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.
Manhattan
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Bronx and Staten
Island too.
It's lovely going through
The zoo!
It's very fancy
On old Delancy
The subway charms us so
When balmy breezes blow
To and fro.
And tell me what street
Compares with Mott Street
In July?
Sweet pushcarts gently gliding by.
The great big city's a wondrous toy
Just made for a girl and boy.
We'll turn Manhattan
Into an isle of joy!
We'll go to Yonkers
Where true love conquers
In the whiles
And starve together dear, in Chiles
We'll go to Coney
And eat baloney on a roll
In Central Park we'll stroll
Where our first kiss we stole
Soul to soul
And for some high fair we'll go to "My Fair Lady"
We'll hope it closes someday
The city's glamor can never spoil
The dreams of a boy and goil
We'll turn Manhattan
Into an isle of joy!
The city's bustle cannot destroy
The dreams of a girl and boy
We'll turn Manhattan
Into an isle of joy.
Dinah Washington's "Manhattan" is a playful celebration of New York City that highlights the joy and wonder of its sites and sounds. The song opens with an affirmation that they will "have Manhattan," including the Bronx, Staten Island, and more. The song proceeds to elaborate on the joys of different neighborhoods, mentioning Delancy Street and the subway that "charms us so" when the "balmy breezes blow to and fro."
One of the most vivid images in the song is the mention of Mott Street in July and the "sweet pushcarts" that glide by. This reference conjures up images of the city in the summertime, with its bustling streets and the sounds of vendors selling their wares. Washington takes the listener on a journey through the city, mentioning visits to Yonkers and Coney Island, eating baloney on a roll, and even making a reference to "My Fair Lady."
The song concludes with the affirmation that the dreams of a girl and boy cannot be destroyed by the city's bustle. Instead, they will turn Manhattan into an "isle of joy," perpetuating the idea that the city is a place that can bring happiness and wonder to its inhabitants.
Line by Line Meaning
We'll have Manhattan
The Bronx and Staten
Island too.
We will explore the breadth and depth of New York City, from Manhattan to the outer boroughs.
It's lovely going through
The zoo!
Even the zoo, with all its wild animals, is a pleasant destination in the company of a loved one.
It's very fancy
On old Delancy
Street you know.
The sophistication of the Lower East Side, where one can find the famous Delancey Street, is impressive.
The subway charms us so
When balmy breezes blow
To and fro.
The subway can be delightful on a pleasant day, when the breeze blows in from the open windows.
And tell me what street
Compares with Mott Street
In July?
In the heat of summer, there's nothing better than strolling down Mott Street and experiencing the sights and sounds of Chinatown.
Sweet pushcarts gently gliding by.
The street vendors selling their wares from pushcarts add to the charm of New York City.
The great big city's a wondrous toy
Just made for a girl and boy.
The city is both fascinating and exciting, providing endless opportunities for adventure and exploration for all ages.
We'll go to Yonkers
Where true love conquers
In the whiles
And starve together dear, in Chiles.
We'll venture out to Yonkers, where we'll find that love can conquer all challenges, even those posed by the Italian restaurant Chiles.
We'll go to Coney
And eat baloney on a roll
In Central Park we'll stroll
Where our first kiss we stole
Soul to soul.
We'll have a day of simple pleasures at Coney Island, including a baloney sandwich, and then take a romantic walk through Central Park, remembering the place where we first kissed.
And for some high fair we'll go to "My Fair Lady"
We'll hope it closes someday
We'll enjoy the theater production of "My Fair Lady," but secretly hope that it will end quickly so that we can continue exploring the city.
The city's glamor can never spoil
The dreams of a boy and goil
We'll turn Manhattan
Into an isle of joy!
Despite the city's opulence, the dreams of a boy and girl will remain untouched and they'll continue to find joy in every corner of Manhattan.
The city's bustle cannot destroy
The dreams of a girl and boy
We'll turn Manhattan
Into an isle of joy.
No matter how busy and overwhelming the city may be, we'll never let it ruin our sense of wonder and excitement - we'll always turn to each other to find joy in Manhattan.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roberto Cesar
Belíssima canção e impecável interpretação de Dinah Washington. Retrata profundamente Manhattan...
Roberto Cesar
@Gilda Pinheiro Gilda, boa noite!
Sou suspeito ao falar de NY, pois acho uma cidade fabulosa, principalmente as opções culturais.
Acredito, que SP está muito distante de NY em vários aspectos.
Conheço SP muito bem, pois morei lá durante 12 anos. Hoje resido no Rio de Janeiro.
No Brasil, a desigualdade social é muito grande, principalmente nas grandes cidades.
Abraços, e quando tiver oportunidade conheça NY, é uma experiência fabulosa.
Gilda Pinheiro
Não fala assim. Sou louca para conhecer Nova York. Dizem que é uma São Paulo melhorada.
Fajardo - Fine Arts
Interpretação magnífica, sublime, de extremo bom gosto, que faz a gente sonhar com com o lado A da vida, pois, o lado B, acho que já estamos nele mergulhados.
Antônio Ribeiro
Ela é otima. Para esta canção ninguém melhor que ela
romaiars maia
Maravilhosa voz, som delicioso,interpretação mágica
Vivi G
Que voz espetacular desta Diva, que bom que cantoras como ela EXISTIRAM .........estou maravilhada!!!
Reginaldo Guedes Guedes
É, sem dúvida alguma, uma cidade maravilhosa em termos de movimentação: a noite se confunde com o dia e vice-versa! Fiquei, realmente, encantado!
Sylvia Ribeiro
Simplesmente FENOMENAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! obrigada por postar. Sylvia.
Sam Allen
I had been listening to Nancy Wilson a lot & saw the movie "The Tempest". They played this version of "Manhattan" at the end of the movie & I was blown away. Needless to say Dinah must have been one of Nancy's biggest influences. I love Jazz singers who don't do all of the bebop scatting kind of stuff. Ella being the exception to that!