Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Lavoie was raised by his mother in Winter Haven, Florida with his six siblings. He began his musical career in 1961 as a member of a local band, The Rumours. The band included Gram Parsons and Jim Stafford, as well as drummer Jon Corneal, who later joined Parsons' International Submarine Band.
In 1964, while attending the University of South Florida, Lavoie joined a band called the Sugar Beats and met producer Phil Gernhard. He recorded a regional hit for the band, a cover of Johnny Rivers' song, "What Am I Doing Here".
During the 1960s, Lavoie performed with many other bands, including US Male, The Uglies, and Me and the Other Guys. It was in the latter band that he met musician Billy Aerts, who became a member of Lobo's touring band in the early 1970s and produced Lobo's comeback album in 1989.
Again working with Gernhard, his first solo record was released in 1969, the single "Happy Days In New York City" backed with "My Friend Is Here". Both were original tracks. It was released on Laurie Records.
By 1971, Lavoie had started calling himself Lobo (Spanish for wolf). Gernhard was an executive for Big Tree Records, and the company released his first single, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo". The first major hit for the label, it reached number 5 in the US and launched a successful series of singles. The song also reached number 4 in the UK.
His debut album, Introducing Lobo, followed that May. In June his second single, "She Didn't Do Magic", was released. In September, "California Kid And Reemo" was released. Another single was The Albatross. It was around this time that Big Tree Records was merged with Bell Records. In the confusion, Lobo's second album Close Up was lost and never released.
Maintaining the Lobo alias, he released Of a Simple Man in 1972, which yielded back-to-back Top 10 hits, including "Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend", which reached #8 in the US charts, and "I'd Love You to Want Me". "I'd Love You To Want Me" was Lobo's biggest hit, climbing to #2 on the Billboard charts in 1972, and later reached #1 in Germany and in mid-1974, #5 in the United Kingdom.
With the release of Calumet in 1973, Lobo had three more Top 40 hits: "It Sure Took a Long, Long Time," "How Can I Tell Her" and "Standing at the End of the Line." He made an appearance on American Bandstand that year and also released a fourth single from Calumet, "There Ain't No Way." A fifth, "Standing At The End Of The Line" was released in 1975.
In June 1974 Lobo's fourth album Just A Singer. It was the first album by Lobo to contain tracks not written by Lobo. The only single from the album was "Rings".
His last Top 30 single for Big Tree, "Don't Tell Me Goodnight", was released in 1975. Lobo also released the album, A Cowboy Afraid Of Horses and his last single for Big Tree, "Would I Still Have You", was released. The label followed up with a compilation that year, "The Best Of Lobo".
In 1976, Lobo started to break from Big Tree and Phil Gernhard, releasing the album Come With Me in Europe on the Philips label. "At First Sight" was the single. Neither were released in US.
1977 Lobo signed with Curb Records in 1977 and released the single "Afterglow", which was co-produced by Lobo and Gernhard. Another single, "You Are All I Ever Need" was released in 1978. It was last single to have Gernhard as producer.
In 1979, Lobo resurfaced on MCA Records, where he was paired with producer Bob Montgomery and released the single "Where Were You When I Was Falling In Love", which reached #23. He also released his first US album in four years, Lobo. Other singles for Curb were "Holding On For Dear Love", "With A Love Like Ours" and "Fight Fire With Fire".
Dissatisfied with the production of his records, Lobo sought a release from his Curb contract. He moved to Nashville and in 1981 he started his own label, Lobo Records, and released several singles including "I Don't Want To Want You", written by his brother, Roger Lavoie, "Come Looking For Me" and "Living My Life Without You". All making the country charts.
NOTE: The 1981 Disco Single by LOBO - "The Caribbean Disco Show" (Mercury - 1981) is not the same person as this Lobo.
Lobo Records became Evergreen Records in 1985. It released two singles, "Am I Going Crazy" and "Paint The Town Blue", a duet with Robin Lee.
Meanwhile, Lobo's popularity was growing in Asia, fanned by the release of his greatest hits compilations in 1987 and 1988.
In 1989, Lobo released his first new album in 10 years, Am I Going Crazy, made in Taiwan on UFO/WEA records and produced by Billy Aerts.
With his popularity in Asia sustained by the reissue of all his albums on CD, he signed a multi-album deal with PonyCanyon Records in Singapore, releasing Asian Moon (repackaging of tracks from Am I Going Crazy along with newly recorded tracks) in 1994, Classic Hits (re-recorded Lobo hits and some cover versions other artists' hits) in 1995 and in 1996 Sometimes (all new original songs). On another Asian label, Springroll Entertainment, he released You Must Remember This in 1997, an album of pop standards that was released in two formats, one with vocals and the other with instrumental tracks.
The East Asian financial crisis in 1997 drove his record labels out of business and Lobo retired to his home in Florida.
Retirement was short-lived, however, as in 2000 Lobo signed with a German record company, Gmbh Entertainment, and recorded a few tracks for various Hits CD's. He also co-wrote two Christmas songs with Billy Aerts, "A Big Kid's Christmas" and "Late Christmas Eve", which have been released on various Christmas compilations from 2000 to present.
Singles recorded during this period include "Caribbean Disco Show", "Let It Be Me", "Who'll Stop The Rain" and "Different Drum". These were all available on different "Greatest Hits" releases.
His popularity in Asia is having a resurgence, and in 2006 he toured in Southeast Asia.
Strangely, his music has been sampled by Melbourne experimental band Kooties, although they paid little respect to Lobo's original intentions.
In 2008 Lobo released his first new album in over 10 years. Out of Time features some new songs as well as the old favorites. Out of Time represents a step back to the original era of these recordings, revisiting his old songs the same way he wrote them; by doing all the instruments himself, they are Out of Time. It refers to the classic nature of the old songs, how they are still favorites, even though they don’t follow the norm of today’s songs.
Don't Tell Me Goodnight
Lobo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your head resting on my arm
Your body feels so warm
And your hair smells
Like a Sunday morning
I feel you moving closer
And I know what you're gonna say
I'll ever like what you'll be saying
Don't tell me goodnight
It makes me feel so empty inside
And if only I could
I wouldn't sleep at all
Don't tell me goodnight
Just let me drift off slowly away
And dream of you
You reach out and you touch me
Just to let me know you're there
And I can feel your hair
And somehow I don't
Feel like sleeping
The lyrics of Lobo's "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" are a tender exploration of the bittersweet feeling of wanting to stay up all night with a loved one, but knowing that eventually, sleep must come. The song is a conversation between two lovers lying in bed together, with one lover (presumably the singer) voicing his discomfort with the idea of saying goodnight and going to sleep. The singer describes his lover's closeness and warmth, emphasizing the intimacy of their shared moment. He also notes the familiarity of his lover's scent, comparing it to the comforting smell of a lazy Sunday morning.
As the conversation continues, the singer acknowledges that he knows what his lover is going to say. She is going to say goodnight, signaling the end of their intimate time together. However, the singer confesses that the idea of saying goodnight fills him with an unbearable sense of emptiness. He wishes he could stay up all night with his lover, dreaming and talking together.
The song's chorus emphasizes the singer's desire to avoid saying goodnight. He describes the way that saying goodnight makes him feel empty inside and wishes he could simply drift off, dreaming of his lover. The chorus is a plea to his lover to let him stay up, to keep the moment of intimacy alive as long as possible. Overall, "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" is a touching and romantic song that captures the complex and contradictory feelings of wanting to both stay awake and fall asleep with a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Lying there beside me
I am in a state of calm and comfort lying next to you
With your head resting on my arm
The physical closeness between us adds to the peaceful feeling
Your body feels so warm
I am physically drawn to your warmth
And your hair smells like a Sunday morning
Your pleasant, fresh scent fills me with joy
I feel you moving closer
Your physical movements signify your intention to say goodnight
And I know what you're gonna say
I can predict that you will say 'goodnight'
But girl there's just no way
I cannot bear to hear those words as it fills me with a sense of emptiness
I'll ever like what you'll be saying
The words 'goodnight' will not sit well with me
Don't tell me goodnight
Please refrain from bidding me goodnight
It makes me feel so empty inside
Hearing 'goodnight' will leave me with a feeling of incompleteness
And if only I could I wouldn't sleep at all
I would rather stay awake than be apart from you
Just let me drift off slowly away
I would prefer to quietly fall asleep with you beside me
And dream of you
I will find solace in dreaming of you
You reach out and you touch me
Your touch is comforting and reassuring
Just to let me know you're there
Your touch reminds me that we are together
And I can feel your hair
The sensation of your hair adds to the sensory pleasure of being close to you
And somehow I don't feel like sleeping
Being close to you makes me feel so content that I am not tired enough to sleep
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KENT LAVOIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sauquoit13456
Exactly forty five years ago today on April 20th, 1975, "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" by Lobo peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's 'Easy Listening Top 50'* chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "It's A Miracle" by Barry Manilow...
And at the time, "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" was at position #40 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, two weeks later it would peak at #27 {for 2 weeks}...
Between 1971 and 1979 the Tallahassee, Florida native had fifteen records on the Easy Listening chart, eight made the Top 10 with four reaching #1, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" for two weeks in May of 1971, ""I'd Love You to Want Me" for one week in November of 1972, "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend" for two weeks in January of 1973, and "Where Were You When I Was Falling in Love" for two weeks in September of 1979...
Lobo, born Roland Kent LaVoie, will celebrate his 77th birthday in three months on July 31st, 2020...
* And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Easy Listening's Top 10 on April 20th, 1975:
At #3. "Only Yesterday" by the Carpenters
#4. "The Last Farewell" by Roger Whitaker
#5. "Beer Barrel Polka" by Bobby Vinton
#6. "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" by Tony Orlando & Dawn
#7. "The Immigrant" by Neil Sedaka
#8. "I Don't Like To Sleep Alone" by Paul Anka
#9. "Rainy Day People" by Gordon Lightfoot
#10. "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" by John Denver
Jeannie Costello
Lobo songs are very sentimental and nice! Thanks to those who downloaded his songs!
Fynness Solaris
Awesome tune! Even after all these years, I love this song.
Alejandro Gilvonio
Este tema lo viví en 1973 Cuando recién empezaba la secundaria me llegaba al alma y me hacía inspirar otros temas pero no tan buenos como el de Lobo
NIIKA SABOIA
Simplesmente linda..!
Edson almeida6
Simplesmente maravilhosa.Edson almeida(radialista).pesqueira-pernambuco-Brasil.
Catherine Parrish
Love this song
The Virtual Church of the Disillusioned, Depressed, and Downtrodden
Lobo's songs are as smooth as Silk!
sauquoit13456
Exactly forty five years ago today on April 20th, 1975, "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" by Lobo peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's 'Easy Listening Top 50'* chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "It's A Miracle" by Barry Manilow...
And at the time, "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" was at position #40 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, two weeks later it would peak at #27 {for 2 weeks}...
Between 1971 and 1979 the Tallahassee, Florida native had fifteen records on the Easy Listening chart, eight made the Top 10 with four reaching #1, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" for two weeks in May of 1971, ""I'd Love You to Want Me" for one week in November of 1972, "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend" for two weeks in January of 1973, and "Where Were You When I Was Falling in Love" for two weeks in September of 1979...
Lobo, born Roland Kent LaVoie, will celebrate his 77th birthday in three months on July 31st, 2020...
* And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Easy Listening's Top 10 on April 20th, 1975:
At #3. "Only Yesterday" by the Carpenters
#4. "The Last Farewell" by Roger Whitaker
#5. "Beer Barrel Polka" by Bobby Vinton
#6. "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" by Tony Orlando & Dawn
#7. "The Immigrant" by Neil Sedaka
#8. "I Don't Like To Sleep Alone" by Paul Anka
#9. "Rainy Day People" by Gordon Lightfoot
#10. "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" by John Denver
Maria Tomlinson
Lobos songs are so beautiful
Adivaldo silva lima
Linda pra sempre