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.
Something
Cleo Laine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Meets an old immovable object like me
You can bet just as sure as you live
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Warms an old implacable heart such as mine
Don't say no because I insist
Somewhere, somehow
Someone's gotta be kissed
So, en garde, who knows what the fates might have in store
From their vast mysterious sky
I'll try hard ignorin' those lips that I adore
But how long can anyone try?
Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight it with all of our might
Chances are some heavenly star-spangled night
We'll find out just as sure as we live
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Fight, fight, fight it with all of your might
Chances are that some heavenly star-spangled night
We'll find out just as sure as we live
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Something's gotta give
Aw, let's tear it up
The lyrics to Cleo Laine's song "Something's Gotta Give" are a playful and whimsical exploration of the tension between two opposing forces: an irresistible force and an immovable object. The first verse sets up the scenario of these two forces coming together, with the singer stating that "something's gotta give" as a result. The second verse moves to a more personal level, with the singer describing their own situation of being attracted to someone who seems unresponsive ("Don't say no because I insist"). The chorus plays on the idea of fighting against fate ("Fight, fight, fight it with all of our might"), but ultimately acknowledges that "something's gotta give" and that the tension must be resolved in some way.
One interesting aspect of this song is the way it combines a lighthearted, almost goofy sensibility with a more serious undercurrent of tension and desire. The playful use of rhyme and wordplay in lines like "irresistible force such as you" and "old implacable heart such as mine" creates a sense of whimsy, but the repeated assertion that "something's gotta give" hints at a deeper longing and frustration.
Another compelling element of the song is the way it plays with gender roles and power dynamics. The line "en garde, who knows what the fates might have in store" positions the singer as a swashbuckling hero, while the repeated references to fighting against fate suggest a desire to take control of one's destiny. At the same time, the object of the singer's desire is portrayed as unresponsive and almost passive, with the singer insisting that they be kissed. The tension between these opposing forces adds a layer of complexity to the lyrics that invites multiple interpretations.
Overall, the lyrics to "Something's Gotta Give" are a witty and charming exploration of the timeless theme of desire and attraction. The song's playful language and buoyant melody make it a classic example of the Great American Songbook tradition.
Line by Line Meaning
When an irresistible force such as you
When something as strong and powerful as your presence is felt
Meets an old immovable object like me
Intersects with someone as set in their ways and inflexible as I am
You can bet just as sure as you live
It's a certainty
Something's gotta give
One of us has to compromise or change
When an irrepressible smile such as yours
When a gorgeous, impossible to resist smile like yours
Warms an old implacable heart such as mine
Melts someone as tough and unyielding as me
Don't say no because I insist
Don't reject me without giving it a chance
Somewhere, somehow
At some point, in some way
Someone's gotta be kissed
We need to act on our attraction
So, en garde, who knows what the fates might have in store
Be ready, because who knows what destiny has planned
From their vast mysterious sky
From the endless and unknown possibilities of life
I'll try hard ignorin' those lips that I adore
I'll do my best to ignore how much I want to kiss you
But how long can anyone try?
It's difficult to resist forever
Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight it with all of our might
We need to give it our all and try to resist the temptation
Chances are some heavenly star-spangled night
Maybe one unforgettable and magical night
We'll find out just as sure as we live
We'll finally know what we both want
Something's gotta give
We can't keep resisting our feelings
Fight, fight, fight it with all of your might
You have to try to control your desires
Chances are that some heavenly star-spangled night
Maybe one unforgettable and magical night
We'll find out just as sure as we live
We'll finally know what we both want
Something's gotta give
We can't keep resisting our feelings
Something's gotta give
It's time to let our emotions take over
Something's gotta give
Let's be adventurous
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER
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.