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 Want You Back
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you
Stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch
One glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me
To take second look
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
But now since I see you in his arms
I want you back
Yes I do now
I want you back
Ooh ooh baby
Yeah yeah, naw
Trying to live without your love
Is one long sleepless night
Let me show you girl
That I know wrong from right
Every street you walk on
I leave tear stains on the ground
Following the girl
I didn't even want around
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Abuh buh buh buh
All I want!
Abuh buh buh buh
All I need!
Abuh buh buh buh
In Diana Ross's song "I Want You Back," she expresses regret for taking her lover for granted and wanting him back. The lyrics reveal that when she had him to herself, she didn't appreciate him and preferred to be without him. Diana admits that she didn't want him around because his pretty face made him stand out in a crowd, but someone else picked him, and she lost him. Although she didn't value him before, she now acknowledges her blindness in letting him go and pleads for another chance to show him that she loves him.
Furthermore, she declares that life without his love is unbearable and one long sleepless night. Diana professes that she knows right from wrong and wants to prove it to him. Everywhere he goes, he leaves tear stains on the ground, following the girl he didn't even want around. The song's repetition of "Abuh buh buh buh" adds to the urgency of her request to get her lover back.
In summary, the song reflects on the power of hindsight and the realization that sometimes, in the pursuit of what we think we desire, we can take the people we love for granted, and it's only when we lose them that we see their true worth.
Line by Line Meaning
When I had you to myself
I had you all to myself, and I didn't appreciate you.
I didn't want you around
I didn't want you nearby, despite having you to myself.
Those pretty faces always made you
Other attractive people made you stand out in a crowd.
Stand out in a crowd
You were noticeable compared to others in the vicinity.
But someone picked you from the bunch
Someone else chose you out of the crowd of attractive people.
One glance was all it took
One look was enough for that person to see your worth.
Now it's much too late for me
I missed my chance to realize your worth.
To take second look
To give you a second chance when I should have given you the first chance.
Oh baby give me one more chance
Please give me another opportunity.
To show you that I love you
To prove to you that I care for you.
Won't you please send me back in your heart
I am asking you to give me another chance to win your love.
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
I was not thinking properly when I let you go.
But now since I see you in his arms
Now that I see you with someone else, I realize what I lost.
I want you back
I desire for you to come back to me.
Yes I do now
I genuinely want you back in my life.
Ooh ooh baby
An expressing of excitement and passion.
Yeah yeah, naw
An expression of agreement and regret.
Trying to live without your love
I am struggling to go on without your love.
Is one long sleepless night
I am restless and cannot sleep without you.
Let me show you girl
Allow me to prove to you.
That I know wrong from right
I know and understand what is right and wrong.
Every street you walk on
Every path you take.
I leave tear stains on the ground
I cry tears of regret and longing.
Following the girl
I am chasing after the one I let go.
I didn't even want around
I didn't appreciate you as much as I should have.
Abuh buh buh buh
An expression of excitement and eagerness.
All I want!
I only desire one thing, and that is you.
Abuh buh buh buh
An expression of excitement and joy.
All I need!
I only need one thing, and that is your love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards, Berry Gordy Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xavier D Allen music universe
Diana Ross looks amazing here
KHLOEKWORLD
Ikr
GIO MALGIO
thanks for this video that you uploaded, already seen in truth but every time it is like the first time I saw it, because I am enchanted by its skill and beauty .. Thanks.
Terry Polley
Little Michael was such a cute kid and I have no idea why he thought he had to have all that work on done on his face. He was good looking even when he got older. It so sad that his life had to end the way it did. From that cute little boy on stage to where he ended up. All that talent gone forever.