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.
You Go To My Head
Lou Donaldson Lyrics
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And you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You go to my head
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you
The thrill of the thought
That you might give a thought to my plea, cast a spell over me
Still I say to myself get a hold of yourself
Can't you see that it never can be?
You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand July's
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
You go to my head
You go to my head
In Lou Donaldson's "You Go To My Head," the singer is expressing how deeply their love for someone affects them. The subject of their affection consumes their thoughts and lingers like a haunting melody. The mere mention of their name is comparable to the kick at the bottom of a julep or the bubbles in a glass of champagne. The singer is aware of the unlikelihood of their love being reciprocated, but the thrill of the possibility of it consumes them. They acknowledge that their heart doesn't stand a chance in this "crazy romance," yet they cannot help how they feel. The subject's smile and gaze intoxicate the singer's soul and sends their temperature soaring.
The lyrics of the song are both romantic and melancholic in nature. The haunting refrain suggests that the subject of the singer's love is unattainable. The imagery of the bubbles in a glass of champagne and the kick at the bottom of a julep or two suggests the intoxicating and dizzying nature of love. The singer's self-awareness about the unlikelihood of their love being returned shows a sense of acceptance and realism about the situation, but the persistent thoughts of their love interest continue to consume them.
Line by Line Meaning
You go to my head
You are the one who dominates my thoughts and fills my mind.
And you linger like a haunting refrain
You stay with me for a long time, just like the repetitive tune of a song that keeps playing in my mind.
And I find you spinning round in my brain
I cannot stop thinking about you and your image keeps rotating in my head like a wheel.
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You are fizzy and effervescent, just like the bubbles that rise in a glass of champagne.
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
You have a rich, intoxicating effect on me like a sip of sparkling burgundy wine.
And I find the very mention of you
Even mentioning your name is enough to make my emotions soar.
Like the kicker in a julep or two
You are the main ingredient that adds the extra punch and flavor to my life, like the kicker in a refreshing mint julep.
The thrill of the thought
The excitement of the possibility
That you might give a thought to my plea, cast a spell over me
The idea that you might consider my request or show an ounce of interest in me, makes me feel enchanted and captivated.
Still I say to myself get a hold of yourself
However, I remind myself to be practical and sensible, to control my emotions and not get carried away by them.
Can't you see that it never can be?
I accept that we can never be together because of circumstances, distance, or simply because it's not meant to be.
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Your smile has a powerful effect on me, making me feel hot and stimulated.
Like a summer with a thousand July's
Just like the hot summer months, you have the ability to intensify my feelings a thousand times over.
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Looking into your eyes puts me in a trance-like state, where I feel completely consumed and fascinated by your presence.
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Even though I am fully aware
Hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
I know that my heart has no realistic chance of being with you, as our connection is mere fantasy rather than reality.
You go to my head
Nonetheless, I can't help but think of you all the time, making you the main subject of my thoughts and dreams.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., MEMORY LANE MUSIC GROUP
Written by: J FRED COOTS, HAVEN GILLESPIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind