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.
Let's Do It
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
In Spain the best upper sets do it
Lithuanians and let's do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Not to mention the Finns
Folks in Siam do it
Think of Siamese twins
Some Argentine's without means do it
People say in Boston even beans do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Romantic sponges they say do it
Oysters down in oyster bay do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Cold Cape Cod clams 'gainst their wish do it
Even lazy jellyfish do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Electric eels, I might add do it
Though it shocks 'em I know
Why ask if shad do it
Waiter bring me shad roe
In shallow shoals, English soles do it
Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The dragonflies in the reeds do it
Sentimental centipedes do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Mosquitoes, heaven forbid, do it
So does every katydid do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The most refined ladybugs do it
When a gentleman calls
Moths in your rugs do it
What's the use of mothballs?
Locusts in trees do it, bees do it
Even over educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The lyrics to Diana Ross's song Let's Do It describe the natural phenomenon of animals mating, and suggests that since all living creatures do it, humans should let themselves fall in love as well. The lyrics mention a variety of creatures that engage in mating, such as birds, bees, fleas, sponges, oysters, clams, jellyfish, electric eels, shad, English soles, ladybugs, moths, locusts, and bees. We can see a range of cultures represented in the song, as individuals from Spain, Lithuania, Amsterdam, Finland, Argentina, and Boston are all remarked to also engage in sexual activity and therefore have the potential to fall in love.
The song suggests that love and sex is a universal experience, and that it is something that humans have in common with all living things: from the lowly flea to the most refined ladybug. The lyrics unite all living things in their pursuit of pleasure, reminding the listener of the commonality and interconnectedness of all beings.
Line by Line Meaning
But that's why birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
All living creatures, regardless of their education or background, are capable of falling in love. Let's also give it a try.
In Spain the best upper sets do it
Lithuanians and let's do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
People from different parts of the world, from Spain to Lithuania, fall in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
The Dutch in old Amsterdam do it
Not to mention the Finns
Folks in Siam do it
Think of Siamese twins
People from different cultures, such as the Dutch, the Finns, and the Siamese twins, all fall in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
Some Argentine's without means do it
People say in Boston even beans do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
People from all walks of life, from the poor in Argentina to the citizens of Boston, are capable of falling in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
Romantic sponges they say do it
Oysters down in oyster bay do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Even sea creatures such as sponges and oysters are believed to be capable of falling in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
Cold Cape Cod clams 'gainst their wish do it
Even lazy jellyfish do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Even if hesitant or lazy, creatures such as clams and jellyfish are still able to fall in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
Electric eels, I might add do it
Though it shocks 'em I know
Why ask if shad do it
Waiter bring me shad roe
Even electric eels, despite the shocking experience, are capable of falling in love. It's needless to ask if others like shad are capable of falling in love, so let's skip that and focus on enjoying shad roe.
In shallow shoals, English soles do it
Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Small creatures such as English soles and goldfish, who are often kept as pets, are still capable of falling in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
The dragonflies in the reeds do it
Sentimental centipedes do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Even insects such as dragonflies and centipedes are capable of falling in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
Mosquitoes, heaven forbid, do it
So does every katydid do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Even annoying insects such as mosquitoes and katydids are capable of falling in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
The most refined ladybugs do it
When a gentleman calls
Moths in your rugs do it
What's the use of mothballs?
Even ladybugs and moths, creatures often associated with households, are capable of falling in love. Why worry about preventing the latter with mothballs when we could focus on falling in love ourselves?
Locusts in trees do it, bees do it
Even over educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
From locusts in trees to over educated fleas, all creatures are capable of falling in love. Let's also fall in love with each other.
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Let's stop hesitating and just fall in love with each other.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind