Donaldson attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro in the early 1940s. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was trained at the Great Lakes bases in Chicago, where he was introduced to bop music in the lively club scene there. At the war's conclusion, he returned to Greensboro, where he worked club dates with the Rhythm Vets, a combo composed of A and T students who had served in the U.S. Navy. The band recorded the soundtrack to a musical comedy featurette, "Pitch a Boogie Woogie," in Greenville, North Carolina, in the summer of 1947. The movie had a limited run at black audience theatres in 1948 but its production company, Lord-Warner Pictures, folded and never made another film. "Pitch a Boogie Woogie" was subsequently restored by the American Film Institute in 1985 and re-premiered on the campus of East Carolina University in Greenville the following year. Donaldson and the surviving members of the Vets performed a reunion concert after the film's showing. In the documentary made on "Pitch" by UNC-TV, "Boogie in Black and White", Donaldson and his musical cohorts recall the film's making—he originally believed that he had played clarinet on the soundtrack. A short piece of concert footage from a gig in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is included in the documentary.
Donaldson's first jazz recordings were with the Charlie Singleton Orchestra in 1950 and then with bop emissaries Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk in 1952, and he participated in several small groups with other jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Horace Silver and drummer Art Blakey.
In 1953, he also recorded sessions with the trumpet virtuoso Clifford Brown, and Philly Joe Jones.
He was a member of Art Blakey's Quintet and appeared on some of their best regarded albums, including the two albums recorded at Birdland in February 1954 Night at Birdland.
Donaldson has recorded in the bop, hard bop, and soul jazz genres. For many years his pianist was Herman Foster.
He was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame on October 11, 2012.
For The Love Of You
Lou Donaldson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm looking for you
Drifting on a memory
Ain't no place I'd rather be
Than with you, loving you
Day will make a way for night
All we'll need is candlelight
And a song soft and long, well
With a lover unlike no other
Safe to see a new horizon
Slowly coming into view
I wanna be living for the love of you
All that I'm giving is for the love of you
Lovely as a ray of sun
That touches me when the morning comes
Feels good to me, my love and me
Smoother than a gentle breeze
Flowing through my mind with ease
Soft as can be well when you're loving me
Love to be Riding the waves of your love
Enchanted with your touch It seems to me
We can sail together in and out of mystery
I wanna be living for the love of you
All that I'm giving is for the love of you
Paradise I have within
Can't feel insecure again
You're the key and this I see
Now and then I lose my way
Using words to try and say
What I feel yeah love is real
Ooh I might as well
Sign my name on a card
Which could say it better
Time will tell
'Cause it seems that I've done
Just about all that I can do do do
I wanna be living for the love of you
All that I'm giving is for the love of you
Lou Donaldson's song "For The Love of You" expresses a deep and profound love that he feels for his partner. The song begins with him stating that he is looking for his lover and that there is no other place that he would rather be than being with her. He describes how a day will make a way for the night as they enjoy the soft candlelight and a song that is soft and long. Donaldson revels in being alone with his lover who is unlike any other love that he has experienced before. He is optimistic about their future together and describes a new horizon that is slowly coming into view.
The second verse of the song speaks about the beauty of their love. The love is described as lovely as a ray of sun that touches him every morning. He feels good being with his love and says that their love is smoother than a gentle breeze that flows through his mind with ease. He loves the waves of her love and the enchantment of her touch. He believes that they can sail together in and out of the mystery of love.
In the final verse, Donaldson talks about the paradise that he has found in his lover. He no longer feels insecure again and has found the key to his happiness. Though he sometimes loses his way, his words can never express what he truly feels. He might as well sign his name on a card to say what he feels better. In the end, Donaldson affirms that he wants to live for the love of his partner and that everything he is doing is for the love of her.
Line by Line Meaning
Hmm Huh Hoo hoo hey baby
The singer starts the song with an expression that serves no particular purpose, but to capture attention and add an interesting cadence to the song.
I'm looking for you
The singer is eagerly searching for their lover, who they want to be with.
Drifting on a memory
The singer is feeling nostalgic, perhaps indulging in past memories of being together with their lover.
Ain't no place I'd rather be
The singer is affirming that there is no place they'd rather be than with their lover.
Than with you, loving you
The singer is expressing their love for their lover, and conveying that they want to be with them and love them.
Day will make a way for night
The singer suggests that no matter how bad things might seem at any given moment, things will eventually get better.
All we'll need is candlelight
The singer is painting a romantic picture of being together with their lover, with only candlelight to illuminate their surroundings.
And a song soft and long, well
The singer is proposing that they can create a romantic atmosphere with a soft, drawn-out song that sets the mood.
Glad to be here alone
The singer feels comfortable and happy being alone with their lover.
With a lover unlike no other
The singer expresses how much they love and appreciate their lover, who is unlike anyone else they've ever known.
Safe to see a new horizon
The singer feels secure and confident that they can explore new experiences and opportunities with their lover.
Slowly coming into view
The singer is anticipating something exciting and new that is about to happen soon.
I wanna be living for the love of you
The singer wants to live their life for the love of their lover and make them an important part of their life.
All that I'm giving is for the love of you
The singer is saying that everything they do, including their efforts and love, is dedicated to their lover.
Lovely as a ray of sun
The singer compares their lover to a ray of sunshine, which brings happiness and warmth to their life.
That touches me when the morning comes
The singer is expressing how their lover's presence brings joy and happiness to their mornings, which might otherwise be dull.
Feels good to me, my love and me
The singer is expressing the happiness they feel when they're with their lover, and how good it makes them feel inside.
Smoother than a gentle breeze
The singer is making a comparison between how calming and gentle their lover's touch feels, and how a gentle breeze feels.
Flowing through my mind with ease
The singer is saying that their feelings for their lover are effortless and natural, and everything just flows smoothly.
Soft as can be well when you're loving me
The singer is portraying how tender and delicate their lover can be, especially when expressing love towards them.
Love to be Riding the waves of your love
The singer is expressing that they enjoy going through highs and lows with their lover, and being carried through their emotional journey together.
Enchanted with your touch It seems to me
The singer describes how they feel enchanted and mesmerized by their lover's touch, which makes them feel happy and content.
We can sail together in and out of mystery
The singer expresses how they are excited to explore and navigate through different mysteries of life with their lover and experience everything together.
Paradise I have within
The singer expresses how their love for their lover creates a paradise within them, a place of happiness and fulfillment.
Can't feel insecure again
The singer is saying that they feel secure and confident in their relationship with their lover and that they don't feel insecure anymore.
You're the key and this I see
The singer is saying that their lover is the key to their happiness and contentment, and they are aware of this fact.
Now and then I lose my way
The singer is confessing that they might occasionally lose sight of their path, but their love for their lover brings them back on track.
Using words to try and say
The singer is using words to express their feelings but knows that words can't completely capture the depth of their emotions.
What I feel yeah love is real
The singer is affirming that their love for their lover is real and meaningful, and they have no doubt about it.
Ooh I might as well
The singer is acknowledging that words might not be enough, and they might need to perform some other action to express their love.
Sign my name on a card
The singer is using a metaphor to suggest that they might perform some grand gesture to express their love, which might include signing their name on a card.
Which could say it better
The singer feels that actions might be able to express their love better than words ever could.
Time will tell
The singer believes that only time will show the depth of their love for their lover.
'Cause it seems that I've done
The singer is saying that they've done everything they possibly could to express their love, and the rest is up to time to unveil.
Just about all that I can do do do
The singer is saying that they've exhausted every effort to convey their love, and the rest is up to fate and time to unearth.
Lyrics © Tratore, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joseph Arrington, Marvin Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, O'kelly Isley, Christopher Jasper, Ernest Isley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind