An actress, singer, talk show host, and author, the multi-talented Reese first started singing in church in her hometown of Detroit when she was six years old. By the age of 13, she was touring with gospel great Mahalia Jackson; then, at 18, she formed the Meditation Singers and became the first performer to bring gospel music to the casinos of Las Vegas. Reese expanded her musical repertoire as a vocalist with the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra and began recording albums, with such hits as "Don't You Know" and "And That Reminds Me" in the 1950s. She appeared extensively as a guest on the top television variety series, logging more than 20 appearances in one year on The Ed Sullivan Show on the CBS Television Network. Reese was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Female Soloist in Gospel Music in 1987.
Tapping into her other skills, she was host of a television talk show in 1969-1970, then began guest-starring in such series as Sanford and Son, The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox and Picket Fences. She starred in the CBS Network series Charlie & Co. and The Royal Family. Reese's current projects include a new album based on her 27-city tour with her revue, "Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues," as well as song on the Touched By An Angel Soundtrack. Her best-selling autobiography, "Angels Along the Way," is published by G.P. Putnam's Sons. Reese also starred in the telefilms Emma's Wish, with Joanna Kerns, and The Secret Path, with Ossie Davis.
It Was a Very Good Year
Della Reese Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights
Wed hide from the lights
On the village green
When I was seventeen
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for city girls
Who lived up the stair
With all that perfumed hair
And it came undone
When I was twenty-one
When I was thirty-five
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Of independent means
Wed ride in limousines
Their chauffeurs would drive
When I was thirty-five
But now the days grow short
I'm in the autumn of the year
And now I think of my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs
And it poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year
It was a mess of good years
Della Reese's song "It Was a Very Good Year" is a nostalgic reflection of the various stages of life, specifically the different years in the singer's life. In the first stanza, Della reminisces on her seventeenth year of existence, where she remembers that it was a very good year for small-town girls and soft summer nights. This is a reference to her youth and the innocence of her teenage years. The village green is a reminder of the simple joys of life where she used to hide from the lights, as she goes on to recall the beauty of that year.
The second verse details the memories of Della's twenty-first year, where things had started to change for her. It was a very good year for city girls as she remembers living up the stairs with all that perfumed hair. Her phrasing of "and it came undone" indicates that there was some excitement and wildness in that year that may not have ended well. The singer is also talking about the element of carelessness of her younger years.
In the last verse, the singer reflects on her thirty-fifth year, which is another step closer to middle age. Here, it was a very good year for blue-blooded girls of independent means, further highlighting that the singer had moved up in the world. She remembers riding in limousines where their chauffeurs would drive. The final verse brings the narrative back to her present age, where she is in the autumn of her life. The metaphor of her life being like a vintage wine from fine old kegs is beautiful, and it shows how she sees her life as something of value and import.
Overall, the song is a beautiful reflection on life, and how different periods of life can be both good and bad, filled with memories that we can look back upon.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was seventeen
At the age of seventeen, things were great and full of promise.
It was a very good year
I felt alive and everything was going well for me.
It was a very good year for small town girls
Girls from small towns like me had a wonderful time during those years.
And soft summer nights
Warm summer nights added to the magic and fun of those years.
Wed hide from the lights
We would spend our time outside, away from the bright streetlights.
On the village green
We would hang out in the main public area of our town.
When I was twenty-one
I was still very young and at the age of 21.
It was a very good year for city girls
Girls from the city were living it up during this period.
Who lived up the stair
The girls lived in high-rise buildings, apartments above the city streets.
With all that perfumed hair
Girls put great care into looking good and smelling good - this was a hallmark of the era.
And it came undone
Unfortunately, things began to fall apart for some people, and they had to deal with the consequences.
When I was thirty-five
I had lived for awhile and was older, at the age of thirty-five.
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Girls who came from wealthy families lived well and had good times during this year.
Of independent means
These girls were knowledgeable and driven, able to take care of themselves.
Wed ride in limousines
Sometimes these girls would ride around in large, luxurious cars.
Their chauffeurs would drive
Usually, the girls would be riding around with their hired chauffeurs, taking them wherever they wanted to go.
But now the days grow short
Life is fleeting and the years go by quickly.
I'm in the autumn of the year
I am older now and it feels like I am in the twilight of my life.
And now I think of my life as vintage wine
As I look back on my life, I see it as high-quality, aged wine.
From fine old kegs
My experiences were stored away like fine wine, waiting to be tasted.
From the brim to the dregs
Every last drop of my experiences, ranging from good to bad, has been savored and appreciated.
And it poured sweet and clear
My life has been rich and full of flavor, with plenty of moments of happiness mixed in.
It was a very good year
Overall, life has been full and great, with ups and downs, but providing a lot of good memories.
It was a mess of good years
Each year of my life was marked by its own highs and lows, but despite everything, it's been a life worth living.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ervin Drake
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cynthia R
I've always loved and appreciated Della Reese, but I have never heard this! I love it! WOW! ❣
Eric Little
This is the absolutely best version of this song :)
Marina McCreery
Song stunned me when I was 16yrs. old - life would never be the same....in all the best of ways !! The dye was cast......the shadows came later....now aglow in amber.....
Arunas Sileris
This song made my Day! Man, that's the poetry!
cob1965
excellant!thanks
ALAIN DEWAELE
top classe happy new year and thank for al music
sarahsheridan moerland
Z
Souli I hope this u love this lady comes 2 x