Born Ocie Lee Smith in Mansfield, Louisiana, Smith moved with his parents to Little Rock, Arkansas, before their divorce saw Smith and his mother move to Los Angeles.
After completing a psychology degree at Southern University, Smith joined the Air Force, and served throughout the US, Europe and Asia. While in the Air Force, Smith began entering talent contests and toured with Horace Heidt. On his discharge in July, 1955, Smith went into jazz music to pay the bills.
Smith gained his first break as a singer with Sy Oliver and made an appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. His success on that show led to a recording contract with Cadence Records.
Smith's debut release was a cover of the Little Richard hit "Tutti Frutti" in December, 1955. The song was not a hit, but convinced MGM Records to sign Smith to a solo contract, resulting in three more releases, but still no hits.
In 1961, Smith was recruited by Count Basie to be his vocalist, a position he held until 1965. He also continued to record with different labels, but a hit remained elusive. (His highest chart position was number 127, for his 1967 release, "That's Life"). By 1968, Smith's then label, Columbia Records, was ready to release him from his contract, when he entered the charts for the first time with "Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp".
"Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp" is a sentimental recollection of a Mom who turns to prostitution to support her family after they are abandoned by the alcoholic father. It was originally recorded by country artist Johnny Darrell, but Smith's cover had much greater success.
Smith changed the first part of his name to O.C. and recorded a cover of the Bobby Russell song "Little Green Apples", which shot to number 2 on the pop charts and won Smith a 1969 Grammy Award for "Best Song".
While Smith was unable to scale these heights again, he continued to record, reaching number 34 with "Daddy's Little Man", before retiring from music to study divinity. In 1985, Smith became Dr. O.C. Smith, pastor of the City of Angels Science of Mind Centre in Los Angeles, and he continued to preach until his death in 2001.
I'm In Love
O.C. Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Simply because you're near me.
Funny, but when you're near me
I'm in the mood for love.
Heaven is in your eyes
Bright as the stars we're under
Oh! Is it any wonder
Why stop to think of whether
This little dream might fade?
We've put our hearts together
Now we are one, I'm not afraid!
If there's a cloud above
If it should rain we'll let it
But for tonight, forget it!
I'm in the mood for love
"I'm In the Mood for Love" is a classic love song written by Dorothy Fields and composed by Jimmy McHugh in 1935. Over the years, this song has been covered and performed by various artists across the world, including O.C. Smith, who recorded the song for his debut album in 1968. The song's opening line, "I'm in the mood for love, simply because you're near me," perfectly depicts the feelings of a person who is head over heels in love with someone.
The song suggests that love is in the air and the sheer presence of the loved one has ignited a spark within the singer, which has put him/her in a mood for love. The lyrics describe the physical and emotional impact of love, and that heaven is seen in the eyes of the loved one, which is as bright as the stars above them. The chorus reiterates the mood that the singer is in and shows how the relationship has advanced to the point where they are united, and there is no fear of the dream fading away.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in the mood for love
I am feeling romantic
Simply because you're near me.
Your presence awakens romantic feelings in me
Funny, but when you're near me
I find it amusing that my emotions change so drastically when you are present
Heaven is in your eyes
Your eyes are so beautiful and captivating that they feel like heaven to me
Bright as the stars we're under
Your eyes shine as brightly as the stars in the sky when we are together
Oh! Is it any wonder
It's no surprise that I am so in love with you
Why stop to think of whether
There's no need to worry or overanalyze things
This little dream might fade?
We don't need to worry about whether or not our love will last
We've put our hearts together
We have committed to each other emotionally
Now we are one, I'm not afraid!
We have become a team and I have no fears or doubts about our love
If there's a cloud above
If there is something going wrong or a negative circumstance
If it should rain we'll let it
We will endure through any hardships together
But for tonight, forget it!
But for now, let's just focus on enjoying each other's company and forget about our problems
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RU TOCHKA MEDIA, LLC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy Mchugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind