Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1932, Murphy was raised in a musical family, his parents having met as members of the local Methodist Church choir. He grew up in the nearby small town of Fulton, New York, where his grandmother and then his aunt were the church organists. Opera was also a presence in the Murphy home. He started piano lessons at the age of seven.
Murphy joined his brother's jazz dance band as the singer when a teenager, citing influences from Nat "King" Cole, June Christy, Anita O'Day, and Ella Fitzgerald. The Jazz pianist Art Tatum was also an influence.
Murphy graduated from Syracuse University in 1953, majoring in Music and Drama. University life included performing on campus and also in a club – playing piano and singing.
In 1954, Murphy moved to New York City, working part-time as an actor and singer. He appeared in productions for the Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera Company and a musical version for television of Casey at the Bat. Also, he twice took second place at the Apollo Theatre amateur contests.
Murphy was eventually introduced to record producer Milt Gabler, who was an artist and repertoire director (A & R) for Decca. His resulting debut recording was Meet Mark Murphy (1956), followed closely by Let Yourself Go (1957).
In 1958 Murphy moved to Los Angeles and recorded for Capitol, but returned to New York in the early '60s and recorded the album Rah! (1961) on Riverside Records, performing "Angel Eyes", a version of Horace Silver's "Doodlin'", and "Green Dolphin Street", featuring Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Blue Mitchell and Wynton Kelly as accompanists. His favorite recording to date, That's How I Love the Blues, soon followed. In 1963, Murphy hit the charts across the country with his single of "Fly Me to the Moon" and was voted New Star of the Year in Down Beat Magazine's Reader's Poll.[citation needed]
In the late 1960s Murphy moved to London, England, where he worked primarily as an actor. He continued however, to cultivate his jazz audiences in Europe. He returned to the States in 1972 and began recording an average of an album a year for more than fourteen years on the Muse label. These projects - including the albums Nat King Cole Songbook Vol. I and II, Bop for Kerouac, Kerouac Then And Now, Living Room, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Beauty And the Beast and, Stolen Moments - gained numerous Grammy nominations.[citation needed] This last album contains Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" with lyrics by Murphy.
In 1984 together with Viva Brasil he recorded the album Brazil Song (Cancões do Brasil), which featured original material written by Brazilian songwriters including work by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento.
In 1987, Murphy recorded Night Mood, an album of songs by Brazilian composer Ivan Lins, followed by the Grammy-nominated September Ballads on Milestone Records. Murphy has also appeared on U.F.O.'s last two releases (for Polydor Records), in which he wrote and rapped lyrics on songs composed with the group. This collaboration opened up further new audiences in the acid-jazz and hip-hop genres, demonstrating jazz's timelessness while transcending generations and styles.
In August 1997, BMG/RCA Victor released Song For The Geese, for which he has received his sixth Grammy nomination. Also in August 1997, the 32 Records label Joel Dorn and Michael Bourne released a double CD anthology Stolen and Other Moments, which features some of his recordings for the now defunct Muse label. The CD features material from the two "Kerouac" albums and a selection of "the best of Mark Murphy".
Murphy’s release Once to Every Heart (2005), on the Verve label, features sensuous ballads, where the listener can capture him singing in top form, with superb musicians and sounding better than ever. In 2007 Love is What Stays was released on Verve. Both albums were produced by German trumpeter Till Brönner.
Murphy has also collaborated with Five Corners Quintet, a modern Finnish jazz band. He appears on their albums Chasin' the Jazz Gone By (2005) and Hot Corner (2008).
In 2010 he released the independently produced CD, Never Let Me Go, on which he is supported by pianist Misha Piatigorsky, bassist Danton Boller and drummer Chris Wabich. A limited edition EP/MP3, "Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn" on Gearbox Records was released in 2013.
Murphy continued to tour internationally into his 80s, appearing at festivals, concerts, in jazz clubs and on television programs, throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan, as well as other places. John Bush at AllMusic.com described Murphy as "a major name in vocal jazz." A longtime resident of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, he died there on October 22, 2015.
Come to me
Mark Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come to me, wrap my love around you
Look in my eyes, hear what they say
Don't run away
Stay, stay, stay
I'm on fire; let your lips caress me
My desire is that you possess me
My lover, come to me
Lover, come to me
Come to me
Don't be afraid for love to come to you
My lover, come to me
Lover, come to me
Come to me
The lyrics of Mark Murphy's song "Come to Me" are addressed to a lover who is hesitant to respond to the singer's passion. The singer urges the lover to come closer and to not be afraid of the love that is being offered. The tone of the song is persuasive, and the singer affirms the intensity of their desire by stating that they are on fire and ready to be possessed by their lover. The repetition of the phrase "come to me" creates a sense of urgency and emotional intensity that reflects the central theme of the song, which is the search for love and the desire to connect with another person at a deep level.
The imagery in the song is sensual and romantic, focusing on the intensity of the singer's desire and the power of their love. The lines "wrap my love around you" and "let your lips caress me" create a vivid picture of physical intimacy and emotional connection, while the repetition of "my lover, come to me" emphasizes the singer's longing for their lover to respond to their passion. The song's message is ultimately one of hope and encouragement, urging listeners to be open to love and to not be afraid to take the risk of connecting with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Come to me now that I have found you
I have finally found you, so please come to me now
Come to me, wrap my love around you
Let my love surround and embrace you when you come to me
Look in my eyes, hear what they say
Observe my eyes and their expressions, and understand what I'm trying to convey
Don't run away
Please don't leave or escape
Stay, stay, stay
Please stay with me for longer, don't leave just yet
I'm on fire; let your lips caress me
I am burning with desire, so please touch and kiss me
My desire is that you possess me
I desire that you take me and claim me as yours
Don't be afraid for love to come to you
Don't be scared or hesitant for love to approach you
My lover, come to me
My beloved one, please come and find me
Lover, come to me
My darling, please come and be with me
Come to me
Please come to me, my love
Contributed by Jackson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.