Born on the 2nd February 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gardot took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock, and pop musics. At the age of nineteen she was a fashion student at the Community College of Philadelphia. While cycling in Philadelphia in November 2003 she was hit by a car whose driver had ignored a red traffic light. In the accident she suffered serious head and spinal injuries, and her pelvis was broken in two places. Because of these severe injuries she was confined to her hospital bed for a year. Her musical beginning was prompted by a tending physician who was concerned with her cognitive impairment as a result of head injury sustained in the accident. He believed that music would help her brain injury improve, as it has been known to show remarkable results in improving people's cognitive ability after such trauma.
Following her doctor's suggestion, Gardot made recordings bedside, while still unable to walk, and eventually released the works as an EP: Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions (2005). Gardot's desire to be well, combined with a bit of luck, brought her to the attention of a local radio DJ at the AAA station WXPN (known for launching the careers of artists such as Amos Lee and Norah Jones). Her cognitive powers slowly but surely became pronounced, leading to the independent recording and release of her debut CD, Worrisome Heart, which was reissued in 2007 by Verve records.
Gardot is hypersensitive to light and noise, so wears dark glasses; she also uses a cane to walk. Onstage she requires a special seating unit, and wears a Transcutaneous Electro-Nerve Stimulator, a TENS device, to assist in alleviating her neuralgic muscle pain. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities on the East Coast of the U.S. to support her recordings. In 2009, working with producer Larry Klein and arranger Vince Mendoza - both known for their work with Joni Mitchell - Gardot followed up her Verve debut with My One and Only Thrill.
In 2012, she released the album The Absence.
If I Tell You I Love You
Melody Gardot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make you trip so your lips would be mine
There are so many things I could do, my love
To convince you my love is divine
There are so many words I could tell you
There are so many moments in time
If I tell you I love you -- I'm lying
There are so many places to go, my love
There are so many places to find
There are so many worlds to explore, my love
There are so many stars yet to shine
There are so many secrets to tell you
There are so many men on the line
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
If I tell you "I love you" -- I'm lying
I may be show to reason
To call you up next time
So if you like your women sweet
Consider me your wine
?
To call you when you're flyin'
But if I ever utter "I love you"
Honey, I am mine
And if I look into your eyes and tell you
"Honey, I am blind"
If I ever whisper words unheard, so sensuous
"Je t'aime, ah oui, je t'aime"
The lyrics of Melody Gardot's "If I Tell You I Love You" revolve around the notion of how actions speak louder than words. The singer of the song is trying to convey their emotional attachment to their lover by expressing that there are countless things they can do or say to convince them of their love. However, the singer understands that sometimes words can be empty promises, especially if they are not followed up by actions. In this context, mere words are futile, as they do not guarantee a deeper connection, and hence the singer warns their lover of the same.
The lyrics also describe how many things are left unsaid when one expresses their love for someone. The singer is aware of the multitude of secrets that should not be shared, and hence promises to be honest with their feelings. The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to show their love rather than express it explicitly. In this manner, the song portrays a mature and honest aspect of love, emphasizing that love is not merely about sweet nothings but about commitment and devotion.
Overall, "If I Tell You I Love You" is a song that reflects on the complexities of romantic relationships. It gives sophistication and depth to the concept of love, which is rather rare in most pop music.
Line by Line Meaning
There are so many things I could say, my love
There are countless words I could use to express my feelings for you
Make you trip so your lips would be mine
I could compel you into a romantic relationship
There are so many things I could do, my love
I could take numerous actions to prove my love
To convince you my love is divine
To demonstrate the exceptional quality of my love
There are so many words I could tell you
There are infinite things I could confide in you
There are so many moments in time
There are countless moments I could share with you
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
However, before we proceed with our relationship further
If I tell you I love you -- I'm lying
if I say I love you, I am not sincere
There are so many places to go, my love
We can explore an endless number of locations
There are so many places to find
We can encounter numerous wonderful places
There are so many worlds to explore, my love
We could explore countless new things together
There are so many stars yet to shine
There are still numerous beautiful experiences yet to come
There are so many secrets to tell you
I have so much to confide in you
There are so many men on the line
Other suitors are vying for my affection
I may be show to reason
I might use reason to persuade you
To call you up next time
To request your presence next time
So if you like your women sweet
If you like sweet, loving partners
Consider me your wine
Think of me as the person who can give you what you need
To call you when you're flyin'
To call you when you are feeling high
But if I ever utter 'I love you'
But if I ever say that I'm in love with you
Honey, I am mine
Honey, I'm only taking care of myself
And if I look into your eyes and tell you
And if I stare into your eyes and say to you
Honey, I am blind
Honey, I don't have a clear picture of what's going on
If I ever whisper words unheard, so sensuous
If I ever speak deeply personal and sensuous words to you
'Je t'aime, ah oui, je t'aime'
'I love you, oh yes, I love you'
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MELODY GARDOT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ΧΡΗΣΤΟΣ ΑΡΓΥΡΙΟΥ
There are so many things I could say, my love
Make you trip so your lips would be mine
There are so many things I could do, my love
To convince you my love is divine
There are so many words I could tell you
There are so many moments in time
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
If I tell you I love you -- I'm lying
There are so many places to go, my love
There are so many places to find
There are so many worlds to explore, my love
There are so many stars yet to shine
There are so many secrets to tell you
There are so many men on the line
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
If I tell you "I love you" -- I'm lying
I may be show to reason
To call you up next time
So if you like your women sweet
Consider me your wine
?
To call you when you're flyin'
But if I ever utter "I love you"
Honey, I am mine
And if I look into your eyes and tell you
"Honey, I am blind"
If I ever whisper words unheard, so sensuous
"Je t'aime, ah oui, je t'aime"
YoucancallmeDEE Schroeder
"If I Tell You I Love You"
There are so many things I could say, my love
Make you trip, so your lips would be mine
There are so many things I could do, my love
To convince you my love is divine
There are so many words I could tell you
There are so many moments in time
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
If I tell you I love you, I'm lying
There are so many places to go, my love
There are so many places to find
There are so many worlds to explore, my love
There are so many stars yet to shine
There are so many secrets to tell you
There are so many men on the line
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
If I tell you I love you, I'm lying
I maybe show the reason to call you up next time
So if you like your women sweet, ah, consider me your wine
I may be one for weekends to call you when you're flying
But if I ever utter I love you, honey I am lying
And if I look into your eyes and tell you, honey I am lying
And if I ever whisper words unheard, such sultry words
(Oh, je t'aime
Oh oui, je t'aime)
Darling, I am lying
ΧΡΗΣΤΟΣ ΑΡΓΥΡΙΟΥ
There are so many things I could say, my love
Make you trip so your lips would be mine
There are so many things I could do, my love
To convince you my love is divine
There are so many words I could tell you
There are so many moments in time
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
If I tell you I love you -- I'm lying
There are so many places to go, my love
There are so many places to find
There are so many worlds to explore, my love
There are so many stars yet to shine
There are so many secrets to tell you
There are so many men on the line
But I say 'fore we go to the land down below
If I tell you "I love you" -- I'm lying
I may be show to reason
To call you up next time
So if you like your women sweet
Consider me your wine
?
To call you when you're flyin'
But if I ever utter "I love you"
Honey, I am mine
And if I look into your eyes and tell you
"Honey, I am blind"
If I ever whisper words unheard, so sensuous
"Je t'aime, ah oui, je t'aime"
B Bayat
This young woman is extraordinary to me.
Élo Dee
Perfect song, lyrics and voice
Chantal Millet
Voix envoutante et chaude ; très agréable, et bien rythmée, superbe !!!!!
fjmc39
I like her voice, very beautiful, and the lyrics also
I T
Melody, you are a great artist!
corpusien
Great voice Grande musicienne and Great Soul! The first time I listened her song was by Bert Hart with Joe Bonamassa at the guitar...Very very good also :-)
RuedaBachata
Cette voix, cette soul, ce swing <3
iris muddy
just amazing!!!! love this woman
Rudy Orosco
it's Great to hear & still have the Best Talented Jazz Musical Artis still making Great Jazz Music, Ms. Melanie Gardot is Awsome.