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.
Trouble In Mind
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday
I'm going down to the river
I'm going top take me a rocking chair
and if the blues don't leave me, I rock on away from here
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday
Trouble in mind, that's true
I have almost lost my mind
Life ain't worth living, I feel like I could die
Trouble in mind, I'm blue
My poor heart is healing slow
I've never had such trouble in my whole life before
I'm gonna lay my head on some lonesome railroad line
and let that 2:19 special ease my troubled mind
Trouble in mind, I'm blue,
But I won't be blue always
Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday
This classic blues song by Dinah Washington is an honest and emotional portrayal of the singer's inner turmoil. The opening line, "Trouble in mind, I'm blue", sets the tone for the rest of the song, as she expresses her feelings of sadness and despair. However, despite her current state, she holds onto the hope that things will eventually get better, as she sings "But I won't be blue always, 'Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday". This shows her resilience and determination to overcome her troubles and find a brighter future.
In the second verse, Washington describes her physical journey as she tries to escape her mental anguish. She heads down to the river and takes a rocking chair, hoping that the movement will bring her some relief. She acknowledges that the blues may not leave her immediately but resolves to "rock on away from here". This again highlights her sense of determination and the belief that she can work through her troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
Trouble in mind, I'm blue
I'm feeling down and distressed
But I won't be blue always,
But I know that this feeling won't last forever
'Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday
Because I believe that things will get better in the future
I'm going down to the river
I'm heading to a calming place
I'm going top take me a rocking chair
I'm planning to relax and reflect
and if the blues don't leave me, I rock on away from here
If I can't shake off my bad mood, I will leave and find a new place
Trouble in mind, that's true
It's a fact that I'm feeling troubled
I have almost lost my mind
I'm nearly at my breaking point
Life ain't worth living, I feel like I could die
I'm feeling so low that life seems pointless
My poor heart is healing slow
My emotional wounds are taking longer to heal
I've never had such trouble in my whole life before
I've never felt this level of distress before in my life
I'm gonna lay my head on some lonesome railroad line
I'm considering a risky and dangerous escape plan
and let that 2:19 special ease my troubled mind
I'm hoping that a passing train will take me away from my problems
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Richard M. Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ailurophile17
"The Queen" is definitely her title! I have 4,000 vinyl albums, 43 by Dinah and she's my all-time favorite female singer--bar none! What enunciation, what feeling, what subtlety! No one (well maybe Aretha in her prime) comes close!
@JohnPalazzini
GREAT tune.......thanks for posting.
@niles3213
Dinah Washington harika bir parça keşke erken yaşında ölmeseydin , acılarını Blues ile ifade edişine sesine hayranım.❤️
@mikejar9135
I learned this song years ago off of a Hot Tuna recording. Looking up the lyrics to try to remember it led me here. Wow, she's great.
And now to check out Nina Simone's 1961 recording...