All About Jazz Interview with Mark Sholtez
It's been more than a year now since Mark Sholtez's debut album Real Street (Verve, 2006) was released. Exciting things have happened since, mainly in his home country of Australia. Real Street celebrated ten weeks in a row at the number one position on the Jazz and Blues Album Charts, and was also nominated for the Aria Awards in the category of Best Jazz Album. To bring things somewhat full circle, Sholtez then proudly accepted the 2007 APRA Music Award for Most Performed Jazz Work.
Sholtez is more than happy to look back on an exhilarating period of his life, in which his career got a well- deserved turbo boost. Let's face it, not every aspiring artist out there is given the opportunity to sign with Verve Records and record with some of the finest jazz musicians available in less than a week. Because that's what it took for a tape with rough mixes to end up on chairman Tommy LiPuma's desk, resulting in a long distance phone call to Brisbane, Australia.
“Before signing a record deal and recording Real Street, I had always looked at that as the ultimate goal,” explains Sholtez. “When you're trying to make a living working the clubs and writing and recording in your spare time, to get it all to come together can seem like such an unlikely reality at times. For me, that's what made it hard to think too far beyond that.
“The biggest change for me, once Real Street was actually released, was the realization that I had, in fact, just arrived at the beginning of my music career. After more than ten years of working hard to get it together I was finally standing on the starting line.
“Now, as I get ready to go into the studio to record a new album, it's interesting to look back on the past year or so and think about all the cool things I've gotten to do. Like playing the Sydney Opera House opening for Diana Krall and touring with George Benson and Al Jarreau. And also, it was very cool meeting people that have made a genuine connection to the songs on Real Street. It's a treat when you're meeting people after a show and someone tells you that they recently got married and they used one of your songs as their bridal waltz; or they walked down the aisle to one of your songs or something like that. I had one guy tell me that he proposed to his girlfriend at one of my shows!
“I'm at the point now,” Sholtez concludes, “where I'm closing the book on Real Street and focusing on the new songs and the new recording. To know the first album has a life of its own now and will continue to play a part in someone's life somewhere is exciting. It motivates me to want to make more music.”
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Wanting you
Mark Sholtez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I could see the sun
It was so warm on my skin
I couldn′t feel your love
Momentarily blind
Twas hard to see why everything was
You took the waves from the sea
It was so peaceful and calm
I dived right in
But with the water in my eyes
Twas hard to see why everything was
Sometimes love can get so big
You can't see the all of it
But know that everything you do
You′ve got me wanting you
Got me wanting you
Can't live without your love
That's all that I want
You′re always on my mind
Like a constant haunting
Girl you′ve got me wanting
You
You took away the brightest star
To give me a place to shine
I was inspired of course
To light your sky
Momentarily high
Twas hard to see why everything was
Sometimes love can burn so bright
That I can't help but close my eyes
But know that everything you do
You′ve got me wanting you
Got me wanting you
Can't live without your love
That′s all that I want
You're always on my mind
Like a constant haunting
Girl you′ve got me wanting
You
Sometimes love can get so big
You can't see the all of it
But girl you've got me wanting you
And sometimes love can burn so bright
That I can′t help but close my eyes
But know that everything you do
You′ve got me wanting you
Got me wanting you
Can't live without your love
That′s all that I want
You're always on my mind
Like a constant haunting
Girl you′ve got me wanting
You
The lyrics in Mark Sholtez's "Wanting You" express the depth of love that the singer has for their partner. The opening lines illustrate the transformative effect that their partner has had on their life. They have removed the clouds from their sky so that they can see the sun, and have taken the waves from the sea so that they can safely swim. The singer is experiencing newfound peace and clarity, despite any past hardships or difficulties in their relationship. However, despite this clarity, their love is so intense that it can still be overwhelming at times, and they find themselves momentarily blinded or high with emotion.
The chorus emphasizes the strength of the singer's desire for their partner. They are constantly thinking about them, and they cannot live without their love. The repetition of the line "got me wanting you" emphasizes the all-consuming nature of their love, while the closing lines about the partner being a "constant haunting" suggest that their love is ever-present, even if they are physically apart.
Overall, the lyrics in "Wanting You" capture the highs and lows of a deep, intense love. The singer has found clarity and peace in their relationship, but their love is so strong that it can still be overwhelming at times. Despite any challenges, their desire for their partner is constant and all-consuming.
Line by Line Meaning
You took the clouds from my sky
You cleared the obstacles in my life so that I could see the bright side.
So I could see the sun
So that I can find the warmth and positivity around me.
It was so warm on my skin
It felt so good to be free from the negativity and to feel the positivity.
I couldn't feel your love
I could not sense your love while living in the negativity.
Momentarily blind
Temporarily lost before I realized the true impact of what you did.
Twas hard to see why everything was
It was difficult to understand why everything was the way it was until you came along and showed me the good in life.
You took the waves from the sea
You removed the danger in my life so that I could safely enjoy it.
So I could safely swim
So that I could enjoy the calmness and serenity of the ocean without any harm.
It was so peaceful and calm
It felt so good to finally be free from the chaos and to find some calmness in life.
I dived right in
With you as my support, I fully embraced life and took a leap of faith.
But with the water in my eyes
But with the difficulties in life, it became difficult for me to see the good in everything.
Sometimes love can get so big
Sometimes love can be so overpowering that it becomes hard to comprehend.
You can't see the all of it
It is difficult to see the complete picture and understand everything that is happening.
But know that everything you do
But one thing I am sure of is that everything you do makes me want you even more.
You've got me wanting you
You have me fully committed to you and in love with you.
Can't live without your love
I cannot imagine my life without your love and support.
That's all that I want
All I want in this life is your love and support.
You're always on my mind
I think of you constantly and your love brings me peace and comfort.
Like a constant haunting
You are always on my mind in a positive and reassuring way.
Girl, you've got me wanting you
You have captured my heart and soul and I am forever in love with you.
You took away the brightest star
You sacrificed something great to bring light to my life.
To give me a place to shine
You have given me a platform to shine and show the world what I am capable of.
I was inspired of course
I was motivated and influenced by your selflessness and sacrifice.
To light your sky
To bring happiness and light into your life as well, as it should be a two-way street.
Momentarily high
I felt uplifted and passionate temporarily.
Sometimes love can burn so bright
Love can be passionate and intense, overwhelming even.
That I can't help but close my eyes
To fully embrace and feel this love, sometimes I need to block out all other distractions.
Writer(s): Scholtes Mark Allan
Contributed by Savannah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.