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.
Getting Ready for the Heartbreak
Dionne Warwick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even told the mailman to pass by me
Cause my lover is coming today
And I know what he's gonna say
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
Last night he saw me walking, it was much to dark to see
But now my tears are falling like rain
And I'm starting to feel the pain
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
There's no use in carrying it on
Pretty soon our love will be gone
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
In the song "Getting Ready for the Heartbreak," Dionne Warwick sings about a woman who, anticipating an impending breakup, has closed herself off from the world. She has shut her windows and told the mailman not to deliver anything to her, preparing for the heartbreak that she knows is coming. The woman is aware that her lover is coming, and she knows what he's going to say. She has already processed the fact that their love is ending and is now bracing herself for the emotional pain that comes with a breakup.
The second verse sees Warwick singing about how her lover saw her walking with another man, but she claims the man meant nothing to her. Despite this, Warwick's tears are falling, and she's starting to feel the pain of the impending breakup. She knows that their love is on borrowed time, and there's no point in continuing with the relationship. Her lover is coming to tell her that it's over, and she's ready for the heartbreak that's sure to follow.
Overall, "Getting Ready for the Heartbreak" is a melancholy song about the pain of preparing for a breakup. It captures the feeling of helplessness and vulnerability one feels when they know a relationship is about to end.
Line by Line Meaning
Closed up all my windows, so no-one could see
I don't want anyone to see the sadness that my lover will bring me today, so I shut the windows and avoided people by asking the mailman to pass by.
Even told the mailman to pass by me
I went as far as to request the mailman to avoid me because I don't want to interact with anyone today.
Cause my lover is coming today
The person who will break my heart is coming to see me today.
And I know what he's gonna say
I am already aware of what my lover is going to tell me.
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
I am bracing myself for the disappointment and pain that will come with the breakup that I know is imminent.
Last night he saw me walking, it was much too dark to see
My lover saw me walking last night, but it was too dark for him to identify who I was with.
The guy I was holding hands with meant nothing to me
The person whose hand I was holding was not important to me, but my lover is likely to assume that I was cheating on him.
But now my tears are falling like rain
Now that my lover is coming to question me about who I was with, my emotions are getting the better of me and I am unable to control my tears.
And I'm starting to feel the pain
The heartbreak is starting to dawn on me, and I am beginning to feel the pangs of emotional distress.
There's no use in carrying it on
Despite the emotional turbulence, it's evident that there is no use of continuing the relationship.
Pretty soon our love will be gone
Our relationship is coming to an end, and it won't be long before our love fizzles out completely.
So I'm getting ready for the heartbreak
Knowing the end is near, I am preparing myself for the inevitable heartbreak that comes with any breakup.
Contributed by Evan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aline Dowd
on I Cry Alone
Brings back oh so many memories.