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.
Overjoyed
Diana Ross Lyrics
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My castle of love
Just for two, though you never
Knew you were my reason
I've gone much too far for you
Now to say
That I've got to throw my
Castle away
Over dreams, I have picked out
A perfect come true
Though you never knew it was
Of you I've been dreaming
The sandman has come from
Too far away
For you to say come back some
Other day
And though you don't believe
That they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you
Would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over loved, over me
Over hearts, I have painfully
Turned every stone
Just to find, I had found what
I've searched to discover
I've come much too far for me
Now to find
The love that I sought can never
Be mine
And though you don't believe
That they do
They do come true
For did my dreams
Come true when I looked at you
And maybe too, if you
Would believe
You too might be
Overjoyed, over loved, over me
And though the odds
Say improbable
What do they know
For in romance
All true love needs is a chance
And maybe with a chance you
Will find
You too like I
Overjoyed, over loved, over
You, over you
In "Overjoyed," Diana Ross sings about the painful experience of loving someone who does not feel the same. The lyrics are a reflection of a love that she has built up over time, creating a "castle of love" just for two. Though the person she loves is unaware of her feelings for them, she has gone too far in building up her hopes and dreams for them to simply give up now. The chorus speaks to the power of believing in dreams, and how they can come true if you keep the faith. Despite the heartbreak and disappointment, the singer encourages the object of her affections to hold onto hope and give true love a chance.
The metaphor of the castle is a powerful symbol throughout the song, representing the love that the singer has built up inside herself. The castle is her heart, filled with dreams and hopes for a happy relationship with the person she loves. However, in the end, she must accept that her castle cannot stand without a foundation of mutual love and respect. The sandman, who is said to have come "from too far away," is a poetic way of describing the passage of time, and how the singer's dreams have been unable to come true.
All in all, "Overjoyed" is a bittersweet reflection on the power of hope and love. Though the singer's dreams may never come true, she remains optimistic about the possibility of finding true love and encouraging others to do the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Over time, I've been building
I have spent a long time working on something
My castle of love
My idea of a perfect relationship
Just for two, though you never
I had you in mind even though you were unaware
Knew you were my reason
You were my motivation for building this castle of love
I've gone much too far for you
I have invested a lot in this relationship for you
Now to say
It is difficult for me to admit
That I've got to throw my
I have to let go of
Castle away
My idea of a perfect relationship is no longer possible with you
Over dreams, I have picked out
I have carefully chosen my aspirations
A perfect come true
A dream that can actually happen
Though you never knew it was
You were not aware that my dream was related to you
Of you I've been dreaming
You were the focus of my dream
The sandman has come from
I have been waiting for this dream to come true
Too far away
It seemed like the dream was never going to happen
For you to say come back some
It was not a situation I could control and wait for you to be ready for
Other day
At another time in the future
And though you don't believe
You do not have faith
That they do
That dreams can come true
They do come true
Dreams can come true
For did my dreams
My dreams
Come true when I looked at you
Came true because of you
And maybe too, if you
Perhaps also, if you
Would believe
Had faith
You too might be
You could also be
Overjoyed, over loved, over me
Very happy and in love with me
Over hearts, I have painfully
I have gone through much difficulty
Turned every stone
Explored every possibility
Just to find, I had found what
Only to realize that I found what
I've searched to discover
I was searching for
I've come much too far for me
I have invested a lot in this relationship for myself
Now to find
It is a disappointment to realize
The love that I sought can never
That I cannot have the love I was seeking
Be mine
Become my reality
And though the odds
Even though it is unlikely
Say improbable
To suggest it is impossible
What do they know
I am not willing to believe their prediction
For in romance
As far as love is concerned
All true love needs is a chance
It only takes a single opportunity for true love to flourish
And maybe with a chance you
Perhaps, if you had a chance
Will find
You could discover
You too like I
You would also
Overjoyed, over loved, over
Very happy, in love
You, over you
With you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVIE WONDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind