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.
Heart
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't mean for him to get me
Woo, get up in the morning
And I'm filled with desire
No, no, I can't stop the fire
Love is real live wire
Oh, it's a burning sensation
Far beyond imagination
Love is like an itching in my heart, tearing it all apart
Just an itching in my heart
And, baby, I can't scratch it
Keeps me sighing, oh
Keeps me yearning
No mama can't help me
No daddy can't help me
I've been bitten by the love bug
And I need some information
To help me out of this situation
Now, when you're ill you take a pill
When you're thirsty, drink your fill
What you gonna do, oh yeah
When love gets a hold, a hold on you
Love is like an itching in my heart
And, baby, I can't scratch it
Love is a nagging irritation
Causing my heart complication
Love is a growing infection
And I don't know the correction
Got me rocking and a-reeling
And I can't shake the feeling
Love is like an itching in my heart, tearing it all apart
Just an itching in my heart
Baby, I can't scratch it
Keeps me sighing, oo
Keeps me yearning
Keeps me burning
Keeps me tossing
Keeps me turning
Keeps me yearning
I've been bitten by the love bug
And I need some information
To help me out of this situation
Love is a nagging irritation
Causing my heart complication
I've been bitten by the love bug
The lyrics to "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" describe the intense feeling of being in love as both captivating and worrisome. The first lines of the song suggest that the singer didn't intend to fall in love, but she was bitten by the "love bug," and now she can't help but feel desire.
As the song progresses, the singer compares her love to an itching in her heart that tears her apart, and she can't scratch it. This analogy implies that being in love is something that is difficult to ignore and requires constant attention. She also compares her love to a nagging irritation that causes heart complications, indicating that love can be both wonderful and troublesome.
Throughout the song, the singer is in awe of the intensity of her emotions and seeks help to cure the affliction that is love. She yearns for a cure, but it seems that there is none to offer. The repetition of the phrase "keeps me" implies that being in love consumes all thoughts and actions. Overall, the song describes the overwhelming nature of love and the helplessness it can cause.
Line by Line Meaning
The love bug done bit me
I have fallen in love
Didn't mean for him to get me
I didn't intend to fall in love
Woo, get up in the morning
I wake up every morning
And I'm filled with desire
I am full of love and longing
No, no, I can't stop the fire
I can't control my love
Love is real live wire
Love is intense and exciting
Oh, it's a burning sensation
Love is a passionate feeling
Far beyond imagination
Love is beyond what I could have ever imagined
Love is like an itching in my heart, tearing it all apart
Love is a strong feeling that is both pleasurable and painful
Just an itching in my heart
I can't ignore how much I love someone
And, baby, I can't scratch it
I can't get rid of this feeling
Keeps me sighing, oh
I am constantly sighing with longing
Keeps me yearning
I am constantly desiring more love
No mama can't help me
My mother can't assist me with this
No daddy can't help me
My father can't assist me with this
I've been bitten by the love bug
I have fallen in love
And I need some information
I need advice on how to handle this feeling
To help me out of this situation
To assist me in dealing with my love
Now, when you're ill you take a pill
When you are sick, you take medicine
When you're thirsty, drink your fill
When you are thirsty, you drink enough liquid until you feel content
What you gonna do, oh yeah
What will I do now?
When love gets a hold, a hold on you
When you are completely in love
Love is a nagging irritation
Love can be frustrating
Causing my heart complication
Love is creating problems for my heart
Love is a growing infection
Love is overwhelming and consuming
And I don't know the correction
I don't know how to fix this situation
Got me rocking and a-reeling
Love has my emotions in a state of flux
And I can't shake the feeling
I can't ignore or shake off these emotions
Keeps me burning
I am constantly feeling the flames of love
Keeps me tossing
I am constantly feeling anxious and restless
Keeps me turning
I am constantly thinking about my love
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary Higgins
Diana did a amazing job with this song..āØāØā¤ļøāš©¹āØāØ
Ricardo Martinez
i love this song very powerful lyrics. .
hdj8501
Awesome! Only The Diva, Miss Ross can look and sound so good while feeling so sad!
Spirit Angelfish
Marilyn McCoo was actually I believe the very first to record it - on RCA , ironically. :o) Always been one of my favorite DR ballads. This album should have resulted in a major US comeback as it did in the UK and Japan.
StirfryDallasGuy
wow didn't know Diana Ross recorded this song. This was from my favorite Barbra Streisand Album Emotions
theoriginaldianarossfansite
I love this clip verry much,the lyrics are so real for me...thankx for posting, Denise
Borja Valiente
I prefer Robbie Buchanan's original demo song. But sounds really good!
Dtrn254
My baby Diana ā¤ļø .... šš
Spirit Angelfish
@SmoothCinnamonX She is giving us full diva here. She has always given me a Tina Turner vibe in parts of this video; also giving us a bit of Michael Jackson during the interlude when she's got the short hair and tied-in-the-front white shirt.
Dtrn254
Love Diana