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.
Until The Real Thing Comes Along
Dakota Staton Lyrics
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I'd be a beggar or a knave for you! (what is a knave anyway?)
If that isn't love it'll have to do
Until the real thing comes along.
I'd gladly move the earth for you, (yeah I'm strong baby, plenty strong)
To prove my love and it's worth to you;
If that isn't love it'll have to do
With all the words, dear, at my command,
I just can't make you understand;
I'll always love you darling, come what may,
My heart is yours, what more can I say? (what do you want me to do, rob a bank?)
(Well listen, I tell ya)
I'd sigh for you, yeah, cry for you,
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you!
If that isn't love, well skip it, it'll have to do,
Until the real thing comes along.
I'd sigh for you, die for you,
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you!
If that isn't love, it'll have to do,
Until the real thing comes along.
(Yeah, that's the real thing, so help me!)
In Dakota Staton's song "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," the singer expresses their devotion to their beloved. They are willing to work hard, even to the point of being a beggar or a knave (a dishonest or unscrupulous person), and move the earth to prove their love. They acknowledge that what they have may not be the real thing yet, but it's enough for now. The singer is frustrated that they can't find the words to make their beloved understand their love. They declare their love with sighs, tears, and the promise to tear the stars down from the sky.
The song's lyrics are a common theme in love songs: the feelings of devotion and the willingness to do anything for one's beloved, even when it may not be reciprocated. Dakota Staton recorded the song in 1959, during a time when love songs dominated the charts. The lyrics also reflect the societal norms of the time when a man was expected to be the provider and protector of his partner, willing to do anything to prove his love. The song's popularity continues to this day because the feelings expressed in it are timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I'd work for you, I'd slave for you,
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you! (what is a knave anyway?)
If that isn't love it'll have to do
Until the real thing comes along.
I would do anything for you, even if that meant being a beggar or a dishonest person. If what I'm doing isn't love, then it will have to suffice until the real thing arrives.
I'd gladly move the earth for you, (yeah I'm strong baby, plenty strong)
To prove my love and it's worth to you;
If that isn't love it'll have to do
Until the real thing comes along.
I am capable of doing great feats to demonstrate my love and its value to you. If this isn't love, then it will have to suffice for now until the genuine article comes my way.
With all the words, dear, at my command,
I just can't make you understand;
I'll always love you darling, come what may,
My heart is yours, what more can I say? (what do you want me to do, rob a bank?)
Despite having every word of affection and endearment at my disposal, I am unable to convey the depth of my love to you. Nevertheless, my heart belongs to you no matter what happens, and I cannot express this enough.
(Well listen, I tell ya)
I'd sigh for you, yeah, cry for you,
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you!
If that isn't love, well skip it, it'll have to do,
Until the real thing comes along.
I would undergo great emotional torment and even attempt to defy the laws of nature to prove my love for you. If you can't see that as love, then it will have to do for now until I can experience the true thing.
I'd sigh for you, die for you,
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you!
If that isn't love, it'll have to do,
Until the real thing comes along.
(Yeah, that's the real thing, so help me!)
I would be willing to suffer even to the extent of death to show my love for you, and I would not hesitate to attempt to defy the laws of nature to demonstrate this devotion. If this is not love, then it will have to be enough until the true experience of it comes my way. (And when it does, I'll know it!)
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alberta Nichols, L.E. Freeman, Mann Holiner, Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind