Brown was born in Mississippi and sang in church as a child. In 1919 her family moved to Chicago and she began studying piano; in the 1920s she began taking gigs in clubs and broadcasted on radio. From the 1930s to the 1950s she toured the United States regularly, recording for Decca Records (among other labels) along the way and recording many humorous, ironic titles such as "Your Feet's Too Big", "Mama Don't Want No Peas and Rice and Coconut Oil" and "The Stuff Is Here and it's Mellow". Her stride piano playing was often compared to Fats Waller.
In the 1940s Brown began to shy from singing bawdy blues songs because of deepening religious beliefs, and in 1953 she retired and became a nurse. She was rediscovered in the 1980s after being tracked down by Marian McPartland; she returned to record again and performed on National Public Radio. She died in 1995 in Denver, Colorado.
Some of Brown's earliest recordings have been reissued by Document Records.
You're a Heavenly Thing
Cleo Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For bringing up a child like you;
Although I know there'll never be another,
To make a dream come true,
Here's what they had to do!
They took the moonlight out of the sky,
And put the moon right into your eye,
They took the fragrance out of the dew,
And sprinkled roses all over you,
Like a garden, you heavenly thing!
They took the clinging vine, that's your embrace,
Stars that shine light your face,
To combine everything!
On your lips they put the breath of spring!
And then they finished, called it a day,
They took the model and threw it away,
Like an angel, you're a heavenly thing!
They took the moonlight out of the sky,
And put the moon right into your eye,
Like a June night, you're a heavenly thing!
They took the fragrance outo f the dew,
And sprinkled roses all over you,
Like a garden, you're a heavenly thing!
They took the clinging vine, that's your embrace,
Stars that shine light your face,
To combine everything!
On your lips they put the breath of spring!
Then they finished, called it a day,
They took the model and threw it away,
Like an angel, you're a heavenly thing!
"You're a Heavenly Thing" by Cleo Brown is a love song that expresses the singer's admiration for their romantic partner. The song begins by thanking the partner's parents for bringing them up to be a wonderful person. The singer then compares the partner to different natural elements that make them heavenly. The moon, roses, a garden and stars are some of the elements that are used to describe the partner. The parents are credited with having taken all these elements and using them to create the partner, who is likened to an angel.
The central theme of the song is the partner’s beauty and magic. The singer portrays the partner as someone who embodies the perfect fusion of nature's beauty. The use of different natural elements demonstrates the effort put into creating the partner. The song paints the partner as rare and unique, the result of the natural elements that come together to create a heavenly being. The imagery used in the song is evocative, romantic and adds to the emotional pull of the song.
Overall, “You’re a Heavenly Thing” is a whimsical and romantic piece that glorifies the singer's admiration for their partner's beauty and charm.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to thank your daddy and your mother
I am grateful to your parents for raising such a wonderful child.
For bringing up a child like you;
They have raised a truly exceptional person.
Although I know there'll never be another,
I realize that there will never be anyone like you.
To make a dream come true,
To fulfill a cherished aspiration.
Here's what they had to do!
This is what it took to make you so special.
They took the moonlight out of the sky,
They captured the beauty of the moon in your eyes.
And put the moon right into your eye,
Your eyes shine like the bright, full moon.
Like a June night, you're a heavenly thing!
Your beauty is like a perfect June evening.
They took the fragrance out of the dew,
They captured the sweet smell of dew in your essence.
And sprinkled roses all over you,
Your beauty is adorned with roses.
Like a garden, you heavenly thing!
You are like a garden of beauty.
They took the clinging vine, that's your embrace,
Your embrace is like a loving vine.
Stars that shine light your face,
Your face is radiant like shining stars.
To combine everything!
All of these beautiful qualities combined together in you.
On your lips they put the breath of spring!
Your lips have the fresh and rejuvenating essence of spring.
Then they finished, called it a day,
After creating you, they felt their masterpiece was complete.
They took the model and threw it away,
No one else could ever compare to you.
Like an angel, you're a heavenly thing!
You are like an angel of beauty and grace.
Writer(s): Little Little, Joe Young
Contributed by Evan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.