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 Just Couldn't Stand It No More
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything I could to satisfy him...
When I won't lookin
When I won't Lookin...
Some no good woman came and took him!
I had to cry... cause I just couldn't stand it no more!
I seen them walkin
I seen them walkin...
Holding hands and a talking!
I seen them kissing...
Yes, they was kissing!
Then I knew just what I would be missin!
I had to cry... cause I just couldn't stand it no more!
Well I'm standing... and crying
Just thinking and crying...
Watching the man that use to be mine... oh yes!
My heart is aching, My heart is aching,
He don't know how much it is a breaking
I need somebody, yes I need someboyd
to take my love and help me to forget him...
I had to cry, Lord, I just couldn't stand it no more!
Well I'm standing... and crying
Just thinking and crying...
Watching the man that use to be mine... oh yes!
finish out ...with,
I just couldn't stand it no more
I just couldn't stand it no more
I just couldn't stand it no more
The lyrics of "I Just Couldn't Stand It No More" by Dinah Washington describe the pain and heartbreak of a woman who has been betrayed by her lover. She is devastated when she discovers that another woman has stolen her man, after she had been doing everything she could to make him happy. The lyrics capture the range of emotions she experiences upon seeing them together - from shock, to sadness, to anger. As she watches them walk and talk, and then kiss, she realizes what she will be missing and can no longer contain her tears.
The repeated line "I just couldn't stand it no more" serves as a powerful refrain, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of her emotions. The lyrics communicate the feeling of a woman who has been hurt and is struggling to cope with the loss of the man she loved. The song expresses a timeless theme - the pain of unrequited love - in a way that still resonates with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was trying... When I was trying...
I was doing everything I could to make him happy.
When I won't lookin
When I wasn't looking...
Some no good woman came and took him!
Another woman came and took him away from me!
I had to cry... cause I just couldn't stand it no more!
I couldn't handle the pain anymore, so I cried.
I seen them walkin
I saw them walking...
Holding hands and a talking!
They were holding hands and talking...
I seen them kissing...
I saw them kissing...
Yes, they was kissing!
They were definitely kissing...
Then I knew just what I would be missin!
It hit me that I was missing out on him and our relationship.
I had to cry... cause I just couldn't stand it no more!
Again, I cried because I couldn't handle the pain anymore.
Well I'm standing... and crying
I'm standing there, crying...
Just thinking and crying...
All I can do is think and cry...
Watching the man that use to be mine... oh yes!
I'm watching the man who used to be mine...
My heart is aching, My heart is aching,
My heart is hurting...
He don't know how much it is a breaking
He doesn't know how much he's hurting me.
I need somebody, yes I need somebody
I need someone...
to take my love and help me to forget him...
Someone to help me move on from him...
I just couldn't stand it no more
I reached a breaking point and couldn't handle it anymore.
I just couldn't stand it no more
Reiterating that I couldn't handle it anymore.
I just couldn't stand it no more
Again, emphasizing that I couldn't handle it anymore.
Writer(s): LEROY KIRKLAND, MAMIE THOMAS
Contributed by Christian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.