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.

New Blowtop Blues
Dinah Washington Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got bad news baby, and you're the first to know
Yes I've got bad news baby, and you're the first to know
Well I discovered this morning that my wig is about to blow

Well I've been rocking on my feet and I've been talking all out of my head
Yes I've been rocking on my feet and I've been talking all out of my head
And when I get through talking, I can't remember a thing I've said

Now I used to be a sharpie
All dressed in the latest styles
But now I'm walking down Broadway
Wearing nothing but a smile
I see all kinds of little men
Although they're never there
I tried to push a subway train
And poured whiskey in my hair
I'm a gal who blew a fuse, I've got those blowtop blues

Last night I was five feet tall, today I'm eight feet ten
Every time I fall downstairs, I float right up again
When someone turned the lights on me it like to drove me blind
I woke up this morning in Bellevue but I've left my mind behind
I'm a gal you can't excuse, 'cause I've got those blowtop blues

Well I got high last night, and I took my man to his wife's front door

Yes I got juiced last night and I took my man to his wife's front door
Oh but she was a forty-five-packin' mama, and I ain't goin' to try that no more

Overall Meaning

In Dinah Washington's song "New Blowtop Blues," she sings about the aftermath of a wild night of drug use. The lyrics depict her realization that her wig is about to blow, suggesting that the drugs have caused her to lose control and that she may experience a mental breakdown. This is further emphasized in lyrics such as "I'm a gal who blew a fuse, I've got those blowtop blues" and "I'm a gal you can't excuse, 'cause I've got those blowtop blues." The song also touches on her experiences of hallucinations, delusions of grandeur, and memory loss.

Washington's use of metaphor paints a vivid picture of the effects of drug use. She mentions feeling taller than usual, falling downstairs and floating back up, and seeing little men that are never there. These metaphors convey the sense of disorientation and detachment from reality that can come with drug use. Additionally, she mentions pouring whiskey in her hair, emphasizing that she is not in control of her actions and that the drug use has taken over.

Overall, "New Blowtop Blues" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug use and its potential consequences. Dinah Washington's powerful voice and emotive performance add to the intensity of the lyrics, driving home the importance of avoiding harmful substances.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got bad news baby, and you're the first to know
I have some bad news to share with you and you are the first one to know about it.

Well I discovered this morning that my wig is about to blow
This morning I realized that I'm on the verge of losing my temper and getting very angry.

And when I get through talking, I can't remember a thing I've said
After I finish talking, I can't recall anything that I've said or the words I've spoken.

Now I used to be a sharpie, all dressed in the latest styles
I used to be fashionable and stylish, always wearing the latest clothing trends.

But now I'm walking down Broadway wearing nothing but a smile
Nowadays, I'm walking around in the street with nothing but a smile on my face, having lost everything that I used to take pride in.

I'm a gal who blew a fuse, I've got those blowtop blues
I'm a woman who is easily angered and upset, and I'm suffering from the blues or sadness because of it.

Last night I was five feet tall, today I'm eight feet ten
Yesterday, I was feeling low and small, but today I'm elated and feel like a giant.

Every time I fall downstairs, I float right up again
Whenever I fall down the stairs, I seem to float back up, as if nothing had happened.

I woke up this morning in Bellevue but I've left my mind behind
I woke up this morning in a psychiatric hospital called Bellevue because I lost my mind or sanity.

I'm a gal you can't excuse, 'cause I've got those blowtop blues
My behavior and mood are so unpredictable that you can't make excuses for me. I'm simply suffering from the blowtop blues.

Oh but she was a forty-five-packin' mama, and I ain't goin' to try that no more
I got high last night and took my man to his wife's front door but she was heavily armed, and I don't want to risk trying that again in the future.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.,
Written by: Jane Feather, Leonard Feather

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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