Diane Ernestine Earle Ross (born March 26, 1944), better known as Diana Ros… Read Full Bio ↴Diane Ernestine Earle Ross (born March 26, 1944), better known as Diana Ross, is an American soul, R&B and pop singer and actress born in Detroit, Michigan. Ross is one of the most successful female artists of her era, both due to her solo work and her role as lead singer of The Supremes during the 1960s.

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.

Goin' Back
Diana Ross Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I think I'm goin' back
To the things I learned so well in my youth,
I think I'm returning to
The days when I was young enough to know the truth

Now there are no games
To only pass the time
No more coloring books,

No Christmas bells to chime
But thinking young and growing older is no sin
And I can play the game of life to win

I can recall a time,
When I wasn't afraid to reach out to a friend
And now I think I've got
A lot more than a skipping rope to lift

Now there's more to do
Than watch my sailboat glide
Then everyday can be my magic carpet ride
And I can play hide and seek with my fears,
And live my life instead of counting my years

Let everyone debate the true reality,
I'd rather see the world the way it used to be
A little bit of freedom, all we're left
So catch me if you can
I'm goin' back

I can recall,
I can remember

I can recall,
I can remember

I can recall,
I can remember

Overall Meaning

In Diana Ross's song "Goin' Back," the singer reflects on her past and longs to return to the days of her youth when she felt more carefree and connected to the truth. She feels that as she has grown older, she has lost some of her sense of play and the ability to take risks. She remembers a time when she wasn't afraid to reach out to others and had more opportunities for play and adventure. She realizes that growing older doesn't have to mean giving up on the game of life and that she can still pursue her dreams and desires. The song encourages listeners to embrace their inner child and not to lose sight of what is truly important in life.

Throughout the song, Ross contrasts the freedom and joy of childhood with the responsibilities and pressures of adulthood. She mourns the loss of simple pleasures like coloring books and Christmas bells and longs for the days when every day felt like a magic carpet ride. Ross encourages listeners to confront their fears and not to let age hold them back from pursuing their dreams. She implies that the true reality of life is not about success, power, or wealth, but about the simplicity and joy of living in the moment.

One possible interpretation of the lyrics is that Ross wrote this song as a reflection on her own life and career. As a successful musician and performer, she likely experienced firsthand the pressures of adult life and the sacrifices necessary to achieve success. Perhaps the song is a reminder to herself and her listeners not to lose sight of the beauty and simplicity of life in the pursuit of fame and fortune.

Line by Line Meaning

I think I'm goin' back
I believe that I am returning

To the things I learned so well in my youth
To what I was taught in my childhood, which I learned well

I think I'm returning to
I believe that I am going back to

The days when I was young enough to know the truth
To the past when I was young and able to recognize the true nature of things

Now there are no games
Currently, there are no amusements

To only pass the time
That are only intended to waste time

No more coloring books,
There are no longer any coloring books

No Christmas bells to chime
Sleigh bells no longer make their joyful noise

But thinking young and growing older is no sin
However, aging while maintaining a youthful outlook is not a crime

And I can play the game of life to win
And it is possible for me to win at life's game

I can recall a time,
I remember a time,

When I wasn't afraid to reach out to a friend
When I wasn't fearful of asking a friend for assistance

And now I think I've got
But now I feel as though I possess

A lot more than a skipping rope to lift
More than just a jump rope to play with

Now there's more to do
Currently, there is much more to be done

Than watch my sailboat glide
Beyond simply watching my sailboat slide along the water's surface

Then everyday can be my magic carpet ride
Every day could potentially be a fantastical adventure

And I can play hide and seek with my fears,
And I can confront and overcome my fears

And live my life instead of counting my years
And focus on living my life as opposed to dwelling on the number of years which have passed

Let everyone debate the true reality,
If everyone else wishes to argue about the nature of true reality,

I'd rather see the world the way it used to be
I would prefer to perceive the world as it was in the past

A little bit of freedom, all we're left
We are only left with a modicum of liberty

So catch me if you can
So try and stop me if you are able

I'm goin' back
I am returning to my earlier mindset and lifestyle

I can recall,
I can remember,

I can remember
I am able to remember

I can recall,
I can remember,

I can remember
I am able to remember

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King, Gerry Goffin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

Daniel Robinson

7y↑13

Sung with such honesty and clarity. I love Ms. Ross's version. She is simply the best! Forever Diana Ross!

Stephan Ziegler

4y↑3

Es gibt keine schönere Version als Diana's. Sie berührt mich am meisten. Ein unvergesslicher Klassiker von der besten Sängerin aller Zeiten 💖💛💖

Straus Davis

4y↑8

Listen to this woman! Her emotions, her timing. Her delivery her interpretation of this song. It doesn't get any better than than this...Diana...Diana...