Since the 2006 release of her debut album, Cat, on Harmonia Mundi's World Village label, Catherine Russell has been making fans and friends and grabbing listeners by the ear. “She is a fresh and original voice. The most exciting debut album I’ve heard in a long time.” writes New York Sun critic and Sinatra biographer, Will Friedwald, who picked Cat among his top 10 cds of the year. “It’s a delight to hear the real thing in Catherine Russell.”, writes Nat Hentoff in The Wall Street Journal.
Ms. Russell has been a hit on major events like Chicago Blues Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Bern International Jazz Festival, JVC-New York Jazz Festival, Detroit International Jazz Festival, Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Lotus Festival, and at premier venues like The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Sculler's in Boston, The Dakota in Minneapolis, and The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. She has appeared on the nationally syndicated shows Mountain Stage, JazzSet on NPR, Studio 360, and The Tavis Smiley Show on PBS-TV. Reviews and profiles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Living Blues, Blues Review, Downbeat, Goldmine, No Depression, Boston Herald, Newark Star Ledger, JazzTimes, Chicago Sun Times, and many more.
Cat spent weeks on JazzWeek magazine's chart for national airplay, while Back O Town Blues was a top 10 download on I-Tunes Jazz Chart. National Public Radio's top 5 jazz cd's of 2006 included Cat, as chosen by WBGO dj's for NPR's year end "Best Of" List.
Catherine Russell's 2nd album on World Village, Sentimental Streak, hit the streets on February 12, 2008, to universal acclaim, becoming a world-wide favorite of critics and fans alike.
Don't Take Your Love from Me
Catherine Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sky feels blue
Tear a petal from a rose
And the rose weeps, too
Take your heart away from mine
And mine will surely break
My life is yours to make
Would you take the wings from birds
So that they can′t fly?
Would you take the ocean's roar
And leave just a sigh?
All this your heart won′t let you do
This is what I beg of you
Don't take your love from me
Would you take the wings from birds
So that they can't fly?
Would you take the ocean′s roar
And leave just, just a sigh?
All this your heart won′t let you do
This is what I beg of you
Don't take your love from me
Don′t take your love from me
The lyrics to Catherine Russell's song Don't Take Your Love from Me are a plea to a lover, asking them to not abandon the singer emotionally. The first two lines compare the pain of losing love to the pain of nature losing parts of itself. If a star is torn out of the sky, it leaves a void, just as losing love creates a sense of emptiness. If a petal is taken away from a rose, the rose's beauty is diminished, much like a person's life can become dull without the emotional connection of love.
The singer then asks their lover to not take their heart away, as it will surely break the singer's heart. The singer emphasizes that their life is the lover's to make or break, which highlights the power dynamic of the relationship. The singer then pleads to keep the "spark" alive, which could refer to the flame of love or a more general passion for life.
The next stanza asks the lover if they would take away essential parts of nature, like the wings from birds or the roar from the ocean. The rhetorical question emphasizes the irrationality of abandoning love, as it would be going against the natural order of things. The singer then begs the lover to not take away their love, as it is the one thing they cannot live without.
Overall, the lyrics to Don't Take Your Love from Me are a heartfelt appeal to a lover to not abandon the singer emotionally. The comparisons to nature underscore the universality of the pain of losing love, while the rhetorical questions emphasize the irrationality of doing so.
Line by Line Meaning
Tear a star from out the sky
If you remove a shining star from the sky, the sky will lose its brightness and turn blue.
And the sky feels blue
The color blue represents sadness and the absence of light.
Tear a petal from a rose
When you remove one petal of a rose, the rose also appears to cry.
And the rose weeps, too
This is a metaphorical way of saying that when something is taken away from someone, that person becomes sad as well.
Take your heart away from mine
If you take your love away from me, I will be heartbroken.
And mine will surely break
This suggests that someone's heart and emotions can be fragile and vulnerable to being hurt.
My life is yours to make
The singer is telling their loved one that they have a significant influence on their happiness and well-being.
So please, keep the spark awake
The 'spark' represents the love and passion in their relationship, which they hope to keep alive and strong.
Would you take the wings from birds
If you take the wings from birds, they wouldn't be able to fly and be free.
So that they can't fly?
The artist is using this metaphor to explain how being in love makes them feel free and happy, and losing that love would take away that feeling of freedom.
Would you take the ocean's roar
The roaring sound of the ocean is associated with its power and magnitude.
And leave just, just a sigh?
This compares the powerful sound of the ocean to a small and insignificant sigh, emphasizing the impact of losing love.
All this your heart won't let you do
The singer believes that their loved one's heart won't allow them to take away their love.
This is what I beg of you
The singer is pleading with their loved one to not take away their love.
Don't take your love from me
This is the ultimate plea to their loved one, asking them to not break their heart by taking away their love.
Writer(s): Henry Nemo
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nna186
Lyrics:
Tear a star from out the sky
And the sky feels blue
Tear a petal from a rose
And the rose weeps too
Take your heart away from mine
And mine will surely break
My life is yours to make
So, please, keep the spark awake
Would you take the wings from birds
So that they can't fly?
Would you take the ocean's roar
And leave just a sigh?
All this your heart won't let you do
This is what I beg of you
Don't take your love from me
@nicolemonges6899
J'adore, j'adore mais j'adore!
" Arrache une étoile du ciel et le ciel est bleu
Déchirez un pétale d'une rose et la rose pleure aussi
Éloigne ton cœur du mien et le mien se brisera sûrement
Ma vie est à toi, alors s'il te plaît, garde l'étincelle éveillée
Voulez-vous prendre les ailes d'un oiseau pour qu'il ne puisse pas voler?
Accepteriez-vous le rugissement de l'océan et laisseriez-vous juste un soupir?
Tout cela, ton coeur ne te laisse pas faire, c'est ce que je t'en supplie
Ne me prends pas ton amour."
@lucydemilio7289
Catherine....perfection in every way. Your vocals give me chills; I so feel what you are singing. And Fred Staton....Perfection from all, vocals, musicians. Thank you.
@Maica426
🥰🎼My Great Uncle Leroy Brannigan, a sax 🎷player himself, played with Fred Staton sometimes back in their heyday. I played this video for him over the phone during our conversation this morning. He truly enjoyed it. Ms. Russell, thanks for making it possible to share yet another beautiful memory with my uncle. I love him dearly and each time I can build another memory to hold on to some part of him is priceless to me. By the way, he absolutely loved your voice; he kept asking, what's the name of the young lady singing? He was so impressed with your singing. 🥰🎶
@sylvesterpalermo937
My Dad had a band and when we played he would always sing this song. He had a beautiful voice. Catherine, your version is just amazing. I have tears now from the memory of my Dad singing. Thank you
@nbellis
What a treat. Outstanding all round.
@HALLBARBARA11
This may be the most gorgeous thing I have heard all year.
@pamtebelman2321
Go, Catherine! You're wonderful. My favorite singer of this era, you have a joyful, playful style all your own, God's joy, methinks!
@Bob_52
So sorry to hear of Fred's passing. I love the sound of your voice Catherine. Such expression is rare, very precious.
@giorgiabracchi9675
I am really in Love with this Song and this beautiful Voice and Interpretation ... it’s really chilling me....!!
@crystalstanley4960
Why is it: When there are many covers of a song by many artists over the years, and then I hear Catherine Russell sing it, it's like hearing it for the first time. Really hearing it.
Perhaps the best example, "Thrill Me" off her amazing Sentimental Streak. Thank you, Ms. Russell!
@jefferson150
Beautifully said. My sentiments too. Cheers Ms. Russell