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.
Your Secret Love
Luther Vandross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A certain time I can call you
A letter of love
But no name did you sign
Pretending to all
That we were just friends when I saw you
I didn't know that you wanted me to be
I didn't know that you wanted me for your
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never last as long
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be no secret baby
It's breakin' my heart (heart, heart)
You should've let me know
from the first time baby
That you were not, were not free to love
How could you wait so long
Oh, what a waste of love, baby
I should've known that you wanted me to be
I should've known
That you wanted me for your
(You wanted me) To be
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never mean as much
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be no secret baby
It's breakin' my heart (heart, heart)
I won't be you secret love
'Cause it's just a waste of my love
I'm tellin' you from the start
I won't be the one who gives you love
When your other guy ain't givin' you none
Don't come now, wait for a while
Let's meet at the place downtown
It's a shame it has to be like this
But I really miss you baby
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never last as long
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be your secret baby
You're breakin' my heart
My heart
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never last as long
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be your secret baby
The lyrics in Luther Vandross's "Your Secret Love" centers around the theme of a romantic relationship between two people who must keep their love hidden from the public. Vandross describes the intimacy they share as "a kiss in the dark, a certain time I can call you, a letter of love, but no name did you sign." He acknowledges that they have been pretending to be just friends when they see each other in public, but their hearts long for something deeper.
Vandross expresses his frustration about the situation. He wants to be with his lover openly and without restrictions, but his partner seems content with keeping their relationship a secret. He urges his lover to let the world know about their love, saying, "Your secret love, why can't we tell somebody? 'Cause secret loves never last as long. Your secret love will never be your true love." Vandross makes it clear that he cannot continue to be his lover's secret and that it is breaking his heart.
The song is emotionally charged and beautifully performed, making it a classic in the R&B genre. It touches on the relatable theme of wanting to be loved out in the open, without the need for secrecy. The lyrics and melody combine to create a heartfelt and memorable tune.
Line by Line Meaning
A kiss in the dark
We have been intimate in secret
A certain time I can call you
We can only communicate at specific times because you're hiding our relationship
A letter of love
You've expressed your feelings for me through a written message
But no name did you sign
You didn't leave any indication of your identity, further reinforcing the need for secrecy
Pretending to all
In public, we pretend to just be friends
That we were just friends when I saw you
When we're in the presence of others, we act as if we're only acquaintances
I didn't know that you wanted me to be
I was unaware that you wanted our relationship to be public
I didn't know that you wanted me for your
I was unaware that you wanted me to be exclusively yours
Your secret love
Our relationship is hidden from those around us
Why can't we tell somebody
I'm questioning the need for secrecy
'Cause secret loves
Relationships that are kept hidden
Never last as long
They don't tend to endure
Will never be your true love
Our relationship will never be real or genuine
I can't be no secret baby
I refuse to continue being hidden away like a secret
It's breakin' my heart (heart, heart)
The secrecy is causing me emotional pain and distress
You should've let me know
You should have told me about your limitations from the start
From the first time baby
From the moment we started seeing each other
That you were not, were not free to love
That you were committed to someone else
How could you wait so long
You should have been honest with me sooner
Oh, what a waste of love, baby
Our love was in vain because of your deception
I should've known that you wanted me to be
I should have realized that you wanted us to be together openly
I should've known
I regret being naive
To be
Together as a couple
I won't be you secret love
I refuse to continue being your hidden lover
'Cause it's just a waste of my love
This relationship is useless and unfulfilling
I'm tellin' you from the start
I'm making my stance clear from the beginning
I won't be the one who gives you love
I won't be your lover anymore
When your other guy ain't givin' you none
When your previous lover doesn't satisfy you
Don't come now, wait for a while
Wait for an opportune time to reach out to me
Let's meet at the place downtown
Let's have a private meeting at a public location
It's a shame it has to be like this
Our lack of openness is unfortunate
But I really miss you baby
I still have feelings for you
Never last as long
Hidden relationships don't usually endure
I can't be your secret baby
Being hidden away as a secret is unacceptable to me
You're breakin' my heart
The secrecy of our relationship is causing me emotional pain and distress
My heart
My emotional well-being
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUTHER VANDROSS, REED PHILIP VERTELNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@boetafrica139
A kiss in the dark
A certain time I can call you
A letter of love
But no name did you sign
Pretending to all
That we were just friends when I saw you
I didn't know that you wanted me to be
I didn't know that you wanted me for your
(You wanted me) To be
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never last as long
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be no secret baby
It's breakin' my heart (heart, heart)
You should've let me know
from the first time baby
That you were not, were not free to love
How could you wait so long
Oh, what a waste of love, baby
I should've known that you wanted me to be
I should've known
That you wanted me for your
(You wanted me) To be
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never mean as much
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be no secret baby
It's breakin' my heart (heart, heart)
I won't be you secret love
'Cause it's just a waste of my love
I'm tellin' you from the start
I won't be the one who gives you love
When your other guy ain't givin' you none
Don't come now, wait for a while
Let's meet at the place downtown
It's a shame it has to be like this
But I really miss you baby
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never last as long
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be your secret baby
You're breakin' my heart
My heart
Your secret love
Why can't we tell somebody
'Cause secret loves
Never last as long
Your secret love
Will never be your true love
I can't be your secret baby
@chrisg3853
Who still here in 2024??? Im neva leaving
@wazamanikurudi9649
Meeee meee meeeee
@juan2300
Me too.
@robertchege3887
2024 am still listening to this kind of masterpiece, who else on board?
@Deborah-rq9qt
I’m here.. I love this song ..
@amaraezem7348
❤ I am
@creolelady4096
Philly in the house yeeeeeees indeed 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💯💯💯💯💯💯
@user-xl9sx1fw1c
I will never stop listening to this kind of music
@user-vp1nw7gx4d
I'm still listening to Luther in 2024❤
@gamerfrog1097
Who’s listening in 2024🎉