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.
Never Again
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I lie with you late at night
Your′e alright, and I'm alright
Yeah we′ll both get by
And I love you
More than any man could love you
And I would die for you just to keep you alive
But I will get by, I always get by
Because I′ve been here, year after year
And the blood inside my viens is runnin blue
And I still love you,
Yeah I′ve alwaysed loved you
Yes I do, oh no oh yes I do
But the time is here, to go my seperate ways
Forget the life we've known as no more days
That we will share the nights,
And we will compromise,
Say our last goodbyes and no dont you cry
Because you′re all I will get by
Time will move me, and time will change me
And in my eyes you will always be the same
Never again
The lyrics of Dinah Washington's song Never Again speak of a heartbroken lover who is about to part ways with the person they love deeply. The song starts with the lover lying with their partner in bed, both in the morning and at night. Despite the impending separation, the lover believes they will both "get by" because they love each other. The lover declares their immense love for the partner, saying that they love them more than any man could love them and would die for them to keep them alive. Though the lover admits that they are not okay, they always manage to get by no matter what because they have been in this situation before, year after year.
However, the song proceeds to talk about how the time has come for both to go their separate ways. The life they once knew will be forgotten, and there will be no more nights shared between them. The two must compromise and say their last goodbyes. The singer reassures their partner not to cry, and they will get by because the partner is all they need.
The song is incredibly emotional, and the lyrics are expertly crafted to elicit a feeling of empathy from the listener. Dinah Washington has managed to create a melancholic ambiance that tugs on the heartstrings of anyone who has ever experienced lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I lie with you, early in the morning
I start my day with you, feeling your warmth and love beside me.
And I lie with you late at night
I end my day with you, our souls intertwining in a beautiful way.
Your'e alright, and I'm alright
We've been through ups and downs, but we're still standing and doing fine.
Yeah we'll both get by
Whatever life throws at us, we'll face it together and come out stronger.
And I love you
I want you to know that my love for you runs deep and strong.
More than any man could love you
I cherish you more than anyone else in this world ever could.
And I would die for you just to keep you alive
I'd do anything to protect you and keep you safe, even if it means giving up my life.
No I'm not right, no I'm not right
I'm not perfect, I have my flaws, but my love for you is pure and true.
But I will get by, I always get by
No matter what happens, I will find a way to get through it and come out stronger.
Because I've been here, year after year
Our love has stood the test of time, and I've been with you through thick and thin.
And the blood inside my veins is running blue
My love for you is innate and deep, it's a part of me that's always been there.
And I still love you
My love for you hasn't faded, it's as strong as ever.
Yeah I've always loved you
From the moment I met you, I knew I would love you forever.
Yes I do, oh no oh yes I do
My love for you is beyond words, it's something that can only be felt and experienced.
But the time is here, to go my separate ways
Our paths must diverge now, and we must say our goodbyes.
Forget the life we've known as no more days
We must let go of the past and embrace the unknown future that lies ahead.
That we will share the nights
We won't be able to spend our nights together anymore.
And we will compromise
We must both make sacrifices and compromise to move forward.
Say our last goodbyes and no don't you cry
We must bid farewell with grace and dignity, and not let our emotions get the best of us.
Because you're all I will get by
Even though we must part ways, you will always hold a special place in my heart and give me the strength to carry on.
Time will move me, and time will change me
As time goes on, I will change and grow, but my memories of you will remain unchanged.
And in my eyes you will always be the same
No matter what happens, you will always hold a special place in my heart.
Never again
Our time together may be over, but the memories we've shared will stay with me forever.
Writer(s): Neil Sedaka
Contributed by Jayden E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paul Riofski
Wow, Ron, this is indeed a great recording by Dinah -- it should have been a chart-topper! Fascinating notes about "Never Again" being Neil Sedaka's first composition, which he co-wrote with Eddie Grossman, a Brooklyn-born songwriter who later became Neil's brother-in-law. I went hunting for Neil's version as recorded in 1958, and finally found it on a 2003 CD on the "Original Cast" label entitled "The Brooklyn Demos (1958-1961)." Thanks so much for posting this fantastic, rarely-heard selection!
poprecords4ever
Hi Paul, when you say "rarely-heard selection, you're absolutely right. I've never in my almost 78 years (Oct. 5th LOL.), I have never heard this song played on the radio. One of my favorites from my record collection!
connie
What a FANTASTIC SONG from this iconic singer
poprecords4ever
Connie, it is a "FANTASTIC" song! Dinah is one of the great singers of our time.
Ken Cohen
A talent of this magnitude maybe comes along once in a generation and leaves an indelible mark and a legacy of beautiful music that endures..good bio...thks
poprecords4ever
Hi Kenny, your comment/words are well chosen. What gets me, she was only 39 years old when she died! Who knows what could have been?
Daniel Padilla
Well OK Ron my mom was a huge fan of this lady singing and so I became too what a great vocalist thank you so much for sharing and The Bio what a talent
poprecords4ever
Daniel, your Mom had great taste in music. What's also great is that her son followed in her footsteps!