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.
No One Gets The Price / The Boss
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one, no one
No one gets the prize
We were best of friends
It all began
He came in to town and changed the plan
I knew she felt, the same as me
Just in fun, fight begun
Before long a web of hate was spun
She pretended same as me
Oh, but friends again we'd never be
No one, no one gets the prize
She told him lies, and I told him lies
No one, no one gets the prize
She schemed and dreamed and told him dirt
That I was wrong for him
I told him all the boys she'd hurt and I would number them
He was the ray of light that made our hearts live
But either one of us knew really how to give
So we scandalized and criticized
And then we learned how to despise
No one, no one gets the prize
She told him lies and I lied, I lied yeah
No one, no one gets the prize
No, no, no
Yeah, yeah
Back off
Tried to steal him, tried to steal him
Tried to steal him
Runnin' behind my back
Tried to steal him
Tried to show him where it was at
Watch it now
No, no I won't take second place
No, no tell him to his face
We were friends for so, so, so long
Messed around, now he's gone gone gone gone
No one, no one gets the prize
No, no
No one, no one gets the prize
I wasn't alive, a love that's satisfied
No one, no one gets the prize
It wasn't fair, the love I couldn't share
No one, no one gets the prize
No, no
No one, no one gets the prize
No one, no one gets the prize
She lied, I lied, we lied
No one, no one
The lyrics to Diana Ross’s “No One Gets the Prize” present a story of betrayal, jealousy, and the breakdown of a long-standing friendship. The opening lines suggest that there is a prize to be won, but ultimately, nobody comes out victorious. The song tells the story of two friends who both fall in love with the same man. At first, they agree to let him choose between them, but their friendship quickly turns into a bitter rivalry. Both women resort to lying and scheming to try to win the man’s heart. The competition ultimately tears their friendship apart, and neither woman ends up with the prize they were seeking.
The lines “She told him lies, and I told him lies” suggest that both women are equally at fault for the outcome of the situation. The lyrics also hint at the idea that the man they were fighting over was not worth losing their friendship over: “He was the ray of light that made our hearts live, but either one of us knew really how to give.” The song ends on a sad note, with the singer confessing that it wasn’t fair that she couldn’t share her love, and that ultimately, “no one gets the prize.”
Overall, the song explores the devastating consequences of jealousy and the importance of valuing friendships over romantic relationships. The lyrics remind us that even when we’re fighting for something we want, it’s important to consider what we might be sacrificing in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
No one, no one gets the prize
No one wins the prize, there is no winner.
No one, no one
Nobody is deserving of the prize.
No one gets the prize
The prize goes unclaimed.
We were best of friends
At one point, we were close companions.
It all began
This is how it started.
He came in to town and changed the plan
Things changed when he arrived in town.
I knew she felt, the same as me
I was aware that she shared my feelings about him.
Which one of us would it be
We both wanted to be with him.
Just in fun, fight begun
We started fighting over him, but it started playfully.
Before long a web of hate was spun
Our rivalry turned into full-fledged animosity.
She pretended same as me
She acted as if she felt the same way about him as I did.
Oh, but friends again we'd never be
Our friendship would never be the same again.
She told him lies, and I told him lies
Both of us resorted to lying to get him to ourselves.
She schemed and dreamed and told him dirt
She plotted and dreamed up lies to get him to mistrust me.
That I was wrong for him
She convinced him that I was not the right person for him.
I told him all the boys she'd hurt and I would number them
I tried to make him see that she had a history of hurting other guys, and I could provide specific examples.
He was the ray of light that made our hearts live
He was the one who gave meaning to our lives.
But either one of us knew really how to give
Both of us were selfish when it came to him.
So we scandalized and criticized
We spread rumors and talked badly about each other.
And then we learned how to despise
Our hatred grew over time.
Back off
Stop trying to pursue him.
Tried to steal him, tried to steal him
She attempted to take him away from me.
Runnin' behind my back
She was being deceptive and sneaky.
Tried to show him where it was at
She tried to persuade him that she was the better choice.
No, no I won't take second place
I'm not willing to be the second choice.
No, no tell him to his face
I'm going to be honest with him directly.
We were friends for so, so, so long
We were close for a very long time.
Messed around, now he's gone gone gone gone
We let our rivalry ruin our friendship, and now he's out of the picture.
I wasn't alive, a love that's satisfied
I wasn't fulfilled by the love that we had.
It wasn't fair, the love I couldn't share
I couldn't share my love for him because of our feud.
No one, no one
Nobody comes out on top.
She lied, I lied, we lied
Both of us used deceit to try to win him over.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NICKOLAS ASHFORD, VALERIE SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Abbott
Can't mistake the tones of the legendary Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson ❤️🙏
Michael Carroll
Classic Ashford & Simpson!
Richard Sanchez
Just love this song, Ms. Ross doesn't get the credit she deserves for her contributions to Disco, Try to steal him, try to steal him right before my eyes
yomac100
Diana started her own women's rights , LGBT communities , first black girl to star in 3 blockbuster movies , plays , modeling . She's worked with so many greats :
Ashford and Simpson , Marvin Gaye , and countless others who share the stage with her ........
Enrique Alejandro Martinez
Excelente melodía, sofisticada con mucha clase lo que en esta nueva generación musical no conocen, por siempre la diva Diana Ross
Tammy Toon
OH YES DIANA ROCKS THE SPOT THAT'S WHY SHE IS THE BOSS A TRUE ICON!
rosewrites
When music had a good beat, made sense and had a lot of class. Thanks to Diana 'Boss' Ross.
Sabrina Rogers
True meaning of the word diva !!! So talented she is so sexy in a diva way !!!!! Long live the Boss , Diana Ross
Redd Blitz
This album and the classic DIANA were imo Ross's best solo outputs for the label. She had a few triumphs after leaving Motown for RCA, but for the most, those years, imo, were disastrous.
Charles Grayson
A great medley of two great songs.