Michael Henderson (born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, on 7 July 1951; died 19… Read Full Bio ↴Michael Henderson (born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, on 7 July 1951; died 19 July 2022) was an American bassist and vocalist best known for his work with Miles Davis in the early 1970s, providing a deep funky groove to early fusion albums such as A Tribute to Jack Johnson, Pangaea (album), and Live-Evil. He was the only musician to play with Davis in both phases of his electric period, starting in 1970 at the age of 18 and continuing until Davis's semi-retirement in 1976. He released a series of his own R&B/soul music, featuring him on vocals, in the mid to late-1970s.

With deep, funky grooves and a pop sensibility, Henderson was one of the first notable bassists of the fusion era as well as being one of the most influential jazz and soul musicians of the past 40 years. In addition to Miles, he has played and recorded with Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Dramatics, Doctor John, and others. He is considered to be one of the three greatest motown bassists, along with Bob Babbitt and his primary influence, James Jamerson.

Before working with Miles, Henderson had been touring with Stevie Wonder, whom he met at the Regal in Chicago while warming up for a gig. Miles Davis saw the young Henderson performing at the Copacabana (nightclub) in New York in early 1970 and reportedly said to Wonder simply "I'm takin' your fuckin' bass player."

After almost seven years with Miles, Henderson focused on songwriting and singing in a solo career that produced multiple hit songs and albums for Arista Records until his retirement in 1986. Although known primarily for ballads, he was an influential funk player whose riffs and songs have been widely covered.

In a resurgence in popularity, many of his bass riffs have been imitated by players seeking the fat, deep grooves of the Motown sound. His bass riffs, from such hits as "Valentine Love" and "You are my Starship," have been sampled by the likes of Snoop Dogg and L.L. Cool J, and his songs have been covered by Rick James, Wayman Tisdale, and Sugar Ray, and many more!

He continued to play shows intermittently with classic Michael Henderson music such as the very funky "WIDE RECEIVER" "GEEK YOU UP" "YOU ARE MY STARSHIP" "VALENTINE LOVE" "BE MY GIRL" LET ME LOVE YOU" the famous duets IE., Roberta Flack, "AT THE CONCERT" "Phyllis Hyman "CAN'T WE FALL IN LOVE AGAIN" Rena Scott "TAKE ME, I'M YOURS" Jean Carne on "VALENTINE LOVE" and additional tracks ranging from great Bass Instrumentals to Sexy Ballads to the very Funky.

Can
Michael Henderson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Can't we fall in love again?
Can't we fall in love again?

We were known as the great lovers
We had the magic from the start
We had so much to give each other
Now you're tellin' me you've lost the spark

Hold on tight, don't turn out the light
Can't we fall in love again?
With all of my might I'll try to make things right
Can't we fall in love again?

Oh, babe, I thought I couldn't live without you, baby
But, oh, how the months have flown so fast
By chance we meet and magic's happenin' once again
The second time around let's make it last

Come on, darlin'
Hold on tight, don't turn out the light
Can't we fall in love again?
With all of our might, let's try to make things right
(We can do it darling)
Can't we fall in love again? In love again

So we live and so it goes, baby
How it will turn out, no one knows
But here we go, babe

Oh, baby, can't we fall in love again?
Let's hold on tight, don't turn out the light
Can't we fall in love again?
With all of my might I wanna hold you real tight, baby
Can't we fall in love again?

Hold on tight, don't turn out the light
Can't we fall in love again?
There's somethin' I've been wantin' to talk to you about
Come on, you gotta talk to me, baby
Can't we fall in love again?

Babe, can't we fall in love again?
You got the magic in your eyes
I'm, I'm waitin' for my surprise, baby
(Hey, you got it, baby)
Can't we fall in love?

Hold on tight, don't turn out the light
Can't we fall in love again?
With all of that good stuff ?
(Michael, baby, I'm tellin' you, darlin')
Can't we fall in love?

Baby, can't we fall in love in again?
Let's hold on tight, don't turn out the light
Can't we fall in love again?
With all of my might, I wanna hold you real tight, baby
Can't we fall in love again?

Hold on tight, don't turn out the light

Overall Meaning

The song "Can't We Fall in Love Again?" by Michael Henderson is a plea to a former lover to reignite their romance. The lyrics express the disappointment and frustration of losing a once-great love and its subsequent struggle to recapture what was lost. The song asks, "Can we fall in love again?" and implores the listener to "hold on tight" and not "turn out the light" to help reignite the flame.

The song highlights the magical, spellbinding love that the couple once had, but it also acknowledges that the spark has been dimmed. The opening line of the chorus, "We were known as the great lovers," suggests that the couple's relationship was admired and envied. But now the love is slipping away, and they are left with just a memory of what used to be.

The chorus's repetition of the question "Can't we fall in love again?" emphasizes the singer's desperate plea to revive the romance. The lyrics suggest that the magic is still there and that with "all of our might," the couple can rekindle their love. The song ends with the singer asking for an opportunity to talk about their relationship, urging the lover to hold on tight and not turn out the light.

Line by Line Meaning

Can't we fall in love again?
Asking if the two can rekindle their love and relationship.

We were known as the great lovers
The two had a reputation for being great lovers.

We had the magic from the start
Their relationship had a special spark and energy from the beginning.

We had so much to give each other
There was a lot of love, support, and care that they could offer each other in the relationship.

Now you're tellin' me you've lost the spark
The partner is stating that the spark and energy between them has diminished.

Hold on tight, don't turn out the light
Urging the partner to hold on and not give up on the relationship.

With all of my might I'll try to make things right
The singer promises to do their best to fix and improve the relationship.

Oh, babe, I thought I couldn't live without you, baby
Expressing how much the artist loves and needs their partner.

But, oh, how the months have flown so fast
Reflecting on how quickly time has passed since their separation.

By chance we meet and magic's happenin' once again
Describing a serendipitous reunion where the magic between them comes back.

The second time around let's make it last
Expressing a desire to have a successful, long-lasting relationship this time around.

So we live and so it goes, baby
Acknowledging that life is unpredictable and full of surprises.

How it will turn out, no one knows
Admitting that nobody can truly predict the outcome of their relationship.

There's somethin' I've been wantin' to talk to you about
Hinting that there is an important and possibly difficult conversation that needs to take place.

Come on, you gotta talk to me, baby
Encouraging the partner to open up and communicate with the singer.

You got the magic in your eyes
Expressing that the partner has a special quality that makes them appealing.

I'm waitin' for my surprise, baby
Anticipating something special or unexpected from the partner.

Can't we fall in love?
Repeating the central question of rekindling their love and relationship.

With all of that good stuff?
Referencing the positive and desirable aspects of their relationship that they could potentially experience again.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN PARKER, PETER IVERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS