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 Can't Shake It Loose
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't shake it loose
I'm into something
I can't shake it loose
Stay away from him
Are the words I did not heed
Oh no, no, no
He's an absolute need
Oh yeah yeah
I ignored the warnin'
That his kisses is a habit formin'
And ooh, I have no excuse
I'm into something
I can't shake it loose
I'm into something
I can't shake it loose
So good is his love
I can't do without, oh no
His sweet tender kiss has got me strung out
Oh yeah yeah, yeah yeah
But I love him in such a way
I'll never gonna try to get away
And oh, it just ain't no use
I'm into something
I can't shake it loose
I'm into something
I can't shake it loose
Yeah
But I love him in such a way
I'll never try to get away
And ooh, it just ain't no use
I'm into something
I can't shake it loose
I'm into something
I can't shake it loose
So good is his love
So sweet is his kiss
I just can't shake loose
The lyrics of Diana Ross's song "I Can't Shake It Loose" depict a woman who is caught in a romantic obsession, unable to break free from her lover's grasp. Despite the warnings of others, she is drawn irresistibly to this man, craving his sweet kisses and his love. Even though she recognizes that her infatuation is causing her problems, she cannot bring herself to end the relationship. She loves him so much that she is willing to overlook all of his flaws and continue to be consumed by passion.
The phrase "I'm into something I can't shake it loose" reflects the metaphorical idea of being trapped in a quicksand-like situation. The more one tries to pull away, the deeper they sink into their predicament. The song expresses the theme that love can be an addiction that is difficult to overcome, and often leaves people powerless and consumed by its intensity.
Ross's soulful voice serves to emphasize the desperate plea of the singer in the lyrics. Her performance conveys the passion and emotion of the lyrics, making it easy for listeners to feel the depth of what the singer is experiencing. The song is an excellent example of Ross's distinctive and powerful vocal range, which made her one of the most celebrated and best-selling artistes of the 70s.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm into something
I'm deeply involved in a situation
I can't shake it loose
I can't get out of this situation
I'm into something
I'm deeply involved in a situation
I can't shake it loose
I can't get out of this situation
Stay away from him
Someone warned me not to get involved with him
Are the words I did not heed
I ignored the warning
Oh no, no, no
Expressing regret for ignoring the warning
He's not just the one
He's not just any guy
He's an absolute need
I need him in my life
Oh yeah yeah
Affirming the previous statement
I ignored the warnin'
Reiterating that I didn't listen to the warning
That his kisses is a habit formin'
His kisses are addictive
And ooh, I have no excuse
Acknowledging that I can't justify my actions
So good is his love
His love is amazing
I can't do without, oh no
I can't live without him
His sweet tender kiss has got me strung out
His kisses have me addicted and wanting more
Oh yeah yeah, yeah yeah
Affirming the previous statements
But I love him in such a way
I love him deeply
I'll never gonna try to get away
I won't even try to leave him
And oh, it just ain't no use
It's pointless to try to resist him
So good is his love
His love is amazing
So sweet is his kiss
His kisses are sweet
I just can't shake loose
I'm too addicted to him to leave
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE S CLINTON, JOANNE JACKSON, ROSE MARIE MC COY, SIDNEY A. BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind