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.
Lush Life
Carmen McRae Lyrics
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Those come what may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life...
From jazz and cocktails.
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distant gay traces
By too many through the day...
Twelve o'clock tales.
Then you came along with your siren of song
To tempt me to madness!
I thought for a while that your poignant smile was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me.
Ah yes! I was wrong...
Again,
I was wrong.
Life is lonely again,
And only last year everything seemed so sure.
Now life is awful again,
A troughful of hearts could only be a bore.
A week in paris will ease the bite of it,
All I care is to smile in spite of it.
I'll forget you, I will
While yet you are still burning inside my brain.
Romance is mush,
Stifling those who strive.
I'll live a lush life in some small dive...
And there I'll be, while I rot
With the rest of those whose lives are lonely, too..
Carmen McRae’s Lush Life is a song about loneliness, lost love and decadence. The lyrics describe the singer’s prior experiences visiting gay and flamboyant places, but feeling detached and disconnected from others. However, the song takes a turn when the singer meets someone who ignites passion and affection, yet the love does not last. The singer feels wronged by the relationship and feels as if they will never find love again. The lyrics imbue a sense of resignation as the singer acknowledges that love is not guaranteed or consistent, and that all they can do is strive for a lush life, even if it is in some small dive with others who share that same fate.
The lyric’s emotion is conveyed with McRae’s incredible voice, which ranges from sultry to soaring. The use of flashbacks adds depth to the song, offering a glimpse into the singer’s past and the contrast to their current situation. Ultimately, the song suggests that even in desolation and emptiness, we can create our own sense of happiness by connecting with others, even temporarily.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to visit all the very gay places
I frequented places with a lively atmosphere.
Those come what may places
Places where people gather regardless of circumstances.
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
A place where people go to get the full experience of life.
To get the feel of life… From jazz and cocktails.
Enjoying life through music and drinks.
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
The females I was familiar with had unhappy expressions.
With distant gay traces
A hint of a happy past.
That used to be there you could see where they'd been washed away
Their happiness has disappeared and is now unrecognizable.
By too many through the day… Twelve o'clock tales.
Their sadness is a result of their life experiences and stories.
Then you came along with your siren of song
You appeared with your alluring and captivating singing voice.
To tempt me to madness!
You tempted me to become unreasonable and irrational.
I thought for a while that your poignant smile was tinged with the sadness
I believed that your touching smile was mixed with agony.
Of a great love for me.
It made me think that you loved me deeply.
Ah yes! I was wrong...
Unfortunately, I was mistaken.
Again, I was wrong.
It happened once again that I was incorrect.
Life is lonely again,
Once more, life is solitary.
And only last year everything seemed so sure.
But just last year, I believed everything was certain.
Now life is awful again,
Now, life is dreadful again.
A troughful of hearts could only be a bore.
A mass of admirers would no longer entertain me.
A week in Paris will ease the bite of it,
Traveling to Paris for a week will help to lessen the sting of heartache.
All I care is to smile in spite of it.
The only thing I want is to put on a smile even though I'm upset.
I'll forget you, I will
I will forget about you.
While yet you are still burning inside my brain.
Even while you're still occupying space in my thoughts.
Romance is mush, stifling those who strive.
Love is stifling and constraining for those who desire to achieve greatness.
I'll live a lush life in some small dive...
I will enjoy a luxurious life in a mediocre bar.
And there I'll be, while I rot
That's where I will be, decaying alongside other lonely people.
With the rest of those whose lives are lonely, too.
Keeping company with others whose lives are also desolate.
Lyrics © K SMITH MUSIC CO., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Strayhorn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind