McDonald played in several local bands (such as Mike and the Majestics, Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, the Reebtoors, and The Guild) while attending McCluer High School in his hometown of Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He was 'discovered' while playing with a group called Blue and consequently moved to Los Angeles in 1970. He first gained wide attention as an adjunct member of the group Steely Dan, providing back-up vocals and keyboards. Michael continued to do background vocals for Steely Dan up to their 1980 Gaucho release.
McDonald was recruited by The Doobie Brothers in April 1975 when lead singer Tommy Johnston became ill during a national tour. As a member of the Doobies, he recorded some of his most memorable songs, such as "Takin' It To The Streets," "Little Darling," "Minute By Minute," and "What A Fool Believes" (which earned him a 1980 Grammy Award for Song of the Year).
After the Doobies' first farewell tour, McDonald continued with a very successful solo career. Among his hits are
* "I Keep Forgettin'", a duet with his sister Maureen, later sampled in 1994 by Warren G
* "Sweet Freedom", the theme to the 1986 MGM film Running Scared
* "Take It To Heart"
* "Yah Mo B There", a duet with James Ingram which won a 1985 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
* "On My Own", a 1986 duet with Patti Labelle which reached #1 on the US charts
McDonald has produced and/or appeared on albums recorded by many other artists, including his singer wife Amy Holland and Grammy winner Christopher Cross. He is also a co-founder of the small independent recording label Ramp Records, with studio designer Chris Pelonis and actor Jeff Bridges.
His current album out 3/4/8 is titled "Soul Speak."
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There is also Michael McDonald, an American songwriter based in Helsinki, Finland. Michael has played with Helsinki-based bands Montevideo and Treeball, and is about to release his first solo album in 2007.
Don't Let Me Down
Michael McDonald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes it seems to me
A long and tender love
Is just not meant to be
It's just not of this world
The more we live with this love
We keep our feelings inside
Until we open the door
Chorus:
It's in my heart, it's in your eyes
It's waving us on
Till everything stops, everything dies
(we can't stop now, we've come this far)
Don't let me down
'cause in it's darkest hour
A love that's still worthwhile
Will always stand it's ground
If we just realize
The more we give to this love
The more we know that it's right
But if the time ever comes
That we should look for that light
Chorus:
The lyrics of Michael McDonald's song Don't Let Me Down explore a theme that is a staple of love songs: the struggle to hold onto love amid the uncertainties of life. The song speaks to the difficulty of maintaining a long and tender love, as one is prone to doubt whether love is truly meant to be in this world. Despite this, the love that the song portrays is still standing strong and worthwhile, no matter how dark the hour may get. It urges the lovers to keep pushing forward and to not let each other down.
Through the chorus of the song, McDonald emphasizes the depth of the love shared between the two lovers, describing it as being "in my heart, it's in your eyes" and "waving us on." He also stresses the importance of not giving up on this love, saying "we can't stop now, we've come this far" and imploring his lover to "Don't let me down." The song suggests that the path to true love is not an easy one, and it requires perseverance and dedication from both parties.
Overall, Michael McDonald's Don't Let Me Down is a moving and relatable love song that speaks to the universal human experience of navigating the complexities of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes it seems to me
At times, I feel that a long-lasting and affectionate love between us may not come to fruition.
A long and tender love
I am referring to a pure, genuine and all-consuming love between two people.
Is just not meant to be
Perhaps, our love was not destined to be fulfilled.
It's just not of this world
This kind of unadulterated love is exceedingly rare and hence alien to this world.
The more we live with this love
As we continue to experience and feel the depths of love, we tend to suppress or conceal those feelings.
The more we learn to ignore
Overtime, despite intense love, we tend to neglect, disregard or ignore our feelings towards each other.
We keep our feelings inside
We bottle up and restrain our love within us.
Until we open the door
We only allow ourselves to express our feelings towards each other when we make a conscious decision to do so.
It's in my heart, it's in your eyes
Our love is palpable and apparent in my heart and through the way you look at me.
It's waving us on
Our love urges us to keep going, to keep persevering despite challenges and obstacles.
Till everything stops, everything dies
Our love is so intense that we feel it could keep us going forever, but we know that everything must come to an end eventually.
(we can't stop now, we've come this far)
We should not relent in our pursuit of true love because we have made considerable progress thus far.
Don't let me down
I implore you, do not disappoint or fail me by giving up on our love for each other.
'cause in its darkest hour
Even in the most trying or difficult situations, we must hold on to our love and remain steadfast.
A love that's still worthwhile
If our love is genuine, it will always be worth sacrificing for and holding on to even when the stakes are high.
Will always stand its ground
Our love will always prevail and remain strong, even in times of turmoil or strife.
If we just realize
If we become aware and recognize the true value of our love, we will never let go of it.
The more we give to this love
As we pour more of our hearts and souls into our love, we will realize how much it means to us.
The more we know that it's right
Our love will constantly grow stronger and we will feel concretely assured that this kind of love is what we desire and need.
But if the time ever comes
In the unlikely event that we are unable to continue our love story together.
That we should look for that light
If we are in search of true love, we should not give up until we find it.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Michael H. McDonald, Randy Goodrum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind