Her first album, Abbey Lincoln's Affair, A Story of a Girl in Love was released in 1956. Also that year Lincoln starred in the film The Girl Can't Help It, for which she famously wore a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe.
Lincoln sang on the 1960s landmark jazz civil rights recording, We Insist! - Freedom Now Suite in 1960 by jazz musician and Lincolns husband from 1962-1970, Max Roach. Especially since this album, Abbey Lincoln was connected to the political fight against racism in the United States.
She co-starred with Sidney Poitier and Beau Bridges in 1968's For Love of Ivy and received a 1969 Golden Globe nomination for her appearance in the film. She also starred in the 1990 Spike Lee movie Mo' Better Blues.
In 2003, she received the National Endowment for the Arts NEA Jazz Masters Award.
Lincoln died on August 14, 2010 in Manhattan at the age of 80. Although no official cause of death was given, Lincoln had suffered deteriorating health following open heart surgery in 2007. She passed away in a Manhattan nursing home.
Runnin
Abbey Lincoln Lyrics
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And I'm all by myself
I guess she thinks now that she's gone
I'll lay right on the shelf
I'm gonna show her she's all wrong
No lonesome stuff for mine
I won't sit home, all alone
She'll soon find that I'm
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
When I first met that gal of mine
It seemed just like a dream
But when she tho't she had me right
She started actin' mean
Like mary led her little lamb
She led me all the time
Until the worm had to turn
That's the reason I'm
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
No gal will ever make a fool of me
No gal! I mean just what I say
I ain't the simpleton I used to be
Wonder how I got that way
Once I was full of sentiment, it's true
But now I got a cruel heart
With all that other foolishness I'm through
Gonna play the Villain part
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
The lyrics of Abbey Lincoln's song "Runnin'" tell the story of a man who's just had a fight with his girlfriend and is now determined to show her that he doesn't need her. He proclaims that he won't be a "lonesome stuff" and will instead live life with reckless abandon. He asserts that he's "runnin' wild" and that he's "lost control," but that he's "mighty bold" and doesn't care where he's going. He sings that he doesn't love anybody because "it's not worth while" and that he's "always showin'" that he doesn't care.
Throughout the song, the man seems caught between a desire to prove something to his ex-girlfriend and a sense of hurt over the way she's treated him. He describes their relationship as a dream that turned into a nightmare when she started acting "mean" and leading him around like a child. He insists that he won't let any woman make a fool of him and that he's done with all the sentimentality he used to feel.
The song's lyrics are a powerful statement about the ways in which love and relationships can turn people into different versions of themselves. The man in the song is determined to show his ex-girlfriend that he's not the same person she thought he was, but he also seems to be struggling with his own sense of identity in the wake of their breakup. Overall, Abbey Lincoln's "Runnin'" is a touching and insightful reflection on love, loss, and the search for self-knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
My gal and I, we had a fight
I got into an argument with my partner
And I'm all by myself
Now I'm alone
I guess she thinks now that she's gone
I believe she assumes that now she's left, I'll be helpless
I'll lay right on the shelf
She assumes I won't be able to function properly without her
I'm gonna show her she's all wrong
I plan to prove her wrong
No lonesome stuff for mine
I won't be lonely
I won't sit home, all alone
I won't stay at home by myself
She'll soon find that I'm
She'll soon discover that I am
Runnin' wild, lost control
I'm living recklessly and without restraint
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
I'm doing what I want with confidence and fearlessness
Feelin' gay, reckless too
I'm feeling carefree and impulsive
Care free mind all the time, never blue
I have a carefree attitude and am never sad
Always goin' don't know where
I'm always on the move and unsure of my destination
Always showin', I don't care
I'm always putting on a show and pretending not to care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
I don't love anyone, it's not worth it
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
I'm running wild and alone
When I first met that gal of mine
When I first met my partner
It seemed just like a dream
It felt surreal
But when she tho't she had me right
But when she thought she had control of me
She started actin' mean
She started treating me badly
Like mary led her little lamb
She led me around like a child
She led me all the time
She always had control over me
Until the worm had to turn
Until I had to take action and stand up for myself
That's the reason I'm
That's why I am
No gal will ever make a fool of me
No woman will ever take advantage of or manipulate me
No gal! I mean just what I say
I mean it when I say no woman can fool me
I ain't the simpleton I used to be
I am no longer naive and easily manipulated
Wonder how I got that way
I wonder how I changed
Once I was full of sentiment, it's true
It's true, I used to be very emotional
But now I got a cruel heart
But now I have a cold and unfeeling heart
With all that other foolishness I'm through
I'm done with all that other foolishness
Gonna play the Villain part
I'm going to act like the bad guy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR GIBBS, ARTHUR HARRINGTON GIBBS, JOSEPH GREY, JOSEPH W GREY, LEO WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind