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.
I Thought About You
Carmen McRae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I thought about you
I passed a shadowy lane
And I thought about you
Two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And every stop that we made
Oh, I thought about you
And when I pulled down the shade
Then I really felt blue
I peeped through the crack
Looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do? I thought about you
There were two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream
And then I peeped through the crack
And looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do? I thought about you
In Carmen McRae's song "I Thought About You", she beautifully captures the feeling of nostalgia and longing for someone while on a journey. As she takes a train ride, passing through shadowy lanes with cars parked under the stars and winding streams, she can't help but think about the person she's missing. Even the moon shining down on some little town paints the same old dream on her mind. Every stop that the train makes is a reminder of the distance between her and her loved one, making her feel blue as she finally pulls down the shade.
As she peeps through the crack and looks at the tracks, she realizes that she's going back to the person who's been on her mind all along. The repetition of "And what did I do? I thought about you" at the end of each verse highlights the constancy of her thoughts and feelings, even as she embarks on a journey away from the person she cares about. The song is a testament to the power of memory and how even the smallest things can trigger a flood of emotions and longing.
Overall, "I Thought About You" is a beautiful and melancholic song that captures the essence of nostalgia and missing someone. McRae's soulful rendition, combined with the poetic lyrics, makes for a timeless masterpiece that will resonate with listeners for generations to come.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a trip on a train
I went on a train journey.
And I thought about you
During the journey, you were in my thoughts.
I passed a shadowy lane
As the train passed a dark road, I saw it briefly.
And I thought about you
Seeing that lane made me think of you again.
Two or three cars parked under the stars
I saw a few cars parked under the night sky.
Winding stream
A river that twists and turns.
Moon shining down on some little town
The moon was illuminating a small nearby town.
And with each beam, the same old dream
With every ray of moonlight, I thought of the same thing.
And every stop that we made
Whenever the train paused at any station,
Oh, I thought about you
I kept thinking about you.
And when I pulled down the shade
When I lowered the window cover to shut out light,
Then I really felt blue
At that point, I became quite upset.
I peeped through the crack
I looked out through the small opening.
Looked at the track
I focused on the track outside.
Oh I'm going back to you
I'm coming back to be with you.
And what did I do?
What was my response?
I thought about you
It was only with thoughts of you alone that my mind was preoccupied.
There were two or three cars parked under the stars
I saw a few cars parked under the night sky.
Winding stream
A river that twists and turns.
Moon shining down on some little town
The moon was illuminating a small nearby town.
And with each beam, the same old dream
With every ray of moonlight, I thought of the same thing.
And then I peeped through the crack
Once again, I looked out through the small opening.
And looked at the track
I focused on the track outside.
Oh I'm going back to you
I'm coming back to be with you.
And what did I do?
What was my response?
I thought about you
It was only with thoughts of you alone that my mind was preoccupied.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Van Heusen, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind