Born in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she attended George Westinghouse High School and studied music at the Filion School of Music in Pittsburgh. Later she performed regularly in the Hill District, a jazz hotspot, as a vocalist with the Joe Westray Orchestra, a popular Pittsburgh orchestra. She next spent several years in the nightclub circuit in such cities as Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland and St. Louis. While in New York, she was noticed singing at a Harlem nightclub called the Baby Grand by Dave Cavanaugh, a producer for Capitol Records. She was signed and released several singles, her success leading her to win Down Beat magazine's "Most Promising Newcomer" award in 1955. In 1958, Staton wed Talib Dawud, a black Antigua-born Ahmadi Muslim trumpeter and noted critic of Elijah Muhammad. She subsequently converted to Islam and used the name Aliyah Rabia for some time. The marriage ultimately ended in divorce.
She released several critically acclaimed albums in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including: The Late, Late Show (1957), whose title track was her biggest hit, In the Night (1957), a collaboration with pianist George Shearing, Dynamic! (1958) and Dakota at Storyville (1961), a live album recorded at the Storyville jazz club in Boston. In the mid-1960s Staton moved to England, where she recorded the album Dakota ′67. Returning to the US in the early 1970s, she continued to record semi-regularly, her recordings taking an increasingly strong gospel and blues influence. She suffered a stroke in 1999, after which her health deteriorated. Staton died in New York City aged 76 in 2007.
Body and Soul
Dakota Staton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
The lyrics to Dakota Staton's song "Body and Soul" are a poignant expression of unrequited love. The opening line, “My heart is sad and lonely, For you I sigh, for you dear only," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is pining for someone who doesn't reciprocate their affections, and they don't understand why.
As the song goes on, the singer expresses their frustration and longing, wondering why the person they love is "wronging" them. They declare that they are "all for" this person "body and soul," meaning that every part of their being longs for them. They are willing to do anything to prove their love and win this person over, but they fear that it may be too late.
The final lines of the song are a painful admission of defeat, as the singer acknowledges that their life is a wreck because they cannot have the person they love. They declare that they would gladly surrender themselves to this person "body and soul," knowing that their love is unrequited but unable to let go of it.
Overall, the lyrics to "Body and Soul" are a powerful expression of the pain of unrequited love, and the singer's vulnerability shines through in every line.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
I'm feeling deeply unhappy and alone
For you I sigh, for you dear only
I long for you and you alone
Why haven't you seen it
Why haven't you noticed my love for you?
I'm all for you body and soul
I'm completely dedicated to you in every way
I spend my days in longing
I spend my time yearning for you
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
And questioning why you're treating me unfairly
I tell you I mean it
I'm sincere when I say this
I'm all for you body and soul
I'm entirely devoted to you with my entire being
I can't believe it
I can't accept it as true
It's hard to conceive it
It's difficult to imagine
That you'd turn away romance
That you would reject a romantic relationship
Are you pretending
Are you feigning or faking something?
It looks like the ending
It seems like this is the end for us
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
Unless I'm given one more opportunity to demonstrate my love, my love
My life a wreck you're making
You are causing me to have a disordered and chaotic life
You know I'm yours for just the taking
You know I'm available to be yours only
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I'm willing to give myself up entirely to you in every way
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, John Green, Robert Sour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind