In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Milton Jenkins, the manager of the local doo-wop group The Primes, by Mary Wilson. Primes member Paul Williams convinced Jenkins to enlist Ross in the sister group The Primettes, which included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book Of World Records listed her as the most successful female artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to her combined total of eighteen number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.
Ross was also one of the few pop singers to find modest success in the acting world winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film, "Lady Sings the Blues" as well as having hits with other film roles such as "Mahogany", "Out of Darkness" and "Double Platinum", not to mention her role in "The Wiz".
Ross has been awarded many lifetime achievement accolades from many organizations and media outlets: she has been featured on BET, Soul Train, and awarded multiple times at the NAACP Image Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Ross' professional vocal collaborators have included the following during her career: Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.
After You
Diana Ross Lyrics
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I ought to get out from under
Sometimes I wonder
Sometimes I don't wonder at all
And as for loving again
Somewhere, somebody might need me
But where would it lead me?
Love was easy to believe in
When you wanted me yesterday
But I couldn't feel the touch of time upon tomorrow
After you
What am I gonna be?
You took a part of me
As you were passing through
After you
How am I gonna find
The me I left behind
That I'll meet after you?
Drifting again
From place to place without reason
Season to season
I just keep running away
And as for people again
I'm just a girl who discovers
Now and then lovers
Who never ask me to stay
Love was easy to believe in
When I walked in the light of you
Now I'm walking by myself
And all I see is darkness
After you
What am I gonna be?
You took a part of me
As you were passing through
After you
How am I gonna find
The me I left behind
That I'll meet after you?
Raining again
I ought to get out from under
Sometimes I wonder
Sometimes I don't wonder at all
After you
How am I gonna find
The me I left behind
That I'll meet after you?
After you
What am I gonna be?
You took a part of me
As you were passing through
Raining again
Raining again
Raining again
After you
What am I gonna be?
Raining again
The song "After You" by Diana Ross is a heartbreaking ballad about the pain of losing a lover and the struggle to move on after the relationship ends. The lyrics depict the feelings of a person who has been left behind by their loved one and is struggling to find their way back to their old self. The opening line of the song, "Raining again, I ought to get out from under" sets the mood of the song, as the singer is feeling lost and overwhelmed. The chorus of the song, "After you, what am I gonna be?/You took a part of me as you were passing through" is a poignant reminder of the pain of loss.
The second verse of the song talks about the singer drifting from place to place without any real purpose or direction. They mention that they are constantly running away, which can be interpreted as them trying to escape the pain of their lost love. They also mention that they come across lovers from time to time, but they never ask them to stay, which highlights the singer's fear of getting hurt again.
The final verse brings the song full circle as the singer once again says, "Raining again, I ought to get out from under." The repetition of this line creates a sense of hopelessness and resignation. However, the final chorus of the song adds a sense of hope, as the singer wonders how they will find themselves again after losing the person they loved.
Overall, "After You" is a beautifully written and performed song that captures the pain of losing someone you love and the struggle to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Raining again
The current state of the weather is rainy.
I ought to get out from under
I should try to escape from a negative or difficult situation.
Sometimes I wonder
Occasionally, I ponder about various aspects of my life.
Sometimes I don't wonder at all
At times, I don't put any thought into my situation.
And as for loving again
Referring to the prospect of finding love again.
Somewhere, somebody might need me
There is a possibility that someone is looking for love and I could fulfill that need.
But where would it lead me?
Questioning the outcome of pursuing a new relationship.
I'd just be rising to fall
I would only be setting myself up for a potential heartbreak.
Love was easy to believe in
In the past, I had faith in love.
When you wanted me yesterday
This faith in love was when I was with the person singing to.
But I couldn't feel the touch of time upon tomorrow
I couldn't envision a future with this person.
After you
What am I gonna be?
Without you, who will I become?
You took a part of me
As you were passing through
When you left, you took a piece of me.
How am I gonna find
The me I left behind
That I'll meet after you?
How will I recover and identify myself after this loss?
Drifting again
Feeling lost and aimless.
From place to place without reason
Going to different places without a specific purpose.
Season to season
Going through different life periods and changes.
I just keep running away
Avoiding my problems instead of addressing them.
And as for people again
In terms of meeting new romantic partners.
I'm just a girl who discovers
I'm a person who frequently finds new love interests.
Now and then lovers
Occasionally finding people to have a short-term relationship with.
Who never ask me to stay
These lovers don't value me enough to ask me to stay with them.
Now I'm walking by myself
And all I see is darkness
Since I am no longer with the person I sang to earlier, I feel alone and in the dark about my future.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind