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.
Lovely Day
Luther Vandross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something strange without a warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind
[Chorus]
Then I look at you
And the world is all right with me
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day
lovely day, lovely day, lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When somebody else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
[Chorus]
It's gonna be a lovely day (it's gonna be)
It's gonna be today
It's gonna be a lovely day
Today I love the world and I love you
[Chorus]
It's gonna be today
A lovely day today
It's gonna be today
A lovely day today
In Luther Vandross's song Lovely Day, the singer talks about waking up feeling overwhelmed and heavy but finding solace in the presence of their loved one. The opening lines suggest that the singer is experiencing a difficult morning, possibly due to a bad dream or a lingering issue that has been troubling them. However, just one look at their partner is all it takes to make the world a better place. The chorus "Then I look at you, And the world is all right with me, Just one look at you, And I know it's gonna be, A lovely day" suggests that the mere presence of the loved one is enough to turn the singer's day around.
The second verse talks about facing a seemingly impossible day ahead and feeling like someone else has to take the lead. However, the chorus returns to remind the listener that it's indeed going to be a lovely day, despite the challenges. The song ends on a positive note as the singer declares their love for the world and their significant other.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake up in the morning, love
Upon waking up in the morning
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And feeling the discomfort of the sunlight in my eyes
And something strange without a warning, love
Suddenly feeling uneasy for no apparent reason
Bears heavy on my mind
Weighing heavily on my thoughts
Then I look at you
But then I turn to you
And the world is all right with me
And just by looking at you, everything feels all right
Just one look at you
A single glance at you
And I know it's gonna be
And I am certain that it will be
A lovely day
A wonderful day
lovely day, lovely day, lovely day
Repeatedly emphasizing the beauty of the day
When the day that lies ahead of me
When I am faced with the day ahead
Seems impossible to face
And it seems like an insurmountable task
When somebody else instead of me
When it seems like someone else is better equipped than me
Always seems to know the way
And they always seem to have a clear understanding of what to do
It's gonna be a lovely day (it's gonna be)
Despite the challenges, it will still be a great day
It's gonna be today
Today it will be so
Today I love the world and I love you
Fondness for the world and for you today
It's gonna be a lovely day
Today will be a great day
A lovely day today
A wonderful day today
It's gonna be today
It will definitely happen today
Lyrics © GOLDEN WITHERS MUSIC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bill Withers, Clarence Kermit Mcdonald, Skip Scarborough
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