Ruth Lee Jones (born August 29, 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died December … Read Full Bio ↴Ruth Lee Jones (born August 29, 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died December 14, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan), better known by her stage name Dinah Washington and also as the Queen of the Blues, was an American Grammy award winning jazz singer best known for singing classic torch songs and her hit single What a Diff'rence a Day Makes. Her penetrating voice, excellent timing, and crystal-clear enunciation added her own distinctive style to every piece she undertook. While making extraordinary recordings in jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and light pop contexts, Washington refused to record gospel music despite her obvious talent in singing it, as she believed it wrong to mix the secular and spiritual.

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 is Here to Stay
Dinah Washington Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's very clear, our love is here to stay
Not for a year but ever and a day
The radio and the telephone, the crazy movies that we know
Might just be passing fancies and in time may go

But oh, my dear, our love is here to stay
Together we're going, we're going a long, long way
In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble

They're only made of clay

But our love is here to stay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dinah Washington's song "Our Love Is Here to Stay" emphasize the enduring nature of true love. The first two lines of the opening verse state, "It's very clear, our love is here to stay, Not for a year but ever and a day." These lyrics convey how the love that the singer and her partner share is not a mere infatuation or a temporary emotional high that will eventually fade, but rather, an unwavering and solid bond that will withstand the test of time.

In the second verse, the singer acknowledges the transitory nature of many aspects of life by singing, "The radio and the telephone, the crazy movies that we know, Might just be passing fancies and in time may go." These lyrics suggest that while many of our possessions or interests may come and go, the love shared by the couple is something that will remain constant. The chorus further emphasizes the idea that their love is unbreakable, as it states, "But oh, my dear, our love is here to stay, Together we're going, we're going a long, long way. In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble, They're only made of clay. But our love is here to stay."

Overall, the lyrics of "Our Love Is Here to Stay" convey the idea that genuine love can withstand the test of time, even as other things in our lives may change or fade away. The message of the song is comforting and reassuring, as it celebrates the stability and unbreakable nature of true love.

Line by Line Meaning

It's very clear, our love is here to stay
It is evident that our love will last.

Not for a year but ever and a day
Our love is not just temporary, but forever.

The radio and the telephone, the crazy movies that we know
The entertainment we enjoy may be passing fads.

Might just be passing fancies and in time may go
The things we enjoy now may not last forever.

But oh, my dear, our love is here to stay
Despite changes in the world, our love will last.

Together we're going, we're going a long, long way
Our journey through life is a long one, but we'll face it together.

In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble
Even the most stable things may change over time.

They're only made of clay
Even the strongest things are ultimately temporary.

But our love is here to stay
Our love is strong enough to overcome any obstacle.

Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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