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.
It's Magic
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are all really true
When in my heart I know
The magic is my love for you
You sign the song begins
You speak and I hear violins, it's magic
The stars, desert the skies
Without a golden wand or mystic charms
Fantastic things begin when I am in your arms
When we walk hand in hand
The world becomes a wonderland, it's magic
How else can I explain those rainbows
When there ain't no rain, it's magic
Why do I tell me myself
These things that happen are all really true
When in my heart
I know the magic is my love for you
Magic, magic, magic, magic
In the song It's Magic written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, Dinah Washington sings about the incredible, unexplainable feeling of being in love. She questions why she tries to rationalize the extraordinary experiences she has with her lover when she knows in her heart that it's simply the magic of love. The opening lines, "Why do I tell myself these things that happen are all really true?" suggest that she is trying to find logical explanations for things that cannot be explained, such as the feeling of violins playing when her partner speaks. She calls this feeling "magic," acknowledging that it defies rational explanation but is undeniably real.
Throughout the song, Dinah describes the many ways in which her love seems to work magic. When she is with her partner, the stars seem to flock to his eyes, transforming the night sky into a beautiful wonderland. Dinah sings that she doesn't need any mystical tools or charms to create the magic she feels - it all comes from being in his arms. Even the absence of rain doesn't stop the magic of a rainbow from appearing when they are together.
In short, the song It's Magic is an exploration of the unexplainable feeling of being in love. Dinah Washington sings about the many ways in which her love seems to work magic, from the sound of violins when her partner speaks to the appearance of rainbows when there is no rain. The song emphasizes the inexplicable nature of love and suggests that it is a kind of magic that cannot be explained but is undeniably real.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do I tell myself these things that happen
Are all really true
When in my heart I know
The magic is my love for you
Why do I try to convince myself that certain events are factual when deep down inside, I already know that the only magic in my life is my love for you?
You sign the song begins
You speak and I hear violins, it's magic
Every time you begin to sing, it feels like the start of a magical journey. When you speak, I am transported into a world that is music to my ears.
The stars, desert the skies
And rush to nestle in your eyes, it's magic
The stars know that they cannot shine brighter than the light in your eyes. They leave the sky and gravitate towards you to bask in your radiance.
Without a golden wand or mystic charms
Fantastic things begin when I am in your arms
I don't need the powers of magic to feel elated when I'm with you. Your embrace alone is enough to spark an avalanche of wonders in my life.
When we walk hand in hand
The world becomes a wonderland, it's magic
All it takes is for us to hold hands and the mundane world transforms into a world of marvels.
How else can I explain those rainbows
When there ain't no rain, it's magic
I can only attribute the creation of rainbows amidst a dry spell to your magical presence in my life.
Magic, magic, magic, magic
The only word that can fully summarize the essence of our love and bond is magic.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JULE STYNE, SAMMY CAHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
reggieren
You sigh, a song begins,
You speak and I hear violins
It's magic
Well the stars desert the skies
And rush to nestle in your eyes
It's magic
Without a golden wand
Or mystic charms,
Fantastic things begin
When I am in your arms
When we walk hand in hand
The world becomes a wonderland
It's magic
Well, how else can I explain
Those rainbows when there is no rain
It's magic...
Why do I tell myself
These things that happen are all really true
When in my heart I know
The magic is my love for you
bolder2009
The tone of her voice was so unique, and she had impeccable diction. A truely great singer's singer!
postofc
She was a true diva. Without a doubt the very best. I am 76 yrs young and had the great pleasure of seeing and hearing this great singer/artist in person many times. I'm a jazz and blues fan, and it's great that, that era is made available today w/ high tech. Too, too cool.
Jade Zee
i hope you are still here with me tonight enjoying those memories.........
reggieren
You sigh, a song begins,
You speak and I hear violins
It's magic
Well the stars desert the skies
And rush to nestle in your eyes
It's magic
Without a golden wand
Or mystic charms,
Fantastic things begin
When I am in your arms
When we walk hand in hand
The world becomes a wonderland
It's magic
Well, how else can I explain
Those rainbows when there is no rain
It's magic...
Why do I tell myself
These things that happen are all really true
When in my heart I know
The magic is my love for you
Liliana Peron Ekspert
It's magic...:)
Gaia Carney
reggieren ...Thank you for sharing these lyrics!
dbthegroovemaster
+reggieren Simply magic!
catman916
Dinah was one of the best rhythm and blues singers of all time.
Jade Zee
lol..no kidding
KruNosLaV Lucky Star
Absolutely