She is the only person to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music awards.
Laine was born in a London suburb to a Jamaican father and English mother who sent her to singing and dancing lessons at an early age. She did not take up singing seriously until her mid-twenties, however. She auditioned successfully for a band led by musician John Dankworth, with which she performed until 1958, when she and Dankworth married.
She then began her career as a singer and actress. She played the lead in a new play at London's famous Royal Court Theatre, home of the new wave of playwrights of the 1950s: Harold Pinter and the like. This led to other stage performances such as the musical Valmouth in 1959, the play A Time to Laugh (with Robert Morley and Ruth Gordon) in 1962, and eventually to her show stopping Julie in the Wendy Toye production of Showboat at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1971.
During this period she had two major recording successes. You'll Answer to Me reached the British Top 10 while Laine was 'prima donna' in the 1961 Edinburgh Festival production of Kurt Weill's opera/ballet The Seven Deadly Sins. In 1964 her Shakespeare and All that Jazz album with Dankworth received widespread critical acclaim, and to this day remains an important milestone in her identification with the more unusual aspects of a singer's repertoire.
1972 marked the start of Laine's international activities, with a successful first tour of Australia. Shortly afterwards, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's Lincoln Center, followed in 1973 by the first of many Carnegie Hall appearances. Coast-to-coast tours of the U.S. and Canada soon followed, and with them a succession of record albums and television appearances. This led, after several nominations, to Cleo's first Grammy award, in recognition of the live recording of her 1983 Carnegie concert.
Laine colaborated with many great classical musicians including James Galway, Nigel Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber and John Williams.
Other important recordings during that time were duet albums with Ray Charles (Porgy and Bess) and Mel Tormé (see Nothing Without You), as well as Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire which won Laine a classical Grammy nomination.
Laine's relationship with the musical theatre, started in Britain, continued in the United States with starring performances in Sondheim's A Little Night Music and The Merry Widow (Michigan Opera). In 1985 she originated the role of Princess Puffer in the Broadway hit musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, for which she received a Tony nomination, and in 1989 she received the Los Angeles critics' acclaim for her portrayal of the Witch in Sondheim's Into the Woods.
In the 2006 New Years Honours list, her husband John Dankworth was made a knight bachelor, becoming Sir John Dankworth. As his wife, she is entitled to be known as "Lady Dankworth," however, she uses her own professional name.
I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
Cleo Laine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm betting ev'rything I've got on you
I'm giving all my love to one baby
Heaven help me if my baby don't come through
I've got a great big amount
Saved up in my love account, honey
Love divided in two
Won't do
So, I'm putting all my eggs in one basket
I'm betting everything I've got on you
I've been a roaming Juliet
My Romeos have been many
But now my roaming days have gone
Too many irons in the fire
Is worse than not having any
I've had my share and from now on
I'm putting all my eggs in one basket
I'm betting ev'rything I've got on you
I'm giving all my love to one baby
Heaven help me if my baby don't come through
I've tried to love more than one
Finding it just can't be done, honey
There's one I lie to
When I try to be true to two
So, I'm putting all my eggs in one basket
I'm betting everything I've got on you
In Cleo Laine's "I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket," she expresses her devotion to one person and belief in putting all her love and trust into a single relationship rather than dividing it among multiple people. She likens her past experiences to that of a "roaming Juliet," referencing her many previous romantic partners. However, she has come to the realization that having too many options can be overwhelming and has decided to focus solely on her current partner, declaring that she is "putting all my eggs in one basket."
Laine continues to emphasize the importance of her commitment by stating that she is willing to bet everything she has on her partner, and acknowledges that her happiness is dependent upon them coming through for her. She mentions the temptation to be unfaithful, explaining that trying to juggle multiple loves only leads to deceit and heartbreak. In the end, Laine has found solace in the simplicity of devoting herself to one person.
Overall, the song presents a hopeful message of the power of love and the benefits of committing to a single, devoted partnership.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm putting all my eggs in one basket
I am investing everything in one place and one person.
I'm betting ev'rything I've got on you
I am risking all of my resources and emotions on you.
I'm giving all my love to one baby
I am dedicating all of my affection to only one person.
Heaven help me if my baby don't come through
I fear the potential loss and heartbreak if my chosen lover fails me.
Saved up in my love account, honey
I have accrued significant amounts of love and affection within myself.
And I've decided
I have come to a resolution and choice.
Love divided in two
Splitting my love between two people.
Won't do
Will not suffice or meet my needs.
I've been a roaming Juliet
I used to be a wandering and promiscuous lover.
My Romeos have been many
I have had many past lovers and suitors.
But now my roaming days have gone
I have grown out of my previous lifestyle and habits.
Too many irons in the fire
Having too many simultaneous pursuits or interests.
Is worse than not having any
Multiple passions or loves can be more burdensome than having no options at all.
I've tried to love more than one
I have attempted to have multiple lovers at once.
Finding it just can't be done, honey
Realizing it is not possible or practical to love more than one person at the same time.
There's one I lie to
I deceive one lover to be with another.
When I try to be true to two
When I attempt to stay faithful to two people at once.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Jagger
on Sunday
Those lyrics above bear no relation to the song ‘Sunday’ on the album ‘Born on a Friday’
John
on Born on a Friday
No lyrics for the song Born on a Friday? These lyrics are very hard to find. It would be nice to see because of a British expression that's used in the song that I'm not sure what the meaning is.