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.
When Your Lover Has Gone
Dinah Washington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of love glorious love always sing,
But ask any lover and you'll soon discover,
The heartaches that romance can bring,
When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies
At break of dawn, there is no sunrise
What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring
What lonely hours, with memories lingering
Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything
When your lover has gone
The first verse of "When Your Lover Has Gone" is a commentary on the nature of love. It suggests that love is a theme that has been celebrated throughout the ages by poets and sages, but that the reality of love is often quite different from the idealized representations that we see in literature. The second verse is a rumination on the feeling of loneliness that comes when one's partner is no longer there. The imagery of starlit skies and magic moonlight dying suggests the loss of wonder and enchantment that love can bring. The final lines of the verse, "At break of dawn, there is no sunrise / When your lover has gone" capture the sense of emptiness and hopelessness that can be present when one has lost a lover.
The chorus serves to amplify the sense of loss expressed in the first two verses. The repetition of the phrase "What lonely hours" emphasizes the depth of the singer's despair, and the simile "Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything" reinforces the idea that love is what gives life meaning. Overall, "When Your Lover Has Gone" is a poignant reflection on the highs and lows of romantic love, and the pain that can come when that love is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
From ages to ages the poets and sages,
Throughout history, writers and intellectuals have always celebrated the wonder of love.
Of love glorious love always sing,
Love is often portrayed as something glorious and worth celebrating.
But ask any lover and you'll soon discover,
But actual lovers often face certain heartaches and pains in their romantic relationships.
The heartaches that romance can bring,
Romantic relationships can certainly bring various heartaches and pains along with them.
When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies
When you're alone, the wonders of nature and beauty like starlit skies seem less significant and meaningless without your lover by your side.
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies
The enchanting ambiance of moonlight feels empty and lacking in magic when you're by yourself and no longer have your lover's company.
At break of dawn, there is no sunrise
Even the sunrise seems pointless and unremarkable when you realize that your lover is not there to share the moment with you.
When your lover has gone
The absence or departure of your lover can leave you feeling lost, lonely, and yearning.
What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring
The shadows of the evening seem to intensify the lonely feelings that one experiences when their lover is no longer present.
What lonely hours, with memories lingering
Memories of your lost lover can keep you company, but they also highlight the emptiness you feel in the present moment.
Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything
Life can seem empty and pointless like faded flowers without the joy, love, and meaning that a romantic relationship can bring.
When your lover has gone
Once again, the absence or departure of your lover is emphasized as the cause of the pain and heartache you're feeling.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EINAR AARON SWAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind