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.
There Goes My Heart
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There goes the girl I wasn't worthy of
There goes my happiness, it couldn't be
There goes somebody else in place of me
Goodbye romance, it couldn't last somehow
I had my chance but it's all over now
I never thought that she could pass me by
I never thought that she could pass me by
There goes my heart and here am I
The lyrics of Dinah Washington & Nat Goodman's song There Goes My Heart is an emotional and poignant tale of lost love. It is about the lament of a man whose heart has been broken by a woman he loves deeply. The song begins with an acceptance of the reality that the one he loves is leaving and that he wasn't worthy of her love. He had hoped that their love would last forever, but now he realizes that his happiness is being replaced by somebody else who is more deserving of her love.
The chorus, "There goes my heart, there goes the one I love," is a gut-wrenching expression of his pain as he watches his love walk away from him, feeling unworthy of her. He recognizes that he had his chance but now it's all over, and he can't do anything to save their relationship. He never thought that she could pass him by and find someone else, leaving him behind with a broken heart.
The final lines, "There goes my heart and here am I," are a haunting reminder of his loneliness and sadness. The lyrics reveal the depth of his heartbreak, and the song is a reminder that love and loss are a part of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
There goes my heart, there goes the one I love
My heart is going away with the person I love
There goes the girl I wasn't worthy of
The girl I loved is leaving me because I didn't deserve her
There goes my happiness, it couldn't be
My happiness is leaving with the person I love and I can't retain it
There goes somebody else in place of me
Someone else has taken my place in her heart
Goodbye romance, it couldn't last somehow
The romantic relationship couldn't last, and we have to part ways
I had my chance but it's all over now
I had my opportunity to keep her, but it's too late now
I never thought that she could pass me by
I never expected her to leave me for someone else
There goes my heart and here am I
My heart is gone, and I am left alone
Writer(s): Abner Silver, B. Davis
Contributed by Eva O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rach
There goes my heart, there goes the one I love
There goes the girl I wasn't worthy of
There goes my happiness, it couldn't be
There goes somebody else in place of me
Goodbye romance, it couldn't last somehow
I had my chance but it's all over now
I never thought that she could pass me by
There goes my heart and here am I
I never thought that she could pass me by
There goes my heart and here am I
1408alan
What a performer Dinah was. Timeless classic.
Mr. Rupert Davis
Classic! Such clarity of diction and that of voice. And such gorgeous orchestration to boot!
Marilyn Scott
What a voice 👍❤️❤️❤️❤️
Markku Waltari
Amazing voice. Never heard better. Fantastic!
pat1947100
When I was much younger, an album by this lady arrived at home one day from the record club even though it had not been selected. I didn't really appreciate it then as the Top 40 was more important. What I wouldn't give to have that album now. Fabulous singer.
Steve B
WOW! What a voice
Lumifish
What a voice, such soul🙌
Turco Masud
DINAH,, PARA SIEMPRE LA MEJOR , !!!!
Turco Masud
QUE VOZ Y SENTIMIENTO TENIA , UNA DIOSA ,, !!!!!!
Jason Epelley
THE QUEEN!!!!....that is all that must be said about DINAH WASHINGTON!!!!....