Dinah
D.Reinhardt/S.Grappelli Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Carolina
Gave me Dinah;
I'm the proudest one
Beneath the Dixie sun.

News is spreadin'
'Bout our weddin';
I hear church bells ringin',
Here's the song my heart keeps singin':

Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!

Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!

Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!

But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,
I would hop an ocean liner,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!

Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!

Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!

Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!

But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,




I would hop an ocean!,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!

Overall Meaning

"Dinah" is a joyful and upbeat song about a man's love for his lover, Dinah. The song begins with the singer expressing his pride at having Dinah, whom he got from the state of Carolina. The news of their wedding has spread and he declares he's the happiest man, singing joyfully. The chorus consistently praises Dinah and asks if there's anyone finer in the state of Carolina, calling on anyone that knows such a person to show her. The singer is particularly enamored with Dinah's "Dixie eyes blazin'" and loves gazing into them. However, he's also afraid that she could change her mind about him, leading him to shake with fright every night. Nonetheless, he declares that if Dinah ever wandered to China, he would take an ocean liner just to be with her.


Line by Line Meaning

Carolina
The state where the singer received Dinah


Gave me Dinah;
Dinah was given to the singer in Carolina


I'm the proudest one
The singer is extremely proud to have Dinah


Beneath the Dixie sun.
This pride is felt under the hot southern sun of Dixie


News is spreadin'
Rumors about their wedding are circulating


'Bout our weddin';
The rumors are about the impending wedding of the singer and Dinah


I hear church bells ringin',
The singer can almost hear the church bells ringing in anticipation of the wedding


Here's the song my heart keeps singin':
The artist sings a song about his love for Dinah


Dinah,
The artist addresses Dinah directly


Is there anyone finer
The artist can't imagine anyone better than Dinah


In the state of Carolina?
This rhetorical question emphasizes just how much the singer loves Dinah


If there is and you know her,
The artist challenges anyone to find someone better and to introduce them


Show her!
The singer is confident that no one can compare to Dinah


With her Dixie eyes blazin',
The singer is fascinated by Dinah's southern charm and spirit


How I love to sit and gaze in
The singer loves to look at Dinah's beautiful eyes


To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
Dinah's full name is revealed, emphasizing her importance to the artist


Yet, every night,
Despite his love for Dinah, the artist still has insecurities


My, how I shake with fright,
The singer is fearful that Dinah may change her mind about him


Because my Dinah might,
The possibility of Dinah leaving is a constant fear for the singer


Change her mind about me!
The artist is scared of losing Dinah's love


But if Dinah,
Despite his fear, the artist declares his love and dedication to Dinah


Ever wandered to China,
Even if Dinah were to leave for far away lands


I would hop an ocean liner,
The singer would cross an entire ocean just to be with her


Just to be with Dinah Lee!
The artist's love for Dinah is worth any distance or hardship




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Akst, Samuel M. Lewis, Joseph Young

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jackmorris4821

Have been loving this song and group for 84 years..am now 94 still loving it!

@D45VR

This music keeps one young.

@benpietrzykowski9216

Props for knowing how to comment and work YouTube

@stevengalliou3475

i hope that at 104, yours ears shall be able to listen it again...^^

@jackmorris4821

@@stevengalliou3475 thanks Steven !

@davidferrara1105

Welcome Jack, many happy years to you

86 More Replies...

@sathvikparthasarathy382

I listened to this piece, picked up my guitar , played it perfectly note by note with just 2 fingers , kept the guitar back, then I woke up

@OziMarika

Must have been a great sweet dream.

@alexdb9129

Never sleep

@Whitman1819

You forgot to use your thumb... hehe

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