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.
It's You or No One
Dakota Staton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How did I guess that the long loneliness was past.
I merely looked at you and I knew that I knew.
It's you or no one for me
I'm sure of this each time we kiss
Now and forever and when forever's done
You'll find that you are still the one
Please don't say no to my plea
'Cause if you do then I'm all through
There's this about you
My world's an empty world without you
It's you or no one for me
Please don't say no to my plea
'Cause if you do then I'm all through
There's this about you
My world's an empty world without you
It's you or no one for me
For me
The lyrics of Dakota Staton's song It's You Or No One express the feeling of being completely sure about a person being the one for oneself. The singer questions how she knew that the warmth and companionship she feels in the present will last, and how she guessed that she could leave her loneliness behind. She then explains how her certainty about the person being the one is rooted in the mere fact of looking at them, and that looking at them is enough to confirm her feelings.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the person is the only one for the singer, and she is completely sure of it every time they kiss. She then speaks about a plea, which presumably is to be together with the person, and begs them not to say no. The singer admits that her world is incomplete without this person, and reiterates that it is either them or no one for her.
The lyrics portray the idea of intense and certain love. The singer believes that there is just one person who can complete her world, who she is sure about simply by looking at them. The repetition of the chorus reinforces this idea of certainty and commitment. The song uses simple, straightforward language to convey emotions of love and longing, making it relatable and easy to connect with.
Line by Line Meaning
How did I know that the warmth of the glow would last.
I knew the love between us would endure because it felt real and genuine.
How did I guess that the long loneliness was past.
I sensed that the emptiness in my life was finally over because you were by my side.
I merely looked at you and I knew that I knew.
By just looking at you, I was certain that you were the one I had been waiting for all along.
It's you or no one for me
I have made up my mind that it's either you or no one else for me because you're the one who completes me.
I'm sure of this each time we kiss
Every time we kiss, I feel confident and reassured that you're indeed the love of my life.
Now and forever and when forever's done
I want to be with you now and forever, even when our time together on this earth is over.
You'll find that you are still the one
Even as time goes by, you will remain the one and only person whom I want to share my life with.
Please don't say no to my plea
I am begging you not to reject me because I cannot imagine my life without you.
'Cause if you do then I'm all through
If you reject me, I don't think I can keep going on without you.
There's this about you
There's something special and unique about you that makes my heart skip a beat.
My world's an empty world without you
My life would be meaningless and empty if you were not a part of it.
It's you or no one for me
I am certain that you're the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
For me
This whole song is an expression of my deep love and devotion for you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind