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.
For Once In My Life
Carmen McRae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone I've needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Who have my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before
For once I have someone I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love I can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love we can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
The song "For Once In My Life" by Carmen McRae is an upbeat and hopeful ode to finally finding someone to love and being able to embrace life without fear. The lyrics of the song describe a new-found sense of strength, an obstacle in the form of past hurt feelings and a new consolation of finding someone to rely upon. McRae sings that she has moved beyond the loneliness and heartbreak of the past and is finally able to face the unknown with confidence, knowing there is someone there to support her.
The opening verse sets the tone for the song with McRae declaring that she has found someone who truly needs her, which fills a void that she had been longing to fill for a long time. She is not afraid to take risks anymore because she knows that this person will always be there by her side. The second stanza emphasizes the emotion and strength that her newfound love brings her. She can finally touch her heart's deepest desires and make them real.
The chorus of the song is a bold declaration of independence and the celebration of the love that she has finally found. McRae sings that she is no longer alone and that her love is something that cannot be taken away from her. Her voice soars as she joyfully sings about the new confidence and sense of purpose that her love has given her.
Line by Line Meaning
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
I finally have someone in my life who truly relies on me
Someone I've needed so long
I have yearned for someone like them for an extended period
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
I have this person by my side, and for the first time, I am not fearful to follow life's path because I know I have the strength to face it with them
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of Long before I knew Someone warm like you Who have my dreams come true
Fulfilling my soul's desires was just a dream to me, but now, it's a reality because you came along and made it all come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me Not like it's hurt me before
With this person, I am confident that sorrow will not bring me down like it used to because they are there to support me
For once I have someone I know won't desert me I'm not alone anymore
I have someone who will never abandon me, and that makes me feel less alone than I used to
For once I can say This is mine you can't take it As long as I know I have love I can make it For once in my life I have someone who needs me
I possess something that I cherish, and that is my love for this person. This love is something that no one can take away from me, and I know that with it, I can survive anything because they need me in their life.
For once I can say This is mine you can't take it
I have something that is entirely my own, and I won't let anyone take it from me
As long as I know I have love we can make it
I am confident that love is strong enough to overcome any obstacles that come our way
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ronald N. Miller, Orlando Murden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidwalsh3439
A beautiful performance by one of the greatest singers ever.
@cleycormack1165
Obrigado, muito obrigado rujzzka02 pela homenagem a esta fenomenal cantora.
Parabens, pois você me fez viajar pelo tempo das lindas musicas e dos(as) cantores(as) maravilhosos. Cley Cormack- Rio de Janeiro,Brasil, 15/01/2014.
@rujazzka02
Arigatougozaimasu Cley!
I am very happy that you like this: ))
@robertodecarolis1249
Love Carmen! ❤️
@yossimor9379
Great singer.
@paulharrison9016
AWESOME
@guestmartina4103
I love 💘 Carmen. 💋💖💗