Ruth Lee Jones (born August 29, 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died December … Read Full Bio ↴Ruth Lee Jones (born August 29, 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died December 14, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan), better known by her stage name Dinah Washington and also as the Queen of the Blues, was an American Grammy award winning jazz singer best known for singing classic torch songs and her hit single What a Diff'rence a Day Makes. Her penetrating voice, excellent timing, and crystal-clear enunciation added her own distinctive style to every piece she undertook. While making extraordinary recordings in jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and light pop contexts, Washington refused to record gospel music despite her obvious talent in singing it, as she believed it wrong to mix the secular and spiritual.

Washington was born Ruth Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As she was growing up in Chicago, she played piano and directed her church choir. Later, she studied in Walter Dyett's renowned music program at DuSable High School. For a while, she split her time between performing in clubs as Dinah Washington while singing and playing piano in Salle Martin's gospel choir as Ruth Jones.

Washington began performing in 1942 and soon joined Lionel Hampton's band. In 1943, she began recording for Keynote Records and released "Evil Gal Blues", her first hit. By 1955, she had released numerous hit songs on the R&B charts, including "Baby, Get Lost", "Trouble in Mind", "You Don't Know What Love Is" (arranged by Quincy Jones), and a cover of "Cold, Cold Heart" by Hank Williams. In 1958 she made a well-received appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.

With "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" 1959, Washington won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance; the song was her biggest hit, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The commercially driven album of the same name, with its heavily reliance on strings and wordless choruses, was slammed by jazz and blues critics as being far too commercial, not keeping with her blues roots. Despite this, the album was a huge success and Washington continued to favor more commercial, pop-oriented songs rather than traditional blues and jazz songs. She also dealt in torch songs; her rendition of The Platters' "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" was well-regarded.

She was married seven times, and divorced six times while having several lovers, including Quincy Jones, her young arranger. She was known to be imperious and demanding in real life, but audiences loved her. In London she once declared, "...there is only one heaven, one earth and one queen...Queen Elizabeth is an impostor", but the crowd loved it.

Dinah Washington died from an accidental overdose of diet pills and alcohol at the age of 39 in 1963.

Blue Skies
Dinah Washington Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Blue skies smilin' at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singin' a song
Nothin' but bluebirds all day long

Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
Never saw things goin' so right
Noticing the days hurrying by

When you're in love, my, how they fly

Blue days, all of them gone
Nothin' but blue skies from now on
Blue skies smilin' at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see

Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
Never saw things goin' so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my, how they fly

Blue days, all of them gone
Nothin' but blue skies from now on

Overall Meaning

In Dinah Washington's song "Blue Skies," the singer expresses joy and elation after finding love. She sees the world around her through the lens of love and optimism. The opening lines "Blue skies smilin' at me, nothin' but blue skies do I see" suggest that the singer is in a positive state of mind and is hopeful for a bright future ahead.

The reference to bluebirds singing all day long adds to the theme of hope and positivity. The phrase "never saw things goin' so right" highlights the contrast between the singer's past and present state of mind. The lyrics suggest that she used to experience "blue days" or melancholy, but now everything has changed, and she only sees blue skies from now on.

The reference to time flying by is contemplative, suggesting that the singer is enjoying the present moment and not taking love for granted. The repetition of the last stanza reinforces the idea that the singer's newfound love is a source of happiness and is the reason for seeing "nothin' but blue skies."

Line by Line Meaning

Blue skies smilin' at me
Dinah Washington is observing the serene beauty of blue skies that seem to be welcoming her with a smile

Nothin' but blue skies do I see
She feels a sense of joy and contentment, which is making her see nothing but blue skies everywhere

Bluebirds singin' a song
Dinah Washington notices the chirping of bluebirds who seem to be singing a tune just for her

Nothin' but bluebirds all day long
She feels like she's surrounded by never-ending happiness, just like the bluebirds that keep singing all day long

Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
Dinah Washington reflects on how she has never seen the sun shining so bright before, which is a testament to her newfound happiness

Never saw things goin' so right
She is experiencing a life where everything seems to be going perfectly for her, and never anticipated things to go so well

Noticing the days hurrying by
She is so in love that she has started noticing the fast-paced nature of life where days seem to be flying by quickly

When you're in love, my, how they fly
Dinah Washington is expressing the common experience of time flying by quickly when you're in love and content with life

Blue days, all of them gone
Her days of feeling blue and unhappy are now gone, and she is only experiencing happiness and joy

Nothin' but blue skies from now on
She is looking forward to a life filled with happiness and contentment, where she will only see blue skies and experience joy

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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