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.
I'm Watching You
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you're here
I feel you close to me
So much to say but
Making all the words
I save them all inside
Then I see you and they disappear
Like leaves beneath the snow
And yesterday, I let you go
I'm watching you tonight
And I waited for so long
I've been living on your memory
In a world where we were one
And you told me you could make it on your own
I'm watching you tonight
And it's making me cry
When I lost you, I lost everything
But our love should never die
Not mine, my love is born to be your love
Oh baby
To make history near you
But the moment when I see me in your eyes
You're gone, you're gone
You can say goodbye if you want to
I love you but I'll try to understand
But in my soul I know it's meant to be
Together you and me
But I know you came to fade away
Like voices in the wind
And I wonder if you feel my love
It's stronger than it's ever been
I'm watching you tonight
And there's no other one
All the love we gave eternally
Now it's dying in the sun
Not mine, my love was born to be your love
Oh baby
To make history near you
But that moment when I see me in your eyes
You're gone, you're gone, you're gone
The lyrics of "I'm Watching You" by Diana Ross is a heartfelt expression of one person's desire to be with the one they love, even if they are no longer together. The song expresses a deep sadness that comes from missing someone who has left, but also a sense of hope that their love can go on. There is something very poignant about the way in which the song speaks to anyone who has ever lost someone they loved.
The opening lines, "Hello baby, it's a long time, I know you're here, I feel you close to me", immediately create a sense of intimacy and familiarity. They suggest that the singer is addressing someone they knew well, and that they are able to feel their presence even though they are not physically present. The idea that there is "so much to say but making all the words" speaks to the difficulty of expressing oneself in moments of deep emotion. It is as if the singer is overwhelmed, and can only hold on to their feelings without being able to communicate them in any meaningful way.
The refrain "I'm watching you tonight" becomes the central point of the song. It reinforces the idea that even though the loved one is no longer physically present, their presence is still very much felt. There is a longing for the past and a desire to hold on to what was before. The idea that "our love should never die" is a testament to the enduring nature of love, even in the face of loss and grief. Finally, when the singer says "But I know you came to fade away like voices in the wind", it is as if they are accepting that love can sometimes be fleeting, and that even though it has gone, it has left a lasting impression.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello baby, it's a long time
It has been a long time since we talked or saw each other.
I know you're here
I feel your presence near me.
I feel you close to me
I sense that you are physically near me.
So much to say but
There are so many things I want to tell you but...
Making all the words
I am struggling to find the right words to express my feelings.
I save them all inside
I keep all my thoughts and feelings inside.
Then I see you and they disappear
When I finally see you in person, all my rehearsed words disappear.
Like leaves beneath the snow
My words are hidden and lost, just like the leaves that disappear under the snow.
And life don't wait for everyone
Life goes on, and we cannot wait forever for things to happen.
And yesterday, I let you go
I made the decision to move on from our relationship yesterday.
I'm watching you tonight
I am observing you and your actions tonight.
And I waited for so long
I have been waiting for this moment for a long time.
I've been living on your memory
I have been surviving on the memories of our time together.
In a world where we were one
In the past, we were together and inseparable.
And you told me you could make it on your own
You said that you could survive and thrive without my help.
And it's making me cry
Observing you tonight is making me emotional and sad.
When I lost you, I lost everything
Losing you meant losing everything that mattered to me.
But our love should never die
Our love should not be forgotten or given up on.
Not mine, my love is born to be your love
I am still in love with you, and my love is meant to be with you.
To make history near you
I want to be with you and create lasting memories.
But the moment when I see me in your eyes
The instant I see myself reflected in your eyes...
You're gone, you're gone
I realize that you are no longer mine and have moved on.
You can say goodbye if you want to
You have the option to say goodbye to me and move on.
I love you but I'll try to understand
Although I still love you, I will try to accept your decision and understand your reasons for leaving.
But in my soul I know it's meant to be
Deep in my heart, I still believe that we are meant to be together.
Together you and me
We should be together, as we are better as a couple than we are apart.
But I know you came to fade away
I realize that you will eventually fade away from my life.
Like voices in the wind
You will become like the distant voices that are carried away by the wind.
And I wonder if you feel my love
I question whether you can still feel the love I have for you.
It's stronger than it's ever been
My love for you has grown and become even stronger.
And there's no other one
You are the only one for me, and I cannot imagine loving anyone else.
All the love we gave eternally
Our love should last forever, and the love we shared was unending.
Now it's dying in the sun
Our love was once strong, but now it is slowly fading away.
You're gone, you're gone, you're gone
You have moved on and are no longer a part of my life.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY GIBB, MAURICE ERNEST GIBB, ROBIN HUGH GIBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind