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.
Perdido
Dinah Washington Lyrics
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I lost it way down in Torido
While chancing a dance fiesta
Bolero, he glanced as I danced the Bolero
He said taking off his sombrero: 'Let's meet for a sweet fietsa'
High was the sun when we first came close
Low was the moon when we said adios
Perdido, since then has my heart been perdido
I look for my heart it's perdido
I lost it way down in Torido
He glanced as I danced the Bolero
He smiled as he tipped his sombrero
High was the moon when we first came close
Low was the moon when we said adios
Since then has my heart been perdido
I must go to Torido, that yearning telude
Perdido oeoeoeoe Perdido oeoeoeoe Perdido
The day the fiesta started
Perdido oeoeoeoe Perdido oeoeoeoe Perdido
That's when my heart departed
It's perdido
The lyrics of Dinah Washington's song Perdido describe a woman in search of her heart that she lost in Torido. She reminisces about the time she met a man while dancing the Bolero at a dance fiesta. As they danced, the man glanced at her and eventually asked to meet for a sweet fiesta. They came close as the sun was high, but when they said goodbye, the moon was low. Since then, the woman's heart has been lost, and she knows she must go back to Torido to find it.
The lyrics are rich in symbolism and figurative language. The use of the word "perdido," which means lost or missing in Spanish, resonates with the message of the song about the woman's missing heart. Additionally, the dance fiesta and the Bolero represent the passion and excitement of a new relationship or connection. The rising and setting of the sun and moon also represent the ebb and flow of emotions that come with love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Perdido, I look for my heart it's perdido
Lost in my search, my heart is currently missing
I lost it way down in Torido
My heart was lost in the city of Torido
While chancing a dance fiesta
During a spontaneous dance festival
Bolero, he glanced as I danced the Bolero
As I danced the Bolero, he looked my way
He said taking off his sombrero: 'Let's meet for a sweet fietsa'
He suggested that we should meet up for another dance party
High was the sun when we first came close
During our initial encounter, the sun was shining bright
Low was the moon when we said adios
When we said goodbye, the moon was out
Perdido, since then has my heart been perdido
Ever since that day, my heart has been lost
I know I must go to Torido, that yearning to lose perdido
I feel compelled to return to Torido to try and find my missing heart
He smiled as he tipped his sombrero
With a smile, he lifted his hat in a friendly gesture
The day the fiesta started
The day the party began
That's when my heart departed
That's when I lost my heart
It's perdido
My heart is lost
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JUAN TIZOL, HANS LENGSFELDER, ERVIN DRAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind