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.
Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Carmen McRae Lyrics
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Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little,
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know.
Think so little of me, they allow you to go.
When you're near, there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere, begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer, but how strange the change from major to
Minor,
When you're near, there's such an air of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere, begin to sing about it,
There's no love song finer, but how strange the change from major to
Minor,
Every time we say goodbye.
In Carmen McRae's song "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", she expresses the pain and confusion she feels whenever she has to say goodbye to her lover. The lyrics convey her emotions through the use of strong imagery and metaphors. When she says "Every time we say goodbye, I die a little", she is talking about how she feels like a small part of her is dying every time her lover leaves. This can be a metaphor for her losing a piece of herself every time. She also wonders why the gods above her allow her lover to go and thinks they must think little of her to let her go. This shows how much she values her lover and cannot bear the thought of being without them.
The imagery in the song is quite strong, with the mention of spring and the lark singing. This creates a sense of hope and renewal, but the mood changes when she talks about the change in the song from major to minor. This is likely indicating that the hope and renewal she feels when her lover is near, turns into sadness and despair when they have to say goodbye. The emotions she feels are complex and multi-layered, showing the depth of her love and attachment to her significant other.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time we say goodbye, I die a little,
Whenever we part ways, it feels like a piece of me is being taken away.
Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little,
Each time we bid farewell, I can't help but question why this must be happening.
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know.
I can't understand why the higher powers allow this to happen.
Think so little of me, they allow you to go.
It seems like the deities don't care about my feelings, as they let you depart from my life.
When you're near, there's such an air of spring about it,
Whenever you're beside me, everything seems brighter and filled with joy.
I can hear a lark somewhere, begin to sing about it,
I can even hear the birds singing in the background, as they join in on our happiness.
There's no love song finer, but how strange the change from major to Minor,
Our love is perfect, but it's strange how every time we say our goodbyes, it turns from a happy time to a sad one.
Every time we say goodbye.
Leaving each other is always bittersweet, and I can never seem to get used to it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind