Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", (Apri… Read Full Bio ↴Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family. His father, Thomas Turrentine, Sr., was a saxophonist with Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans, his mother played stride piano, and his older brother Tommy Turrentine became a professional trumpet player.
He began his prolific career with blues and rhythm and blues bands, and was at first greatly influenced by Illinois Jacquet. In the 1950s, he went on to play with the groups of Lowell Fulson, Earl Bostic, and at the turn of the decade, Max Roach.
Turrentine received his only formal musical training during his military stint in the mid-'50s. In 1959, he jumped from the frying pan into the fire when he left the military and went straight into the band of the great drummer Max Roach.
He married the organist Shirley Scott in 1960 and the two frequently played and recorded together. In the 1960s, he started working with organist Jimmy Smith, and made many soul jazz recordings both with Smith and as a leader.
In the 1970s, after his professional split and divorce from Scott, Turrentine turned to jazz fusion and signed for Creed Taylor's CTI label. His first album for CTI, Sugar proved one of his biggest successes and a seminal recording for the label. He worked with Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, George Benson, Bob James, Richard Tee, Idris Muhammad, Ron Carter, Grant Green and Eric Gale, to name a few. He returned to soul jazz in the 1980s and into the 1990s.
Turrentine lived in Fort Washington, Maryland from the early 90s until his death.
He died of a stroke in New York City on September 12, 2000 and is buried in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Cemetery

Then I
Stanley Turrentine Lyrics

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You look at me and wonder, you look at me and doubt,
Darling your eyes are asking, "Will the flame burn out?"
Well, no one is sure of sun shine, no one is sure of dawn,
But I am sure my love will live on and on.
I'll be tired of you when stars are tired of gleaming
When I am tired of dreaming, then I'll be tired of you.
This I know is true, when winds are tired of blowing,
When grass is tired of growing, then I'll be tired of you.

Beyond the years,
'Til day is night, 'til wrong is right,
'Til birds refuse to sing,
Beyond the years, the echo of my only love
Will still be whispering, whispering.

And if my throbbing heart should ever start repeating
That it is tired of beating, then I'll be tired of you.

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song "Then I'll Be Tired of You" by Stanley Turrentine, is about the doubts in a lover's mind. The lover is hesitant about their partner's commitment, and whether the love will last. The lover is afraid that the "flame" will burn out, which is a metaphor for the love between them. The singer assures that no one can be sure of anything, but the love they have is going to live on no matter what. The chorus is a declaration of love, where the singer says that they will only tire of the love they have when the stars are tired of gleaming, and they are tired of dreaming. This is a hyperbolic comparison, meaning that the love between them will never fade out.

The second verse talks about the eternity of the love between them. The singer says that their love will last beyond the years, "til day is night, til wrong is right", meaning that their love is going to last forever. Even if one of them is gone, the "echo" of their love will still be whispering. The singer promises that they will only be tired of their partner when everything around them is tired too. The metaphor in this verse is that the grass and the wind are personified, and they are tired of growing and blowing. This verse is a nod to the fact that their love is not simply a passion for each other, but it is also an enduring commitment.

Overall, the song conveys a sense of devotion and commitment to love. It suggests a love that is not fleeting or fragile, but rather one that is eternal and unshakable. The song assures the listener that love is a force that can last through all the uncertainties of the world.

Line by Line Meaning

You look at me and wonder, you look at me and doubt,
You're curious and unconvinced about my true intentions.

Darling your eyes are asking, "Will the flame burn out?"
You're worried if our passion for each other will fade away.

Well, no one is sure of sun shine, no one is sure of dawn,
No one can predict the future with complete assurance.

But I am sure my love will live on and on.
I'm confident that my love for you will never die.

I'll be tired of you when stars are tired of gleaming
My love for you will last eternally, just as stars keep shining.

When I am tired of dreaming, then I'll be tired of you.
Only when I stop dreaming will I stop loving you.

This I know is true, when winds are tired of blowing,
My love for you will continue even after the winds cease to blow.

When grass is tired of growing, then I'll be tired of you.
My love for you will last as long as the grass keeps growing.

Beyond the years,
Far into the distant future,

'Til day is night, 'til wrong is right,
Even if the world turns upside down,

'Til birds refuse to sing,
Even if birds stop singing,

Beyond the years, the echo of my only love
My love for you will resonate for eternity.

Will still be whispering, whispering.
I'll always be thinking of you.

And if my throbbing heart should ever start repeating
Even if my heart is broken and in pain,

That it is tired of beating, then I'll be tired of you.
My love for you will never falter, even if it breaks me.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR SCHWARTZ, E. Y. HARBURG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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