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 Loved You
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time and again
I would try to say
All I'd want you to know
If I loved you
Words wouldn't come
In an easy way
Round in circles I'd go
Longing to tell you
But afraid and shy
Id let my golden chances
Pass me by
Soon you'd leave me,
Off you would go
In the mist of day,
Never never to know
How I loved you
If I loved you
The lyrics of Dinah Washington’s song, Make Believe Dreams, speaks of a love that remains unspoken. The opening lines suggest that the singer has deep feelings for the person addressed, but cannot seem to find the right words to express them. Throughout the song, the singer expresses their fear of rejection and the possibility of losing the person they love if they open up to them.
The second verse of the song further asserts the singer’s fear of rejection, as they admit to shying away from “golden chances” in the past. There is a lingering sadness to the lyrics as the singer imagines the person they love leaving them forever, without ever knowing how much they were loved.
The song is a poignant reminder that sometimes the fear of vulnerability and rejection can get in the way of expressing love. It is an exploration of the emotional turmoil and unspoken thoughts that can come with unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
If I loved you
The singer is expressing a conditional statement that if they loved the person, they would act differently.
Time and again
The singer implies that they have thought about loving the person repeatedly.
I would try to say
The singer is acknowledging that conveying their emotions would be a challenge.
All I'd want you to know
The artist emphasizes that their goal is to reveal their true intentions to the person they love.
Words wouldn't come
The artist acknowledges that they might struggle to find the right words to convey their emotions.
In an easy way
The singer implies that expressing their emotions may require more than just words.
Round in circles I'd go
The singer acknowledges that expressing their emotions may not be an easy feat.
Longing to tell you
The artist implies that they have been hiding their emotions for some time.
But afraid and shy
The artist is acknowledging that they are scared of revealing their emotions to the person they love.
Id let my golden chances
The artist implies that they have missed previous opportunities to reveal their emotions.
Pass me by
The singer laments the regrets they have because of missed chances to express their emotions.
Soon you'd leave me,
The artist doesn't feel confident that the person they love will stick around much longer.
Off you would go
The singer implies that the person they love might leave them without ever knowing their true emotions.
In the mist of day,
The singer implies that the sudden loss of the person they love might be hard to fathom.
Never never to know
The singer laments that the person they love might never understand or reciprocate their feelings.
How I loved you
The artist reveals that their true emotions are hidden and unexpressed.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mgretche
Bless Dinah and her her matchless voice.........
Susan Crowe
Love you Dinah
Ralph Lauro
like to hear 1950 version
Jade Quest
Love it, but it's not the 1950 recording. This is the later recording, either 1961, or 62. I would like to hear the 1950 recording.
RoundMidnightTV
Paul Charvert You are correct! I've made the changes, thank you very much!
Robert Puglia
her voice on the '50 version is sublime. i prefer the orchestration of this version. she tells it as much as sings it. love it all, especially her later version of "if it's the last thing i do". i mean, wow.
Phillip Payne
Dinah absolutely beautiful here.
Q has the orchestra doing it !
Robert Puglia
way swanky