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.
Religion
Luther Vandross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyone in the house was still asleep
She made some toast and coffee
Took a shower and made herself smell sweet
She said, "I don't want a bus ride,
I believe that the walk might help me think
Got a heart kind of heavy
I need some big hat and gloves, shoes and bag religion!"
Religion
That's my decision
Some of that "make me feel better when I shout!!!" religion
That's my decision
Papa Henry was full of spice
He was a man usually nice
But something got into him last night
Made him want to fuss and holler
The entire house was in a sweat
His bottle got broken and the floor got wet
"Clean it up!" you could hear him scream
Then he said, "I'm going out"
I need religion
Religion
That's my decision
Some of that "raise up the roof, 90 proof" religion
That's my decision
Religion
It's my decision, oh yes it is
That's my decision
It's the story about a good family
Who doesn't live anymore in good harmony
They are people who love their daughter and son
They try to give them religion
Little Billy likes his best friend Jack
How in the world could he be like that
Mama and Henry wanna have that chat
Boy, you need religion
Little Betty, what'cha gonna do?
There's a child growing inside of you
You should've stopped and thought things through
Little girl you need a vision of religion
Religion
And that's my decision
Some of that "how'd I get on Ricky Lake" religion
That's my decision
Religion
Get a little,
Religion
Get a little
Religion
The song "Religion" by Luther Vandross explores the role of religion in people's lives and how it influences their decisions and actions. The lyrics tell three different stories of individuals who are in need of some kind of spiritual guidance or comfort. The first story is about a woman who wakes up early on a Sunday morning and decides to walk to church instead of taking the bus. She wants some "big hat and gloves, shoes and bag religion" - something that will make her feel good and help her with her problems. The second story is about a man named Papa Henry who is usually nice but gets angry and starts yelling when his bottle is broken. He feels he needs to go out and find some religion to calm down. The third story is about a family who loves their children but wants to impose their religious beliefs on them in different ways. They tell Little Billy that he needs religion because he likes his male friend Jack, and they tell Little Betty that she needs a "vision of religion" because she's pregnant and unwed.
The repeated refrain "That's my decision" suggests that the characters in the song are taking control of their lives and choosing their own paths. They are not blindly following religious doctrine or the expectations of their families and communities. Instead, they are seeking out the kind of religion that suits their needs - whether it's the "make me feel better when I shout" variety or the "raise up the roof, 90 proof" kind. The song does not endorse or criticize any particular form of religion, but rather acknowledges that people have different reasons for seeking it out.
Line by Line Meaning
It was early Sunday morning
The story starts on an early Sunday morning
Everyone in the house was still asleep
Everyone in the house was still asleep while she prepared for her day
She made some toast and coffee
She made herself some breakfast
Took a shower and made herself smell sweet
She took a shower to smell good for the day
She said, "I don't want a bus ride,
She decided she didn't want to take the bus to her destination
I believe that the walk might help me think
She believed that walking would help her to think
Got a heart kind of heavy
She was feeling sad or weighed down emotionally
I need some big hat and gloves, shoes and bag religion!"
She felt like she needed some kind of religious experience to help her feel better about her situation
"Papa Henry was full of spice
Papa Henry was in a bad mood
He was a man usually nice
Papa Henry is typically a kind-hearted person
But something got into him last night
Something upset Papa Henry the night before
Made him want to fuss and holler
Papa Henry was yelling and angry
The entire house was in a sweat
The whole house was hot and tense due to Papa Henry's outburst
His bottle got broken and the floor got wet
Henry was drinking from a bottle which he broke, spilling its contents on the floor
"Clean it up!" you could hear him scream
Papa Henry demanded someone to clean up the mess he made
Then he said, "I'm going out"
Papa Henry left the house, likely to cool off and calm down
I need religion
Papa Henry thinks that religion can help him feel better or find guidance in his life
"It's the story about a good family
The song is now relating the story of a family
Who doesn't live anymore in good harmony
The family doesn't get along as well as they used to
They are people who love their daughter and son
The family still loves one another
They try to give them religion
The parents want their children to be religious like themselves
Little Billy likes his best friend Jack
Billy has feelings for his male friend Jack
How in the world could he be like that
The parents question how their son could have feelings for another boy
Mama and Henry wanna have that chat
The parents want to have a discussion with Billy about his feelings
Boy, you need religion
The parents believe that religion could help their son in this situation
Little Betty, what'cha gonna do?
Betty has a decision to make
There's a child growing inside of you
Betty is pregnant
You should've stopped and thought things through
The song implies that Betty should have considered her actions before getting pregnant
Little girl you need a vision of religion
The song once again suggests that religion could help Betty in her current situation
"Religion
The concept of religion is being discussed throughout the song
That's my decision
The decision to be religious is up to each individual
Some of that "make me feel better when I shout!!!" religion
The song suggests that some people prefer a loud, emotional form of religion
"That's my decision
The decision to be religious is up to each individual
Papa Henry was full of spice
Papa Henry is in a bad mood
That's my decision
The decision to be religious is up to each individual
Some of that "raise up the roof, 90 proof" religion
The song suggests that religion can be a high-energy and/or alcohol-fueled experience for some people
That's my decision
The decision to be religious is up to each individual
Religion
The concept of religion is being discussed throughout the song
It's my decision, oh yes it is
The song emphasizes that the decision to be religious is entirely up to each individual
"Some of that "how'd I get on Ricky Lake" religion
The song suggests that religion can lead to dramatic, sensational situations
That's my decision
The decision to be religious is up to each individual
Religion
The concept of religion is being discussed throughout the song
Get a little,
The song suggests that a little religion can be beneficial
Religion
The concept of religion is being discussed throughout the song
Get a little
The song suggests that a little religion can be beneficial
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUTHER VANDROSS, TONY MORAN
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