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.
What A Difference A Day Makes
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Twenty four little hours
From the sun and the flowers
Where there use to be rain.
My yesterday was blue dear
Today I'm a part of you dear.
My lonely nights are through dear
Since you said you were mine.
What a difference a day makes
There's a rainbow before me.
Skies now blues once were stormy
Just before I missed that thrilling.
And don't know when you
Find romance on your menu
What a difference a day makes.
And that difference is you
The lyrics to Diana Ross's song, entitled "What A Difference A Day Makes," suggests how much someone or something can change one's life in such a short time. The first verse, "What a difference a day makes, twenty four little hours," highlights the rapid transformation that occurred since the person entered their life. The singer contrasts their previous state of sadness (“my yesterday was blue dear”) with the joy in their present situation (“today, I’m a part of you dear”) due to the love of their partner. They remark how formerly daunting challenges are now a thing of the past, that the “skies now blue once were stormy.”
" What A Difference A Day Makes" encourages hope and optimism about romantic relationships. The singer speaks of “romance on your menu,” which is a delightful image. In this line, the message is that opening oneself up to new romantic experiences can have life-changing ramifications. One day can alter everything. It's a reminder that love can come when it is least anticipated, and after a day or two, it can transform one's life. The final line of the song is, "And that difference is you," summing up how the singer's love interest has impacted their life positively.
Line by Line Meaning
What a difference a day makes
Reflecting on the stark contrast between two successive days of her life.
Twenty four little hours
Highlighting the short duration of time that brought this change.
From the sun and the flowers
Contrasting the current happy surroundings with the previous gloomy ones.
Where there use to be rain.
Noting the precipitation and dreariness of her former life.
My yesterday was blue dear
Reiterating the sadness present in her previous existence.
Today I'm a part of you dear.
Acknowledging that her current joy and contentment lie in her relationship with her dear one.
My lonely nights are through dear
Affirming that being with her loved one has resolved her feelings of loneliness and longing.
Since you said you were mine.
Attributing her newfound happiness to the moment when her loved one declared their fondness for her.
There's a rainbow before me.
Expressing her optimistic outlook on the future due to the presence of her loved one in her life.
Skies now blues once were stormy
Highlighting how the same things that used to evoke sadness in her life now bring her joy.
Just before I missed that thrilling.
Regretting that she had missed out on the possibility of love and joy before encountering her current loved one.
And don't know when you
Acknowledging her ignorance of the timing or the existence of the possibility of love before this point.
Find romance on your menu
Suggesting that she did not previously prioritize romance in her life, and that it was not an active consideration until she encountered her loved one.
What a difference a day makes.
Concluding that a single day has the power to completely transform one's life.
And that difference is you
Attributing the positive change in her life to the presence of her loved one.
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARIA GREVER, STANLEY ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind