the wells of my eyes, oh baby
And then it got so bad, it got so bad
Till one time I thought I'd roll myself up in a big ol' ball and die
And then I met you, darlin' and you smiled at me
Oh, oh, it was such a pretty smile, yes, it was
And you reached out your hand
You helped me, you helped me, you helped, oh
I'm glad, baby, I'm glad, baby, oh, oh, oh, baby
I won't ever leave you, baby, I won't ever grieve you, baby
I'm gonna love you, oh, oh, oh, baby
I'm glad, I'm glad, baby
Oh, oh, yeah, baby, oh, oh, oh
I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you, oh
I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you
I love you, I love you
I love you
The lyrics to "Let's Talk It Over" by Lenny Williams express the intense love and dedication he has for his partner. He starts off by telling her that she knows he loves her, no matter what she does. He then goes on to say that he is trying to be a better man for her, even though he does not have material riches. Even though other men might need lots of women to satisfy their passions, he only wants his partner because he loves her. Williams also shares a personal experience with his friend, where he was very upset about his partner not answering his calls or door. His friend advises him to forget about her, but Williams insists that his love for her is too strong, and that it is normal to feel lonely sometimes. The song ends with him repeatedly expressing his love for his partner.
The song displays genuine vulnerability and the depth of love that can exist between two people. Williams acknowledges that being in love can be difficult and painful, but it is worth it to be with someone who makes you stronger. The song also challenges societal norms that suggest that men need many women to satisfy their desires. Williams instead proclaims that one person is enough if it is whom you truly love.
Overall, "Let's Talk It Over" is a love song that shows that love can be hard but ultimately rewarding. It emphasizes the importance of communication and perseverance in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, you know I love you
I want you to know that I truly love you
No matter what you do
I will love you no matter what happens between us
And I hope you understand me
I want you to understand my intentions and feelings for you
Every word I say is true, 'cause I love you'
I speak the truth because my love for you is genuine
Baby, I'm thinkin' of you
I think of you often and value your presence in my life
Tryin' to be more of a man for you
I am working on improving myself to be a better partner for you
And I don't have much of riches
I may not have material wealth, but I have a strong love for you
But we gonna see it through, 'cause I love you
Despite any challenges we may face, I am committed to our relationship because I love you
Some men need lots of women
Other men may require multiple partners to satisfy their desires
For their passions to feel
They need multiple partners to fulfill their physical or emotional needs
But I want only you, girl
I only desire you as my partner
If it's in, if it's in, if it's in Lord's will, 'cause I, 'cause I love you
If it is meant to be, I will remain faithful to you because of my love for you
I, I, I love you, baby
I love you deeply, with all that I am
Your love makes me grow stronger
Your love empowers me to be a better person
It keeps goin' on, oh, baby, I'm glad I found you
Our love keeps growing strong and I am grateful to have found you
You've been so good to me, oh, baby, oh, oh, oh
I appreciate all the love and support you give me
Sometimes you get lonely
At times, I feel lonely without you
And the tears would fill up in the wells, in the wells of my eyes, oh baby
I would cry and feel overwhelmed with emotions
And then it got so bad, it got so bad
My emotions were difficult to handle and I felt hopeless
Till one time I thought I'd roll myself up in a big ol' ball and die
I was in such a dark place that I thought about giving up on life
And then I met you, darlin' and you smiled at me
Meeting you changed my life and brought me happiness
I won't ever leave you, baby, I won't ever grieve you, baby
I promise to never abandon or hurt you
I'm gonna love you, oh, oh, oh, baby
I will always love you with every part of me
I'm glad, I'm glad, baby
I am grateful for you and our love
I love you
My love for you is unconditional and endless
Contributed by Katherine D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.