Lee was a musical prodigy and by the time she was two she would hear songs on the radio once and be able to whistle the complete tune. She was five years old when she started to gain wider attention when she won a local singing contest sponsored by the elementary schools. At age 11, she was offered a recording contract with Decca Records and released the song âDynamite,â leading to her lifelong nickname, âLittle Miss Dynamite.â
Lee was popular in the UK very early in her career, and her 1961 rockabilly release âLetâs Jump the Broomstickâ did not chart in the US, but went to #12 in the UK. Her biggest hits during this time include a rockabilly version of the country classic âJambalaya (On the Bayou),â âSweet Nothinâs,â âI Want to Be Wanted,â âAll Alone Am I,â and âFool #1.â
In 1960, she recorded her signature song, âIâm Sorry,â which hit number one on the Billboard pop chart and was her first gold single. Her last top-10 single on the pop charts was 1963âs âLosing You,â while she continued to have other chart songs such as her 1966 song âComing On Strongâ and âIs It True?â in 1964.
During the early 1970s, Lee re-established herself as a country music artist, and earned a string of Top 10 hits on the country charts. Her biggest selling track of her career is, oddly enough, a Christmas song: âRockinâ Around the Christmas Tree.â It was released in 1958, but it sold only 5,000 copies. However, it eventually sold over five million copies and remains a perennial radio favorite each December. In December 2023, Lee became the oldest artist to ever top the Hot 100, when "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the chart 65 years after its release.
Over the ensuing years, Lee has continued to record and perform all around the world, previously cutting records in four different languages. She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In 1992, she recorded a duet with Willy DeVille; Chuck Berry also wrote a song about her. Lee has been married to Ronnie Shacklett since 1963, and they have two daughters and three grandchildren. She is the second recipient of the Jo Meador-Walker Lifetime Achievement award.
Throughout her career, Brenda Lee has released 41 studio albums, 12 compilation albums, and over 100 singles. She has had numerous top twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Country, and AC charts in the US, UK, and Canada.
No One
Brenda Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, no one ever told me I love you, no one ever cared
Ah, no one ever said all those dreams
That I dreamed would come true
Ah, no one ever hurt me the way you do
Ah, no one ever broke my heart in two
I'll keep on caring my whole life through
For no one, no one, but you
No one ever hurt me the way you do
No one ever broke my heart in two
I'll keep on caring my whole life through
For no one, no one, but you
In Brenda Lee's song "No One," the singer talks about how no one has ever been able to love them in the same way that the person they're singing to does. There is a sense of both gratitude and hurt in these lyrics, as Lee explains how no one has ever made her feel loved and cared for, but also how no one has ever hurt her as deeply as this person has. The repetition of certain lines, particularly the title phrase "No one," emphasizes the loneliness and isolation the singer feels, despite being in a relationship. By the end of the song, however, it's clear that the love she feels for this person is all-consuming and everlasting, even if they continue to hurt her.
Lee's delivery of these lyrics is particularly touching, as her powerful voice conveys both vulnerability and strength. The instrumentation of the song features a classic rock-and-roll guitar sound that gives the tune an upbeat energy, despite its bittersweet subject matter. "No One" is a poignant love song that speaks to the universal experience of loving someone who both lifts us up and brings us down.
Line by Line Meaning
No one ever kissed me the way you do
I have never been kissed as passionately by anyone else
Ah, no one ever told me I love you, no one ever cared
No one before you ever told me they loved me or showed me that they cared for me
Ah, no one ever said all those dreams
That I dreamed would come true
No one ever promised to make my dreams come true until you came along
Ah, no one ever hurt me the way you do
Even though you have hurt me, no one else has ever caused me that type of pain
Ah, no one ever broke my heart in two
You were the first person to break my heart and tear it into pieces
I'll keep on caring my whole life through
For no one, no one, but you
I will always care for you and love you despite everything you have done because you are the only one for me
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOC POMUS, MORT SHUMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JP Moreno V.
Nadie,
nunca me besĂł
como lo haces tu
Nadie,
me dijo antes te amo,
a nadie le importĂł
Nadie,
nunca antes me dijo
que todos esos sueños
que soñé
se harĂan realidad.
Nadie
me lastimĂł como tĂș
nadie
rompiĂł mi corazĂłn en dos
Seguiré cuidåndome
a través de toda mi vida
para nadie,
nadie mĂĄs que para ti
Nadie
nunca me lastimĂł como tĂș
Nadie
rompiĂł mi corazĂłn en dos
Seguiré cuidåndome
a través de toda mi vida
para nadie,
nadie mĂĄs que para ti
Alexa Herrera
Once you get hooked on Brenda's voice you never shake it off. There is something so personal and direct about her delivery it hits home every time.
JP Moreno V.
Nadie,
nunca me besĂł
como lo haces tu
Nadie,
me dijo antes te amo,
a nadie le importĂł
Nadie,
nunca antes me dijo
que todos esos sueños
que soñé
se harĂan realidad.
Nadie
me lastimĂł como tĂș
nadie
rompiĂł mi corazĂłn en dos
Seguiré cuidåndome
a través de toda mi vida
para nadie,
nadie mĂĄs que para ti
Nadie
nunca me lastimĂł como tĂș
Nadie
rompiĂł mi corazĂłn en dos
Seguiré cuidåndome
a través de toda mi vida
para nadie,
nadie mĂĄs que para ti
steelmanK
Brenda does an amazing job here but the strings add to make this an exceptional recording. All of Brenda's recordings had as good an orchestral support as I think any vocalist of her era.
Bill Bright
When I hear miss Brenda singing,
I know in my heart, I'm hearing a genuine Angel singing.
Edna Hahn
My favorite Brenda Lee song!!
Charlotte Hendershot
Love her music so much!!
Nora Enciso
I love this singer even if its not in "my time". Her songs are wonderful so is her voice.
Edna Hahn
One of the best singers ever!!
pderocoptero
brenda lee tu Ă© fantastica, ouvir sua voz Ă© um prazer, obrigado por ter pemitido desfrutar do seu dom.
Milly Ashby
Dam I love the tone and the vibes from this song wow