Lou Donaldson (November 1, 1926) is a jazz alto saxophonist, born in Badin,… Read Full Bio ↴Lou Donaldson (November 1, 1926) is a jazz alto saxophonist, born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.

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.

Temptation
Lou Donaldson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You came, I was alone
I should have known you were temptation
You smiled, luring me on
My heart was gone, you were temptation
It would be thrilling
If you were willing
If it can never be
Pity me for you are temptation and I am yours

Here is my heart, take it and say
We'll never part
I'm just a slave
Only a slave to you, temptation
You were born to be kissed
I can't resist.

You are temptation and I am yours
Here is my heart, take it and say
We'll never part

I'm just a slave
Only a slave to you, temptation

Overall Meaning

The song Temptation by Lou Donaldson is about being drawn towards temptation in the form of a person. The opening lines, "You came, I was alone, I should have known you were temptation" suggest that the singer was initially alone, perhaps content with being by themselves, but when this other person enters the picture, they cannot resist their pull. The person is described as a temptation, luring the singer in with their smile and ultimately capturing their heart. However, the singer is trapped in this dynamic because they know that the relationship can never be, and they will forever be a slave to this temptation.

The lyrics are simple yet poignant, evoking a sense of longing and desire. Lou Donaldson's musical arrangement complements the lyrics, utilizing smooth jazz tones to align with the theme of being drawn towards something that is alluring, yet ultimately unattainable. The use of the flute in particular adds to the dreamlike quality of the song, further heightening the sense of being lost in the moment.

Line by Line Meaning

You came, I was alone
I was by myself when you arrived

I should have known you were temptation
It's my own fault for not realizing you were a temptation

You smiled, luring me on
Your smile was enticing, and it led me closer to you

My heart was gone, you were temptation
You were so alluring that I fell for you completely

It would be thrilling
I imagine it would be quite exciting

If you were willing
Assuming you were open to the idea

If it can never be
Although it's not possible

Pity me for you are temptation and I am yours
It's unfortunate that you're so tempting yet unattainable, and that I'm under your spell

Here is my heart, take it and say
I'm offering you my heart, hoping you'll accept

We'll never part
And that we'll be together forever

I'm just a slave
I'm completely at your mercy