Carmen Mercedes McRae (1920-1994) was a U.S. jazz singer, songwriter, and p… Read Full Bio ↴Carmen Mercedes McRae (1920-1994) was a U.S. jazz singer, songwriter, and pianist.

McRae was born in Harlem, New York, on the 8th April 1920, and studied piano as a child. As a teenager she came to the attention of Teddy Wilson and his wife, the composer Irene Kitchings Wilson. Through their influence, one of McRae’s early songs, "Dream of Life", was recorded by Wilson’s longtime collaborator Billie Holiday.

By the late 1940s she was well known among the modern jazz musicians who gathered at Minton's Playhouse, Harlem’s most famous jazz club, where she was the intermission pianist. But it was while working in Brooklyn that she came to the attention of Decca’s Milt Gabler. Her five year association with Decca yielded twelve LPs.

The musicians she sang with include Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr, Dave Brubeck, and Louis Armstrong. She was married once (and briefly), to drummer Kenny Clarke.

McRae died on the 10th November 1994.

All By Myself
Carmen McRae Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I was young
I never needed anyone
And makin' love was just for fun
Those days are gone

Livin' alone
I think of all the friends I've known
But when I dial the telephone

Nobody's home

All by myself
Don't wanna be, all by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live, all by myself anymore

Hard to be sure
Sometimes I feel so insecure
And love so distant and obscure
Remains the cure

All by myself
Don't wanna be, all by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live, all by myself anymore

When I was young
I never needed anyone
And makin' love was just for fun
Those days are gone

All by myself
Don't wanna be, all by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live, all by myself anymore

All by myself
Don't wanna be, all by myself anymore

All by myself
Don't wanna live, all by myself anymore

Overall Meaning

The song "All By Myself" by Carmen McRae begins in a reflective tone with the singer reminiscing about old times when she was young and carefree. She acknowledges that in those times, she did not need anyone and relationships were just for fun. However, she is now alone, and she thinks about all the friends she has had in her life, but when she tries to reach out, she finds herself alone as nobody answers her calls. The first verse of the song hints at the experience of loneliness that comes with aging and the realization that the world has changed so much.

Line by Line Meaning

When I was young
In my youth

I never needed anyone
I was independent and didn't rely on other people

And makin' love was just for fun
Sex was a casual activity for me

Those days are gone
I have changed and grown beyond my youthful habits

Livin' alone
Being solo

I think of all the friends I've known
I reminisce about my past friendships

But when I dial the telephone
But when I try to call them

Nobody's home
No one is answering

All by myself
Being on my own

Don't wanna be, all by myself anymore
I don't want to be alone anymore

Hard to be sure
It's difficult to be certain