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.
I Do
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love you, yes I do
I'm yours my whole life through
Since I first laid eyes on you
You love me, yes you do
You need me, I need you
I'm yours my whole life through
I guess you knew it from the start
From the day you took my heart
You're the one girl, always, and mine
Darling you're my guiding star
I must be forever where you are
You set my world on fire
I love you, yes I do
I need you, yes I do
I'm yours my whole life through
Since I first laid eyes on you
I know you know it's true
I love you, yes I do
I love you, yes I do
The lyrics to Dinah Washington's "I Love You Yes I Do" are a straightforward expression of love and devotion. In the first stanza, the singer proclaims their love for their partner and their commitment to them for life, referencing the moment they first laid eyes on each other. The second stanza repeats this sentiment, but from the point of view of the partner, acknowledging their reciprocity of love and need for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you, yes I do
I truly love you and my feelings are sincere
I'm yours my whole life through
I belong to you forever
Since I first laid eyes on you
My love for you began the moment I saw you
You love me, yes you do
Your love for me is real
You need me, I need you
We depend on each other and our love is mutual
I guess you knew it from the start
Perhaps you sensed my feelings for you from the beginning
From the day you took my heart
You captured my heart from the first day we met
You're the one girl, always, and mine
You are the only one for me, always and forever
Darling you're my guiding star
You are the light that leads me in life
I must be forever where you are
I want to spend the rest of my life with you
You set my world on fire
You bring passion and excitement into my life
I know you know it's true
I am aware that you believe in the sincerity of my love
I love you, yes I do
My love for you is genuine and unwavering
Lyrics Š BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sol Marcus, Guy B. Wood, Edward Eddie Seiler, Sally Nix, Henry Glover
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blue-lightssssssssssssss
Saucy...senseous...
@ilonafrissina5617
After all these years it is so beautiful. đ it
@kirmaphone9614
Herma I love these songs there are gold
@irwinashby56
I loooove this song. So much omg classic 4ever. This will be my wedding song
@davidrust9930
Greatest duo ever
@paultulloch6042
Pure class.
@williamlinington9166
One word - superb!!
@conradgayle8043
These songs really say everything that means commitment i could just dedicate the song without saying a word and felt it with every beat of my heart..
@claudettebennett962
Sheer musical artistry
@waynelord7177
My dad and mom introduced to to my older siblings and me when I was about 6.
They danced to it so beautifully like their bodies were one. I loved it from that day.
Brook and Dinah also had a few other lovely hits on an album. She was schooling him during one song for being out of sync. It was kept in the song and made it sweeter. Lol