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.
Did You Read the Morning Paper
Diana Ross Lyrics
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Did you see the front headline
Did you read the morning paper
Baby let me lend you mine
There on the front page was a picture
Of a crowd as they watched a parade passing by
And through the haze of last nights sleep
There was a couple looking so much in love, yes
They had a front line view
And as I pulled the paper closer
I realized standing next to her it was you
Did you read the morning paper
Did you see the front headline
Did you read the morning paper
Baby let me lend you mine
Now I know why you've been working late each night
And no longer have desire to ever hold me tight
And your busy, busy schedule was all a lie
Oh, even the dream with a bonus, oh just another alibi
Did you read the morning paper
Did you see the front headline
Did you read the morning paper
Baby let me lend you mine
Did you get the news today
Did you read the morning paper
Isn't the picture very clear
Where do we go from here
Did you read the morning paper
Did you see the front headlines
Did you read the morning paper
Baby let me lend you mine
Oh, what now
Did you read the morning paper
Did you get the news today
In Diana Ross's song "Did You Read The Morning Paper?", she is addressing her partner and asking if they have read the front headline in the morning newspaper. As she looks at the picture on the front page, she recognizes her partner next to a woman who she assumes he's in love with. Ross realizes that her partner has been cheating on her and lying about his busy schedule as a cover-up. She questions her next steps and asks if her partner has read the news, and if they know where they go from here.
The lyrics portray the feeling of betrayal and realization that someone you love is capable of hurting you deeply. Ross's vocals are emotive, conveying a sense of disbelief and sadness. The lyrics also represent the idea of seeking truth and transparency in a relationship, urging her partner to share what they know through asking if they read the news.
Overall, the song is a powerful representation of the pain caused by infidelity and the attempt to reconcile and move forward with a partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you read the morning paper
Did you have a chance to read the newspaper this morning?
Did you see the front headline
Did you notice the main story on the front page?
Baby let me lend you mine
Can I offer you my copy of the newspaper to read?
There on the front page was a picture
On the front page of the newspaper, there was a photograph
Of a crowd as they watched a parade passing by
The photograph showed a group of people observing a parade that was going on
And through the haze of last night's sleep
Despite feeling groggy from being asleep, I still noticed something in the photograph
Something familiar caught my eye
I recognized something or someone in the photograph
There was a couple looking so much in love, yes
The photograph showed a pair of people who seemed to be very much in love
They had a front line view
This couple had a good spot to watch the parade from
And as I pulled the paper closer
I moved the newspaper closer to myself to examine it more closely
I realized standing next to her it was you
Upon closer inspection, I recognized you as the person standing next to the woman in the photograph
Now I know why you've been working late each night
I now understand why you have been staying late at work every night
And no longer have desire to ever hold me tight
I realize that you no longer have any desire to be intimate with me
And your busy, busy schedule was all a lie
I now understand that your constant work schedule was just an excuse to cover up the truth
Oh, even the dream with a bonus, oh just another alibi
Even the excuse of having a business trip that included a vacation was just another lie
Did you get the news today
Did you hear about what happened today?
Isn't the picture very clear
Can't you see the truth in the photograph?
Where do we go from here
What should we do now that the truth has been revealed?
Oh, what now
What happens next?
Did you get the news today
Have you heard about what's been going on lately?
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: ASHFORD, MONICA, SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind