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 “Dynamite,” leading to her lifelong nickname, “Little Miss Dynamite.”
Lee was popular in the UK very early in her career, and her 1961 rockabilly release “Let’s Jump the Broomstick” 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 “Jambalaya (On the Bayou),” “Sweet Nothin’s,” “I Want to Be Wanted,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
In 1960, she recorded her signature song, “I’m Sorry,” 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 1963’s “Losing You,” while she continued to have other chart songs such as her 1966 song “Coming On Strong” and “Is It True?” 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: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” 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.
So Deep
Brenda Lee Lyrics
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You wrecked a good love and now your glad.
It wasn't very hard for you to do.
You handed back the heart that loved you so true.
Now I'm in so deep, I can't get deeper
I'm in so low, I can't get lower
I'm blue so blue, I can't get bluer
It really hurt to find out that you lied
I can't believe the pain I feel inside
I guess all along you were laughin' at me
Oh what a shame I couldn't see
But I'm in so deep, I can't get deeper
I'm in so low, I can't get lower
I'm blue so blue, I can't get bluer
All because of you
Wish I could fool myself and say I'm fine
Forget the past and get it out of my mind
And though I'm tryin' just as hard as I can
I can't shake the state that I'm in
Because I'm in so deep, I can't get deeper
I'm in so low, I can't get lower
I'm blue so blue, I can't get bluer
All because of you
In so deep, I can't get deeper
I'm in so low, I can't get lower
I'm blue so blue, I can't get bluer
All because of you
The lyrics of Brenda Lee's So Deep communicate the heartbreaking and painful feeling of being deeply hurt by a lover who has broken your trust. The song's protagonist opens with regret over the present state of her feeling which contrasts with previous times when she was happy. She laments about the sad state of a once-good love that the lover wrecked with callous disregard. The singer bemoans how easy it was for the betrayer to hurt her so deeply by returning her love without a second thought. She repeats the refrain of how deep in trouble she is, describing how low her feelings are and how hopeless her situation is. It highlights the profound heartbreak and hopelessness that this situation creates.
The lyrics also show some bitterness towards the lover who has caused pain, describing how hurt it was to realize that the trust had been broken, and how foolishly she had believed in the love that was offered. The singer believes that the former lover had been laughing at her all along, but she had not been able to see through the facade. She admits to being in a terrible state and cannot shake the despair that has engulfed her. The persona wishes that she could forget the past and how hurtful it has been to her, but she finds herself in so deep that it is impossible to find a way out.
Overall, this song is an authentic portrayal of unrequited love and heartbreak that leaves its victims feeling hopeless and helpless. It speaks to the pain that one can feel when a lover betrays their trust, and the motive behind the words conveys the deep emotions that arise from this situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I use to be so happy, now I'm sad.
I was once happy, but now I feel sad because you ruined our good love and are happy about it.
You wrecked a good love and now your glad.
You destroyed our once good love and now you are pleased with yourself.
It wasn't very hard for you to do.
It wasn't difficult for you to break my heart and shatter our love.
You handed back the heart that loved you so true.
You returned my loving heart to me after crushing it with your callous behavior.
Now I'm in so deep, I can't get deeper
My pain and sadness are so intense that they cannot get worse.
I'm in so low, I can't get lower
My spirits are so low that they cannot sink any further.
I'm blue so blue, I can't get bluer
I am incredibly sad and cannot be more depressed.
All because of you
You are the cause of my extreme emotional pain.
It really hurt to find out that you lied
Discovering that you lied to me was extremely painful.
I can't believe the pain I feel inside
The emotional pain that I am experiencing is so intense that it is hard to believe.
I guess all along you were laughin' at me
You were probably laughing at me the whole time while I was blissfully ignorant in our relationship.
Oh what a shame I couldn't see
I regret that I did not recognize your devious nature earlier.
Wish I could fool myself and say I'm fine
I wish I could delude myself into believing that I am okay.
Forget the past and get it out of my mind
I want to erase and forget about what happened.
And though I'm tryin' just as hard as I can
Despite my efforts to move on, I'm still deeply affected by what you did.
I can't shake the state that I'm in
I am unable to get over the emotional turmoil that you caused me.
In so deep, I can't get deeper
My emotional pain and suffering cannot become more intense than it is.
I'm in so low, I can't get lower
My state of sadness and despair cannot become any worse than it is.
I'm blue so blue, I can't get bluer
I am overwhelmingly sad and cannot possibly feel any more depressed than I already am.
All because of you
You are responsible for causing my extreme emotional pain.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jackie De Shannon, Sharon Sheeley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind