He emerged in the 1970s and at the time he was considered to be one of the few musicians of real talent who carried the tradition of the classic jazz tenor saxophone in the style of Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins as well as Zoot Sims and Don Byas forward. He began playing in various rhythm & blues outfits in Providence (Rhode Island), but subsequently shifted to jazz and the tenor saxophone. In 1976 he moved to New York City at, in part the recommendation of Roy Eldridge. He there joined Benny Goodman for a period of time. During this time, he also developed an alcohol problem.,[1] In the early 1980's he had formed his own quintet and toured all over the world. By then free from his drinking habit, in 1982 he had matured sufficiently to be able to break away from the spell of mainly Ben Webster and Zoot Sims, of whom he had been criticized of imitating. From this point on both his playing and his tone was very much his own.
Living in New York City, he toured all around the world during the 1980's, playing Japan and all over Europe. He was in particular a recurrent visitor to the UK, Sweden and the Grand Parade du Jazz, held in Nice, France. By the early 1990's he was ready for a next step and by 1994 when he released Organic Duke, he had developed a quite singular style: a large, well rounded but still focused tone and improvising, ostensibly still based on the swing idiom (especially Ellington), but incorporating more modern elements. During this period, he relocated to London, and formed his current quartet, featuring John Pearce (p), Dave Green (b) and Steve Brown (dr). He is currently active touring all over Europe.
He has had over forty albums as a lead most on the Concord Records label.
I Love You Samantha
Scott Hamilton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
The lyrics of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" by Scott Hamilton revolve around the despondency of the singer concerning their financial instability. The first stanza exemplifies this as the singer laments their unlucky streak and the unlikelihood of winning. However, the singer takes comfort in the idea that one day, their life might vastly improve. The chorus carries a tone of love and optimism as the singer acknowledges their inability to shower their partner with luxuries but assures them that they have an abundance of love. The singer persuades their partner to remain hopeful and to continue dreaming and scheming as they may ultimately find the happiness and material things they have always desired. The second stanza expresses that the singer believes their partner has all the time in the world and that they will always love and care for them. This is reiterated in the chorus, where the singer promises to continue loving their partner despite the financial struggle, until the day when they can finally afford the fine things in life.
Throughout the song, the singer consistently exudes a sense of unrest and dissatisfaction with their current state. However, they remain motivated and optimistic, continuously reassuring their partner of their love and faith in a more prosperous future. The song's message is highly relatable, and it resonates with most people striving for success while undergoing significant trials.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being financially unstable is hard, kid.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
This is not a funny situation, kid. It's a misfortune.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
My luck has changed, but for the worst. It went from bad to worse.
Who knows, some day I will win too. I'll begin to reach my prime.
Maybe one day, I will also have success. I hope to be at my best then.
Now though I see what our end is, All I can spend is just my time.
I now understand how things will end. All I can give you is my time.
I can't give you anything but love, baby. That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
I don't have much, but I have love for you. That's all I can offer.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile We're sure to find Happiness and I guess All those things you've always pined for.
Let's dream and plan together. I'm sure we'll find the happiness and things you've always wanted.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby. Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
I'd love to see you looking great, baby. Something even Woolworth doesn't have, like a diamond bracelet.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby. I can't give you anything but love.
Until that lucky day arrives, you know very well that I can only give you my love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid. You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
Great things take time, kid. You have to work hard to achieve them.
But I am willing to wait, dear, Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
I'm willing to wait for you, my dear. I won't forget my dear companion.
You have a lifetime before you. I'll adore you, come what may.
You have your whole life ahead of you. I'll love you no matter what happens.
Please don't be blue for the present, When it's so pleasant to hear you say
Please don't be sad about the present. It's lovely to hear you speak.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind