His hit songs include "Never Too Much", "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power", "I Can Make It Better" and "For You to Love". Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as "If This World Were Mine" (duet with Cheryl Lynn), "Since I Lost My Baby", "Superstar" and "Always and Forever". Duets such as "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyoncé, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson were all hit songs in his career.
During his career, Vandross sold over 35 million records worldwide, and received eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four different times. He won a total of four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for a song recorded not long before his death, "Dance with My Father".
Possessing a tenor vocal range, Vandross was commonly referred to as "The Velvet Voice" in reference to his exceptional vocal talent, and was sometimes called "The Best Voice of a Generation". He was also regarded as the "Pavarotti of Pop" by many critics.
In 2008, Vandross was ranked No. 54 on Rolling Stone Magazine's List of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Mariah Carey stated several times in interviews that standing next to Vandross while recording their duet "Endless Love" was intimidating.
By popular vote, Vandross was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.
Give Me the Reason
Luther Vandross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeahyeah
What's there to say, there's not much to talk about
And whatever happened to all of the love that we vowed
Yes, it's true
And there's nothing new
You can say
Give me the reason to want you back
Why should I love you again
Do you know, tell me how
How to forgive and forget
Give me the reason to love you now
It's been a mighty long time
And the love that used to be
Ended the day you walked out
Never knew I'd ever be
Standing a love and outside
With no one to love
Yeah-eah
Oohooheah
I was secure and so glad there was you to love
What in the world would I ever do without us
But it's getting clear
That I have to get over you
Give me the reason to want you back
Why should I love you again
Do you know, tell me how
How to forgive and forget
Give me the reason to love you now
It's been a mighty long time
And the love that used to be
Ended the day you walked out
Never knew I'd ever be
Standing a love and outside
With no one to love
No one, no one to love
No one, no one to love
No one, no one to love
No one, no one to love
(Yeah, yeah)
Give me the reason to want you back
Why should I love you again
Do you know, tell me how
How to forgive and forget
Give me the reason to love you now
It's been a mighty long time
And the love that used to be
Ended the day you walked out
Give me the reason
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
To love you, girl
Give me the reason to
To love you, girl
To love you
To love you, girl
(To love you, girl)
In "Give Me the Reason," Luther Vandross sings about a relationship that has ended and the struggle to move on. The song begins with him questioning the reasons behind the breakup and wondering what happened to the love they had promised each other. He wants a reason to want to take his lover back even though things have gone wrong. In the chorus, he repeats the phrase "Give me the reason" as he searches for the motivation to try again. He questions how to forgive and forget the hurt that has been caused and whether love is even something that can be reignited. Luther then speaks about how he was secure with his lover and how he can't imagine life without them. However, as time goes on, he realizes that he has to move on and find someone new to love. The song ends with him pleading for a reason to love someone again.
Lyrically, "Give Me the Reason" is a heartfelt ballad that delves into the pain of losing someone and the struggle to let go. Luther's soulful voice conveys the emotions behind the lyrics, making the listener feel the same sense of desperation and heartache. The song was released as a single in 1986 and was later included on his album of the same name.
Line by Line Meaning
What's there to say, there's not much to talk about
There is nothing more to discuss or say about the situation we are in.
And whatever happened to all of the love that we vowed
What has become of the love we promised to each other?
Yes, it's true
Admitting to the problem or lack of love being present.
And there's nothing new
There's no new discovery in our current predicament.
You can say
You can tell me what you need to say.
Give me the reason to want you back
Provide me justification or a good enough excuse to want you back.
Why should I love you again
Explain to me the reason why I should love you again.
Do you know, tell me how
Share with me the knowledge of how to find it within myself to forgive and love again.
How to forgive and forget
Teach me how to let go of the past and move on from the hurt.
Give me the reason to love you now
Give me compelling cause or explanation to love you again in the present moment.
It's been a mighty long time
A lot of time has passed since the love we once shared.
And the love that used to be
Referring to a past love that no longer exists.
Ended the day you walked out
When you left, our love ended.
Never knew I'd ever be
Expressing surprise or disbelief at the current situation.
Standing a love and outside
Feeling shut out, left alone with no love.
With no one to love
I am alone and do not have anyone to love.
I was secure and so glad there was you to love
I was content in my relationship and happy to have you to love.
What in the world would I ever do without us
Thinking of a future without the two of us together seems impossible or unbearable.
But it's getting clear
Gradually realizing that the love is no longer present.
That I have to get over you
Understanding the need to move on from the relationship.
Give me the reason
Asking for justification or cause.
To love you, girl
To find it within myself to love you again.
No one, no one to love
Emphasizing the loneliness and lack of love.
To love you
To love you despite the past hurt.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUTHER VANDROSS, NAT, JR ADDERLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carter Tlhabi
on I’ll Get Along Fine
Luther feat Luther vandross. ......I'll get along fine
Carter Tlhabi
on This Strange Feeling
This is out of this planet