Just the Two of Us by Grover Washington, Jr. Lyrics Meaning – The Intimate Odyssey of Resilience and Love
Lyrics
And the beauty of it all
Is when the sun comes shining through
To make those rainbows in my mind
When I think of you sometime
And I want to spend some time with you
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I
We look for love no time for tears
Wasted water’s all that is
And it don’t make no flowers grow
Good things might come to those who wait
Not for those who wait too late
We gotta go for all we know
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
Building them castles in the sky
Just the two of us
You and I
I hear the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
And darling when the morning comes
And I see the morning sun
I want to be the one with you
Just the two of us
We can make it if we try
Just the two of us
(Just the two of us)
Just the two of us
Building big castles way up high
Just the two of us
You and I
Tucked within the smooth grooves and the serene saxophone melodies, ‘Just the Two of Us’ emerges as a timeless classic by Grover Washington, Jr., entrenched in the intimate dance of love and companionship. It is deceptively simple in its composition, yet intricate in emotional depth—a song that echoes the resilience of two lovers against the backdrop of life’s unpredictability.
But beyond the harmonious collaboration with Bill Withers, who brings a soulful voice to the composition, lies a deeper understanding of the human condition and the power of unity. It’s a sonic journey that merits a closer inspection to unveil the profound layers hidden beneath its appealing surface.
Raindrops on the Soul: The Imagery of Resilience
The crystal raindrops falling, a recurring image throughout the song, are symbolic of life’s challenges. Yet, the beauty emerges when the sun—representing hope and resilience—pierces the gloom, creating rainbows. These rainbows are not just visual but emotional, a transformative state of mind that is evoked when thinking of a significant other, a person who adds color into the often-monochrome tapestry of life.
The metaphor extends to the central theme of perseverance and personal growth. The idea that adversity doesn’t preclude beauty and that tribulations, viewed in the light of love and support, can lead to a landscape ripe with possibilities.
A Declaration of Codependent Triumph
‘We can make it if we try’ isn’t merely an expression of hope; it’s a testament to the tenacity of two souls conjoined in purpose. Washington’s melody and Withers’ vocals come together to sell a conviction that, as a unit, even the loftiest ambitions are obtainable. In a sense, the song is a call to arms for lovers everywhere, an incantation that imbues strength and dispels the solitude of struggle.
The song’s insistence on the word ‘just’ underscores the sufficiency in the partnership, an assurance that in the company of ‘the two of us,’ no external force can dwarf the monumental strength they possess together.
Building Castles in Domesticity: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
While ‘building castles in the sky’ might evoke a sense of fantasy or unreachable dreams, it’s also an intimate whisper, a shared secret that the ‘sky’ is a metaphor for the infinite heights of human aspiration. The castles represent not grandeur for show, but a home—the private space where love manifests as an act of daily construction, brick by emotional brick.
It’s in this hidden meaning that the song reveals its true colors: these are not the narratives of unrealized dreams, but the grounding of love in tangible, everyday moments. Every bit as lofty and romantic, but imbued with a raw sincerity that can only be felt in the realness of a shared life.
The Siren Calls of Melancholic Optimism
‘We look for love, no time for tears, wasted water’s all that is…’ These lines offer an ode to proactive love, urging listeners to shed stagnancy in favor of action. Bringing to life the adage that time waits for no one, the lyrics reject sorrow in favor of seizing the day, a testament to the song’s underpinning message of hopeful realism.
Simultaneously, the acknowledgment of wasted tears suggests a past fraught with hurt—a nod to the sorrowful nostalgia that often accompanies reflection. Yet in the song’s thesis, it is the anticipation of love, and the embrace of what ‘we know,’ that offers an antidote to the paralysis of regret.
Lingering on the Tongue: The Song’s Most Memorable Lines
There’s an undeniable stickiness to ‘Just the two of us, we can make it if we try’ that has resonated with audiences through the decades. It is a simple, potent affirmation that the duo’s formula for success is rooted in effort and companionship, encapsulating the song’s ethos.
As much a motif as it is a hook, these words are the glue of the song, providing a mantra for the romantics, the dreamers, and the fighters intertwined in love and life who hear them. Grover Washington, Jr.’s mellow saxophone carries these words, etching them into the collective consciousness, ensuring their immortality.
