Phillips' on-air persona was a speed-crazed hillbilly, with a frantic delivery and entertaining sense of humor. However, he also had a keen ear for music the listening public would enjoy, and he embraced both black and white music, which was abundant in post-World War II Memphis, a booming river city which attracted large numbers of rural blacks and whites (along with their musical traditions). He played a great deal of rhythm and blues, country music, boogie-woogie, and jazz as well as Sun Records artists. In July 1954, he was the first DJ to broadcast the young Elvis Presley's debut record, "That's All Right/Blue Moon Of Kentucky" (Sun 209), and got Presley to reveal his race in an interview by asking which high school the 19-year-old singer attended (knowing that, because of segregation, his audience would readily know what race attended which schools).
Although he was not related to fellow Memphis music entrepreneur Sam Phillips, the two men began the "It's the Phillips Records" label jointly in 1950 releasing "Boogie in the Park"/"Gotta Let You Go" by Joe Hill Louis in August of that year. Sam would go on to found Sun Records afterwards.
Though Dewey Phillips was not involved in the payola scandals of the time (as was Freed), he was fired in late 1958 when the station adopted a Top 40 format, phasing out his freeform style. He spent the last decade of his life working at smaller radio stations, seldom lasting long at any. A heavy drinker and longtime drug user (mainly painkillers and amphetamines, which contrbuted to his manic on-air behavior), Phillips died of heart failure at age 42.
It Had to Be You
Dewey Phillips Lyrics
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I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
With all your faults, I love you still,
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you.
It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you.
The lyrics to "It Had to Be You" help to convey a sense of inevitability in regards to love. The song expresses how the singer wandered around looking for someone who they could be true with, someone who could make them feel both happy and sad just thinking about them. The singer then speaks about how some other people they've seen may never be as trying as their love interest, but it's only that person who really makes them feel alive. The lyrics suggest that the singer and their love interest are not necessarily perfect, but there's an undeniable connection present; it had to be them.
The song is beautiful in its simplicity and communicates a message that is universal in nature. It speaks to the idea that finding someone who you can trust and be completely honest with is valuable. It's not necessarily about finding the perfect person but someone who makes you feel complete in a way that no one else can.
* "It Had to Be You" was written by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn and was first performed by Priscilla Lane in the movie "The Wizard of Oz."
* Its popularity grew after it was performed by Frank Sinatra in the 1944 film "Step Lively."
* It has since been covered by numerous artists including Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, and Harry Connick Jr.
* The song has been featured in many movies and TV shows, including "When Harry Met Sally," "Sleepless in Seattle," and "Cheers."
* The song was also used as the theme song for the radio show "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar."
* The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
* The song has been recorded in various musical genres, including jazz, pop, and country.
* The song has been translated into several languages, including Spanish, French, and German.
* The song's melody has been used in various commercials, including a television commercial for Coca-Cola.
* It is a common choice for weddings and has been used in many wedding scenes in movies and TV shows.
Chords: G, E7, Am7, D7, D9, G7, C, Cm
Line by Line Meaning
It had to be you, it had to be you.
Out of all the people in the world, it was destined to be you.
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
I searched tirelessly and finally found the one person who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
You have a way of bringing out the best and worst in me, making me feel both happy and sad.
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
My love for you is so powerful that even when I'm sad about missing you, it still brings me joy to think of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
I've come across other people who might never be cruel
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
Or never get angry or try to exert control,
But they wouldn't do.
But they could never match up to you.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
You are the only one who can excite and thrill me in this way.
With all your faults, I love you still,
Even with all of your flaws, I still love you unconditionally.
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you, the amazing person that you are,
It had to be you.
It was always going to be you.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Isham Jones, Gus Kahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind