Known as the artist who "bridged the gap," Warwick's soulful blend of pop, gospel and R&B music transcended racial, cultural, national, and musical boundaries.
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Warwick collaborated with many of her musical peers, including Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osbourne, Kashif and Stevie Wonder. Warwick was also host of the hit television music show, "Solid Gold." In addition, she recorded several theme songs, including "Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams," for the popular television series "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous," and "The Love Boat," for the hit series from Aaron Spelling. More recently, Warwick recorded her first Christmas album entitled "My Favorite Time of the Year" featured jazzy interpretations of many holiday classics. In 2007, Rhino Records re-released the CD with new cover art, a critically acclaimed Gospel album, "Why We Sing," for Rhino/Warner Records, and a new jazz album, "Only Trust Your Heart," a collection of standards, celebrating the music of legendary composer Sammy Cahn for Sony Red/MPCA Records.
Dionne Warwick has won 5 Grammy Awards during her music career:
• 1969: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"
• 1971: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
• 1979: "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for the single, "Déjà Vu"
• 1979: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Love This Way Again"
• 1986: "Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal" for the single, "That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne Warwick was born in a musical family of which numerous superstars arose.
Warwick's sister Dee Dee Warwick had a successful singing career, Warwick's aunt is gospel singer Cissy Houston, and one of Warwick's cousins is Whitney Houston.
A House Is Not A Home
Dionne Warwick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even when there's no one sitting there
But a chair is not a house
And a house is not a home
When there's no one there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss good night
A room is still a room
But a room is not a house
And a house is not a home
When the two of us are far apart
And one of us has a broken heart
Now and then I call your name
And suddenly your face appears
But it's just a crazy game
When it ends it ends in tears
Darling, have a heart
Don't let one mistake keep us apart
I'm not meant to live alone
Turn this house into a home
When I climb the stair and turn the key
Oh, please be there still in love with me
I'm not meant to live alone
Turn this house into a home
When I climb the stair and turn the key
Oh, please be there still in love with me
The song "A House Is Not A Home" is Dionne Warwick's 1964 classic hit that tells a story of love and heartbreak. The lyrics are about the difference between a physical structure and the emptiness that can exist within it. A chair, a room, even a house can still exist without another person, but without love and companionship, it will not become a home. The song reflects on the emptiness of a house without the one you love and the desire to turn it back into a home.
The lyrics suggest that the singer in the song may have made a mistake that pushed the one they love away. The line "don't let one mistake keep us apart" implies that there was something that happened between them that caused the heartbreak. The singer urges the person to come back and turn the house into a home, portraying a longing for the warmth and companionship that they once had. The lyrics 'when I climb the stair and turn the key, oh please be there still in love with me' emphasizes the singer's deep yearning to be reunited with their loved one and the hope that the relationship can be fully restored.
In summary, "A House Is Not A Home" depicts the importance of love and companionship in creating a home. Without connection and intimacy, a physical structure remains as a hollow shell. The song reflects on the power of love to heal and transform a space into a warm and welcoming home.
Line by Line Meaning
A chair is still a chair
Even if nobody sits on a chair
Even when there's no one sitting there
The chair remains unoccupied
But a chair is not a house
A chair is just one piece of furniture, not a complete dwelling
And a house is not a home
Even if a house has everything, it is incomplete without love and companionship
When there's no one there to hold you tight
The warmth and comfort of a home can only be felt when someone is there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss good night
The feeling of a goodnight kiss can only be felt when someone is there to share it with
A room is still a room
Even if a room is empty
Even when there's nothing there but gloom
If a room is dark and gloomy, it still remains just a room
But a room is not a house
A room is just one part of a house, not a complete home
When the two of us are far apart
If the two individuals are distant from each other
And one of us has a broken heart
When one of the individuals is suffering from grief or sorrow
Now and then I call your name
Sometimes the singer calls the name of the loved one
And suddenly your face appears
The singer gets a fleeting glimpse of the loved one
But it's just a crazy game
It is an emotional rollercoaster that plays with the mind
When it ends it ends in tears
The highs and lows of the relationship eventually lead to heartbreak and tears
Darling, have a heart
An appeal to the loved one to be compassionate
Don't let one mistake keep us apart
The singer acknowledges that a mistake was made, but it is not enough to break their relationship
I'm not meant to live alone
The singer wants a partner to share life with
Turn this house into a home
The singer wants the partner to complete the feeling of the home
When I climb the stair and turn the key
The singer looks forward to returning home
Oh, please be there still in love with me
The singer wants the partner to still be in love with them when they arrive home
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@justcat6042
No one can make me cry over a song about furniture and infrastructure like Dionne does
@barbarawatson280
And Neil Sedaka The Hungry Years both wonderfully written songs
@justtubing767
Luther Vandross' rendition of this song should have you sobbing loudly. He killed it, buried it, and sent it to heaven.
@timobrown7992
@@justtubing767completely agree. Luther makes this version sound a little generic. 😂
@djenkins1918
This songs makes me cry almost every time I hear Dionne Warwick sing it. Vandross, not so much. (Frankly, I don't like his version much)
@starskyhutcho-vm2gw
@@djenkins1918same thoughts.i prefer warwick.
@urgdaddy
And then there was JAZZ,...Warwick/Bacharach/David. Me, 1965, 15 yo and experienced a new sound and loved it. We needed this at the time.
@r.higgins7869
This song is pure Warwick. When she was young and could hit the notes. Vandross though takes this song to a whole different dimension. Warwick and Vandross presented different styles on this song and both are beautiful. But this is a Dionne signature classic.
@raspop2587
don't forget Mavis Staples version was raspy and had soul aswell all three versions were good
@kse1112
I really enjoy Luther’s version and was today years old when I found out that this was a song originally sang by Ms. Dionne Warrick!