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.
Imagination
Carmen McRae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It makes a cloudy day sunny
Makes a bee think of honey
Just as I think of you
Imagination is crazy
Your whole perspective gets hazy
Starts you asking a daisy
Have you ever felt
A gentle touch and then a kiss
And then and then
Find it's only your imagination again? Oh, well
Imagination is silly
You go around willy-nilly
For example I go around wanting you
And yet I can't imagine that you want me too
The lyrics to Carmen McRae's "Imagination" are a reflection on the power of imagination and its ability to conjure feelings of desire and longing even if they may not be based in reality. The first verse describes how imagination can turn a gloomy day into a bright one and make a simple bee think of the sweetness of honey, just as the singer thinks of their beloved. The second verse acknowledges that imagination can make one's perspective of reality hazy and cause them to turn to a flower for advice, reflecting an almost childlike sense of whimsy. The bridge brings up the common experience of daydreaming about a romantic encounter - feeling a gentle touch and a kiss, only to realize it was all in one's head. The song ends with a final refrain lamenting how silly imagination can be - walking around aimlessly wishing for someone who may not feel the same way.
All in all, "Imagination" is a poignant song that speaks to the romantic in all of us, as well as the power of the mind to shape our perceptions of reality. McRae's vocal delivery is light and playful, yet imbued with a hint of wistfulness that makes the song truly resonate.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagination is funny
The concept of imagination is amusing.
It makes a cloudy day sunny
Imagination has the power to transform a gloomy day into a brighter one.
Makes a bee think of honey
Imagination can make a little bee think of its goal, which is to collect honey.
Just as I think of you
Like the bee's goal, my imagination revolves around you.
Imagination is crazy
Imagination can make us perceive things abnormally.
Your whole perspective gets hazy
Imagination can cause confusion and blurry vision.
Starts you asking a daisy
Imagination can put you in a whimsical state, prompting you to seek guidance even from a daisy.
What to do, what to do?
Imagination can create indecisiveness.
Have you ever felt
Have you ever experienced a moment when
A gentle touch and then a kiss
You feel a soft touch followed by a kiss
And then and then
However,
Find it's only your imagination again? Oh, well
Realizing that these feelings were just a product of your imagination, accepting it, and moving on.
Imagination is silly
Imagination can be ridiculous.
You go around willy-nilly
Your imagination drives you around aimlessly.
For example I go around wanting you
For instance, my imagination always revolves around wanting you.
And yet I can't imagine that you want me too
But, I can't fathom the idea of you also longing for me in the same way.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANKA WOLBERT, RONNIE MOERINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joanne Treinen Clarey
Carmen's musicality was such a rare treasure. Her ballads are simply take your breath away.
ROBIN TYSON
Spectacular - she plays around so flexibly with the music, the lyrics, the phrasing - super
jcgeneva
One of the best jazz vocalists of all times 💫
Myriam
Love it, love it!!!