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.
She Didn't Do Magic
Lobo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She seemed like a mystic to me
With a wave of her hand
She could make you feel grand
That was her mystery
Now I'll admit she knew a lot of tricks
But so do lots of other chicks
She didn't do it like you can do magic
She didn't do it like you can do it
She didn't do magic to me
Hiking through Virginia I met Melinda
She looked enchanting to see
She said give me your arm
And I'll show you my charms
That was her sorcery
I say it I will she had a lot of skill
But compared to you she was way down hill
Arriving in Cleveland I'm coming to see you
Get you crystal ball out of the drawer
Cause I can tell if you been using you spell
And baby I know what for
The magic you loaned was to bring me home
And baby my love for you has grown
So you better do it like you can do magic
You better do it to me
Cause she didn't do it like you can do it
She didn't do magic to me
"She Didn't Do Magic" by Lobo is a song about a man who travels across three different states in the United States and meets three different women, each of whom is capable of performing tricks and sorcery to various degrees. The first woman, Gloria, is described as a mystery to the singer. She can make people feel grand with the wave of her hand, which was a mystery to him. Although she knew a lot of tricks, the singer does not think Gloria can do magic like the one he experienced before.
In Virginia, the singer meets Melinda, an enigmatic woman who can enchant people with her charm. The singer admits that Melinda had a lot of skill, but compared to the magic that he has encountered in the past, she was way less impressive. Finally, in Cleveland, the singer sees his true love who is capable of powerful magic. He notes that the magic she has loaned him has brought him home and made his love for her grow.
Overall, "She Didn't Do Magic" is a love song and a comparison of three different women who are all capable of performing tricks and sorcery, but compared to the singer's true love, their magic falls short.
Line by Line Meaning
Thumbing â??cross Georgia
Travelling across the state of Georgia by hitchhiking
I ran into Gloria
Lobo met Gloria during his journey
She seemed like a mystery to me
Lobo found Gloria's personality intriguing
With the wave of the hand
Gloria had an impressive approach
She could make you feel grand
Gloria's approach made people feel good
That was the mystery
Gloria's approach was impressive
Now I'll admit
Lobo tells that he agreed to Gloria knowing a lot of approaches
She knew a lot of tricks
Gloria had many ways to make people feel good
But so do lots of other chicks
Lobo acknowledges other women also have impressive approaches
She didn't do it like you can do magic
Lobo claims Gloria's approach was not as impressive as someone else he knows
She didn't do it to me
Gloria's approach did not personally affect Lobo
Hiking through Virginia
Lobo continued his journey by walking across Virginia
I met Melinda
Lobo met Melinda on his journey
She looked enchanting to see
Melinda had an attractive appearance
She said â??Give me your arms
Melinda made physical contact with Lobo
And I'll show you my charmsâ??
Melinda claimed she has attractive qualities to show
That was the sorcery
Melinda's approach was particularly skilled
I'll say it I will
Lobo openly admits
She had a lot of skill
Melinda had remarkable skills
But compared to you she was way downhill
Despite her skills, Lobo still sees someone else as more impressive
Arriving in Cleveland
Lobo reached Cleveland, his final destination
Coming to see ya
Lobo arrived to see the person he finds most impressive
Get your crystal ball out of the drawer
An expression that means someone is aware of someone else's plan
â??Cause I can tell
Lobo knows what the other person has been up to
You've been using your spell
Lobo believes the other person has been using their particular approach on him
And baby I know what for
Lobo knows why the other person has been using their approach
The magic you loaned me
The other person's approach had an effect on Lobo
Was to bring me home
The other person's approach led Lobo back to them
And baby my love for you has grown
Lobo's love for the other person has grown because of their approach
So you better do it like you can do magic
Lobo wants the other person to use their impressive approach
You better do it to me
Lobo wants to personally experience the other person's approach
She didn't do it like you can do it
Lobo compares the other person's approach to everyone else's, including previous characters mentioned in the song
She didn't do magic to me
The other person's approach had a magical effect on Lobo
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LAVOIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind