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.
Dedicated To You
Dakota Staton Lyrics
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That brought me fame and fortune too,
That book would be,
Like my heart and me,
Dedicated to you.
And if I should paint a picture too
That showed the loveliness of you,My art would be,
Like my heart and me,
Dedicated to you.
To you,
Because your love is the beacon that lights up my way.
To you,
Because with you I know a lifetime could be just one heavenly day.
If I should find a twinkling star,
One half as wondrous as you are,
That star would be
Like my heart and me,
Dedicated to you.
To you,
Because your love is the beacon that lights up my way.
To you,
Because with you I know a lifetime could be just one heavenly day.
If I should find a twinkling star,
One half as wondrous as you are,
That star would be
Like my heart and me,
Dedicated to you.
The song "Dedicated to You" by Dakota Staton is a love ballad that expresses deep devotion and admiration for the person being sung to. The song talks about how if the singer were to write a book or paint a picture, it would be dedicated to the person being sung to because their love is the shining light that guides them in life. The singer goes on to say that if they were to find a star that was half as wondrous as the person they're singing to, that star would be dedicated to them as well.
The lyrics express the depth of the singer's feelings for their beloved, as they compare their heart and artistic creations to the person they're singing to. The song is a beautiful testament to the power of love and how it can inspire creativity and dedication.
The lyrics could be interpreted as a message of eternal love and devotion that transcends life itself. The singer seems to suggest that they would be willing to dedicate their entire life's work to the person they're singing to because of the immense love and admiration they feel for them. The song is a beautiful ode to love that will resonate with anyone who has ever been deeply in love.
Line by Line Meaning
If I should write a book for you
If I were to write a book dedicated to you
That brought me fame and fortune too,
which would also bring me fame and fortune
That book would be,
This book would represent
Like my heart and me,
myself and my heart
Dedicated to you.
It would be dedicated to you
And if I should paint a picture too
If I were to paint a picture
That showed the loveliness of you,
reflecting your beauty
My art would be,
my artistic expression would be
Like my heart and me,
as if it was a part of myself and my heart
Dedicated to you.
It would be dedicated to you
To you,
I dedicate this to you
Because your love is the beacon that lights up my way.
Your love guides me and gives me direction
To you,
I dedicate this to you
Because with you I know a lifetime could be just one heavenly day.
Because being with you makes everything feel perfect and complete
If I should find a twinkling star,
If I ever discover a shining star
One half as wondrous as you are,
half as amazing as you are
That star would be
That star would represent
Like my heart and me,
as if it was myself and my heart
Dedicated to you.
It would be dedicated to you
Lyrics © DELLA BLUE MUSIC LLC, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hy Zaret, Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind