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.
Love Letters
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The night may be moonless.
But deep in my heart,
I know that you love me,
You love me, because you told me so.
Love letters straight from your heart
Keep us so near while we're apart.
When I can have all the love you write.
I memorize every line,
I kiss the name that you sign.
And darling, then I read again
Right from the start,
Love letters straight from your heart.
I memorize every line,
I kiss the name that you sign.
And darling, then I read again
Right from the start,
Love letters straight from your heart.
In Love Letters by Dinah Washington, the singer describes the power of words to overcome obstacles in a relationship. The song starts with an acknowledgement of the darkness of the night, without any stars or moon to light up the sky. This can metaphorically represent a period of separation in a relationship where communication is limited. However, the singer has faith and trust in their partner's love because they have explicitly expressed it to them before. Knowing that their partner loves them, even if they can’t physically be together, provides comfort and reassurance.
The chorus emphasizes the theme of the power of words, in the form of love letters. Love letters become a way to bridge the distance and remind the singer of their love even when they are not together. The singer takes in every detail of the letters, memorizes every line, and kisses the name of the person who wrote it. The repetition of “straight from your heart” reinforces the idea that the words are genuine and sincere. The last line, “Right from the start, love letters straight from your heart,” emphasizes the importance and significance of the written words in the relationship.
Overall, Love Letters is a powerful ode to the importance of communication and the power of love in a relationship. Through the metaphor of the night sky and the repeated emphasis on the words from the heart, Dinah Washington brings to light the significance of thoughtful, personal communication in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky may be starless,
Even though the sky may seem empty without stars
The night may be moonless.
And even if the night is dark without the moon's light,
But deep in my heart,
My heart tells me that
I know that you love me,
You love me;
You love me, because you told me so.
You've already told me that you love me.
Love letters straight from your heart
Your love letters,
Keep us so near while we're apart.
Make me feel close to you when we're apart.
I'm not alone in the night
I don't feel alone at night
When I can have all the love you write.
Because I have all the love you express in your letters.
I memorize every line,
I remember every word,
I kiss the name that you sign.
I kiss your name when you sign off on the letter.
And darling, then I read again
And darling, I read them again
Right from the start,
From the very beginning,
Love letters straight from your heart.
These love letters straight from your heart.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WAYNE HECTOR, PETER LORD, PETER MORELAND, VERNON SMITH, V JEFFREY SMITH, ALISTAIR TENNANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind