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.
When Will I Come Home To You
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A face you used to see
Not the same song that I used to be
I had their words passing through me
But I just can't find the rhymes
I've been every place but right so many times
[Chorus]
Whenever you want me to
It's a cold and lonely world
When you're not loving me
Your world is my only one
I'm back where I started from
There's no place that I would rather be
Remember me
The girl who thought that she
Could get lost in unreality
I've been around up and down
I've never missed a single rhyme
I've been everything there is but satisfied
[Chorus: x2]
When will I come home to you
Whenever you want me to
It's a cold and lonely world
When you're not loving me
Your world is my only one
I'm back where I started from
The lyrics of Diana Ross's "When Will I Come Home To You" reflect the emotions of someone who is lost and seeking direction. The opening lines "remember me, a face you used to see" introduce the idea that the singer has changed and is no longer the same person that their loved one remembers. The following line "not the same song that I used to be" reinforces this idea and implies that the singer feels out of place and disconnected from their own identity.
The next lines of the verse reveal that the singer has been struggling with finding their purpose and voice in the world. They have heard the words of others, but have not been able to find the rhymes that fit their own story. The line "I've been every place but right so many times" further emphasizes the disconnect between the singer and their surroundings. The chorus repeats the phrase "When will I come home to you" which can be interpreted as the singer longing to find their way back to their true self and the love and acceptance of their loved one. The suggestion that "It's a cold and lonely world when you're not loving me" reinforces the idea that the singer is struggling to find their place in the world and feels disconnected from others. The final line of the chorus "Your world is my only one, I'm back where I started from" brings the song back to the idea that the singer longs to find their way back home, with their loved one and their true self.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember me
Don't forget about me
A face you used to see
I hope you still remember what I look like
Not the same song that I used to be
I am not who I used to be in the past
I had their words passing through me
I was influenced by others' opinions
But I just can't find the rhymes
I am struggling to express myself
I've been every place but right so many times
I have been to many different places, but I still feel lost
When will I come home to you
I wonder when I will be able to return to you
Whenever you want me to
I am willing to come back whenever you ask me to
It's a cold and lonely world
The world can be a lonely and harsh place without love
When you're not loving me
I feel alone when I am not with you
Your world is my only one
You are the center of my world
I'm back where I started from
I feel like I have returned to my starting point
There's no place that I would rather be
I want to be with you more than anything else
The girl who thought that she
I used to think that I
Could get lost in unreality
Could escape reality
I've been around up and down
I have been everywhere
I've never missed a single rhyme
I have always been able to find my rhythm
I've been everything there is but satisfied
I have experienced everything, but I'm still not content
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AL RUZICKA, KATHY WAKEFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind