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.
Then I Met You
Lobo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or a tree
And I never heard a crow caw
Just for me
I was like a wheel stuck in a rut
Until I gave a chimpanzee a nut
I never saw a flower red and bright
I never saw the stars come out at night
Time or my mind
Then I met you
Then I met you
Well I never saw the rain
Fall from the sky
And I never heard a cloud
Talk in my eye
I never saw the old man in the moon
And I've always hated Sunday afternoon
I never knew a baby had to touch
Because her world is not that much
I never really gave this life a chance at all
Then I met you
Then I met you
Thank god I met you
The lyrics of Lobo's song, Then I Met You, express a sense of emptiness and lack of wonder felt by the singer before meeting someone special. The first stanza describes his restricted way of life, having never witnessed the beauty of nature or appreciated the tradition of holiday celebrations. However, he broke free from his monotonous existence by offering a chimpanzee a nut, which was an act of kindness that led to a new perspective. In contrast to his previous disillusionment with life, the second stanza presents situations where the singer has never experienced natural wonders, such as seeing the rain or moon, but he also admits to never having appreciated the innocence of a child. The chorus then repeats the sentiment that meeting this person has changed his life for the better, and he expresses gratitude for this chance encounter.
The underlying message of the song is that meeting someone special can have a transformative effect even on the most mundane parts of life. Before meeting this person, the singer felt like he was just going through the motions without experiencing joy or wonder. But after encountering them, he discovered a new appreciation for life's little blessings. This song speaks to the power of human connection and how it can change an individual's entire perspective on life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I never saw a sunset
I have never experienced or appreciated the beauty of nature's brilliance, like a sunset
Or a tree
I have not stopped to admire something as simple as a tree
And I never heard a crow caw
I have never been in tune with the sounds of nature and the world around me, even a crow's caw
Just for me
Everything around me has always seemed indifferent and unfulfilling
I was like a wheel stuck in a rut
I was stagnant and unfulfilled, unable to break free from my monotonous life
Until I gave a chimpanzee a nut
It took a small and simple act of kindness for me to begin seeing the world in a different light
I never saw a flower red and bright
I was blind to the vibrant and breathtaking beauty of the world, like the brilliance of a red flower
I never saw the stars come out at night
I missed out on the awe-inspiring sight of the stars illuminating the sky at night
Never liked Thanksgiving or Christmas
Even holidays and time with loved ones held no appeal to me - I was emotionally distant
Time or my mind
I was apathetic and disengaged from the passing of time, and resigned to a bleak and isolated existence
Then I met you
All of that changed when I met someone special
Well I never saw the rain
I was indifferent to even the most common natural phenomena, like the beauty of falling rain
Fall from the sky
I had no appreciation for the beauty of the sky or its changes and patterns
And I never heard a cloud
I was deaf to the majesty of the elements like the sound of clouds or the wind
Talk in my eye
I was too out of touch with my surroundings to see the visual wonders of nature
I never saw the old man in the moon
I was oblivious to even the most commonly perceived images in nature or myths, like the old man in the moon
And I've always hated Sunday afternoon
I even resented the joy and peace most others find on lazy Sundays
I never knew a baby had to touch
I was ignorant of the most basic human emotional connections, like the need for physical touch
Because her world is not that much
I failed to grasp the simple yet profound things in life, like the way a baby perceives and experiences the world around them
I never really gave this life a chance at all
I was emotionally uninvested in the wonder of life, and missed many meaningful experiences as a result
Then I met you
Fortunately, meeting a loved one opened my eyes to everything I had been missing in life
Then I met you
And I am eternally grateful for the perspective and joy you have given me ever since
Contributed by Miles V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.