He was born in 1942 in Osceola, Arkansas where his father, Jim "Son" Seals, owned a small club. He began performing professionally by the age of 13, first as a drummer and later as a guitarist. In 1959, he formed his own band which performed locally and he also toured with Albert King.[1]
In 1971, he moved to Chicago. His career took off after he was discovered by Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records at the Flamingo Club in Chicago's South Side. His debut, Son Seals, was released in 1973. The album included "Your Love Is Like a Cancer" and "Hot Sauce". Seals followed up with 1976's Midnight Son and 1978's Live and Burning. He continued releasing albums throughout the next two decades. He received the W.C. Handy Award, an honor for best blues recording of the year, in 1985, 1987, and 2001.
Author Andrew Vachss was a friend of Seals, and used his influence to promote Seals' music. Vachss gave Seals several cameo appearances in his novels[2] and co-wrote songs with him for his 2000 album, Lettin' Go.[3] Vachss dedicated the novel Mask Market to Seals' memory.[4]
Son had a host of troubles to deal with over his life. He survived all but one of his 14 siblings; he himself was shot twice in the face by his ex-wife, which required extensive surgeries. One of his legs was amputated, due to complications from diabetes. He lost belongings in a fire that destroyed his home while he was away performing live, and several of his prize guitars were stolen from his home. [5]
The band Phish performed Son's song "Funky Bitch" throughout their career and brought him on stage on multiple occasions, turning a whole new generation on to his music.
Seals died from complications of diabetes; he was survived by his sister and fourteen children.[6]
Dear Son
Son Seals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or the outline of your silhouette when you step into the light
Is it in the things you say or the message in your eyes
The urgency you feel from me, cannot be denied
But now I feel like giving in
And I know whats to blame
Its just desire burning up my heart
I never want to let this feeling go
Its just desire
That makes me want to love you
All night long
I fel like theres a spell on me
That words just cant describe
It hit me like a ton of bricks,
Right between the eyes
I swore Id never take the fall
Now Im hanging on the edge
Could you be my destiny
Or something Ill regret
This temptation just whets my appetite
I aint hungry for no lasting thing
Its clear to me tonight
Its just desire burning up my heart
I never want to let this feeling go
Its just desire
That makes me want to love you
All night long
All right!
Come on baby, oh, whoa,
I dont know what possesses me
But every time youre next to me
I just cant control myself
When it comes to you Im driven by desire
I want my freedom, not some ball and chain
But now I feel like giving in and I know whats to blame
The song "Dear Son" by Son Seals is about the internal struggle of a man who wants freedom, but has been overwhelmed by desire for a woman he can't resist. He doesn't know what makes him feel so strongly about her, whether it's the way she moves or the things she says. He feels like he's under a spell and can't control himself when she's around. He knows that he should be resisting the temptation, but he doesn't want to let go of the feeling of desire that's burning up his heart. He's torn between wanting to maintain his independence and wanting to give in and love this woman all night long.
The lyrics of "Dear Son" capture the heart-wrenching conflict that arises when a person is torn between their desire for freedom and their desire to love and be loved. The singer is questioning his own motives and asking himself whether this woman is his destiny or something he will come to regret. The song is an honest and powerful expression of the way that desire can override reason and leave us feeling vulnerable and out of control. It's a classic blues theme that speaks to the human experience of longing and passion.
Line by Line Meaning
It might be the way you move that keeps me up at night
I am enchanted by the way you move, it is making me restless and unable to sleep at night
Or the outline of your silhouette when you step into the light
I am fascinated by the outline of your silhouette when you step into the light, it is captivating
Is it in the things you say or the message in your eyes
I am unsure if it is in the things you say or the message in your eyes that I am feeling this strong attraction towards you
The urgency you feel from me, cannot be denied
I cannot deny the urgency and intense feelings that I feel towards you
I wanted freedom, not some ball and chain
I desired freedom in life, not to be tied down or chained to anything or anyone
But now I feel like giving in
However, I am about to give in to these feelings of desire and attraction
And I know what's to blame
I am aware that it is my own desire and attraction towards you that is causing me to change my stance on what I want
It's just desire burning up my heart
I am feeling an intense desire for you that is consuming my heart and thoughts completely
I never want to let this feeling go
I am determined to hold onto this intense attraction and desire for you, never wanting to let it fade away
That makes me want to love you all night long
This strong attraction and desire is making me want to love and be with you intimately all night long
I feel like there's a spell on me that words just can't describe
I feel like I am under a spell, unable to put into words the intensity of my feelings for you
It hit me like a ton of bricks, right between the eyes
This sudden realization of my attraction and feelings for you hit me with great force, taking me by surprise
I swore I'd never take the fall, now I'm hanging on the edge
I was confident that I would never fall for someone and was determined to keep my distance, but now I find myself on the edge, about to give in to my feelings
Could you be my destiny, or something I'll regret
I am unsure if you are meant to be my destiny or if pursuing you will end up being something I will regret later on
This temptation just whets my appetite
This intense attraction and temptation towards you is making me crave more
I ain't hungry for no lasting thing
I am not looking for anything long-term or permanent in my life right now
It's clear to me tonight
I have become clear in my thoughts and feelings towards you tonight
All right! Come on baby, oh, whoa
I am ready to take the next step with you, come on baby
I don't know what possesses me
I am unable to understand why I am feeling this way towards you
But every time you're next to me, I just can't control myself
Every time you are near me, I am unable to control my attraction and desire for you
When it comes to you I'm driven by desire
When it comes to you, it is my desire and attraction towards you that is driving me
Contributed by Gabriel M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Trenyik Zsolt
Great music, great lyrics.
I been out on the road a mighty long time
Couldn't wait to get back home and see that woman of mine
But when I finally got there, I found a letter instead
I picked it up and read it, and this is what it said-
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Well I hope that you understand,
I found another man, dear Son.
Tried to figure out where she went, I didn't have a clue
She not only took her coffee cup, but she took her coffee too
The only thing that she left behind were written by her pen
I picked up that old sad note, and read those words again-
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Well I hope that you understand,
I found another man, dear Son.
I thought that she was diff'rent, a little quiet, a little shy
'Til that day that she ran off and found another guy
I didn't know what I did to make her disappear
To leave my with this lousy note, crying in my beer-
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Well I hope you understand,
I found another man, dear Son.
Now if you ever see her, make sure you treat her right
Don't always be trying to link, make sure that you're home at night
And don't ever let her catch you with Sally, Betty or Sue
'Cause you'll end with with a note, a note addressed to you
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Dear Son, I'm sorry baby, I'm movin' on
Well I hope that you understand,
That I found another man, dear Son.
Mic
Equals some of his best work.Β This song showcases his unique voice better than some others.Β Great little piece.
frank maffa
I got the chance to see Son many times through the 80's. Then saw him a few months before he died. He was sitting down waiting to go on and nobody recognized him
Leo Van Vliet
Under rated !
Rich Siciliano
Me too, many times in the 80's, I got to talk with him backstage at the Village Gate for a while because my friend worked there. Same with Otis Rush, nobody recognized him either. Otis was walking past my table going on stage at some hole in NYC, and I called his name, the girl next to me said "that's Otis Rush, I was sitting next to him at the bar". I asked her if she talked to him, and she said she didn't know who he was, I told her he's the only black guy in the place, he was wearing his cowboy hat too. Glad I got to see Son Seals so many times, he opened for Buddy Guy the first time I saw him, and he kicked ass!
BigGaryinAz
Thanks for this...it was the first Son Seals song I ever heard. I was hooked by it immediately. He was an incredible musician.
Jim Gouwens
Rest in Peace, Bluesman. Such a talent.
Song Mei
The song is mentioned in a very cool book called "Dog Stars" by Pter Heller.
Pete Howard
Love Son Seals. Discovered him in college in the early 80's. His albums got me through some hard times. Finally got to see him live on the South side of Chicago and loved every minute of it. RIP Bluesman, you are missed.
Grant Wilkie
π₯ THIS IS GOLD ππ―ππ₯
Charlie Abramson
Brother you couldnt have said it any better !!!!!!!!!!!! THX for the share