Flack and Hathaway were both solo artists on the Atlantic roster who'd enjoyed critical acclaim, but Flack had enjoyed limited commercial success. Both had attended Howard University, although Flack's attendance there pre-dated Hathaway's. The singers' careers had overlapped, however: Flack had included Hathaway compositions on her First Take and Chapter Two albums, with the latter also featuring Hathaway as pianist, arranger and background vocalist. It was Jerry Wexler who suggested that a joint venture might consolidate Flack and Hathaway's popularity.
The first single from Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway was a version of "You've Got a Friend" recorded before the single release of the James Taylor version: both tracks debuted on the Hot 100 dated May 29, 1971 — marking Flack's first chart appearance — and, although Taylor's version reached #1, the Flack/Hathaway duet ascended as high as #29 and was a top ten R&B hit at #8. (The B-side, "Gone Away," was a Chapter Two track written by Hathaway.)
The second single from the duets album was a remake of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" that became a #30 R&B hit, peaking on the Hot 100 at #71.
It was the album's third single "Where Is the Love" — released in April 1972, almost a year after the album itself — that would be the smash hit, largely due to Flack having had her solo career breakthrough with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".
Although Hathaway had enjoyed more solo success than had Flack prior to their teaming up, his subsequent solo career was desultory, with no high-profile success prior to his re-teaming with Flack for "The Closer I Get to You" in 1978. Hathaway had recorded two songs for a second duet album with Flack — that became the Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway album — at the time of his death on January 13, 1979.
I
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The more you make me see
By giving me all you got
Your love has captured me
Over and over again
I tried to tell myself that we
Could never be more than friends
The way you make me feel
Lying here next to you
Time just seems to fly
Needing you more and more
Lets give love a try (oh, oh, oh)
Sweeter than sweeter love grows
And heaven's there for those
Who fool the tricks of time
With the hearts of love they find true love
In a special way
The closer I get to you
The more you make me see
By giving me all you got
Your love has captured me
Over and over again
I try to tell myself that we
Could never be more than friends
And all the while inside I knew it was real
The way you make me feel
The closer I get to you
The more you make me see
By giving you all I got
Your love has captured me
The closer I get to you
The feeling comes over me (me too)
Pulling closer, sweet as the gravity
(The closer I get) to you
The lyrics to Roberta Flack's "The Closer I Get To You" describe the experience of falling in love with someone who was initially just a friend. The singer is drawn closer to the subject, as they spend more time together and the more love and affection is shown, the more they are convinced that they are meant to be together. The repetition of the chorus, "The closer I get to you, the more you make me see; by giving me all you got, your love has captured me," emphasizes the growing emotional connection between the two individuals.
There is an interesting use of metaphor in the song, with the singer comparing the feeling of falling in love to the pull of gravity. The lyric, "Pulling closer, sweet as the gravity" suggests that the attachment between the two lovers is natural and inevitable, like the force of gravity that draws objects together.
The song is a testament to the power of love to bring people together and highlights the importance of taking risks in relationships. The singer acknowledges that they were initially hesitant to pursue a romantic connection with the subject and underestimated the strength of their feelings. However, as they allowed themselves to open up to love, they found that their connection deepened, and they were able to find true love.
Line by Line Meaning
The closer I get to you
As I get closer to you physically and emotionally
The more you make me see
I begin to gain a clearer understanding of life and love
By giving me all you got
You share with me your deepest thoughts and emotions
Your love has captured me
I am deeply and completely in love with you
Over and over again
Repeatedly, many times
I tried to tell myself that we
I attempted to convince myself that we
Could never be more than friends
Couldn't be in a more intimate relationship than just friends
And all the while inside I knew it was real
Despite this, I was aware that our feelings were genuine
The way you make me feel
The emotions and sensations you invoke in me
Lying here next to you
Being physically close to you
Time just seems to fly
Time appears to pass very quickly
Needing you more and more
Feeling a growing desire for you
Lets give love a try (oh, oh, oh)
Let's attempt to have a romantic relationship
Sweeter than sweeter love grows
Love keeps getting better and better
And heaven's there for those
Those who find true love have heaven on earth
Who fool the tricks of time
Who are able to overcome the limitations of time
With the hearts of love they find true love
Through their love and devotion they discover genuine love
In a special way
Unique and meaningful to them
The feeling comes over me (me too)
I experience a powerful emotion (and so do you)
Pulling closer, sweet as the gravity
Our love draws us towards each other, as naturally as gravity
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Mtume, Reggie Lucas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Southerngirl675
I have reached 100,000 subscribers. I would like to thank everyone that subscribe to me. ❤️
@nicholsdeshan
Add another one today
@kateryan6420
Bless and thanks!
@NYCResident543
BEAUTIFUL! Congratulations. I'm subscribing now.
@Southerngirl675
@@NYCResident543 thank you so much ☺️🗽
@williamdalton4245
Listening , Enjoying. Feeling Blessed
4/19/23
~Peace out cub scout.
All the while inside . I knew it was REAL..
@pcdfan87
RUSH HOUR 3 BROUGHT ME HERE!
@air89
carter and lee!!! XD
@truworship26
LOL I was listening to this song and hearing someone else sing it and I was trying to remember why I wanted to laugh...thanks for solving the mystery lol
@pcdfan87
yeah AKA Rush Hour 3