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.
Shall I Tell Her
Dionne Warwick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shall I tell her?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her you're not, you're not here?
[?] calling on the phone
Wants to know if I'm alone
Shall I tell her that I'm holding you
Or shall I, shall I tell her you're not here?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her?
She's asking me if you dropped by
But it's so hard for me to lie
If I tell the truth I'll lose a friend
I would hate to see our friendship end
So shall I, shall I tell her you're not here?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her?
Oh, time will ease the pain, and she'll soon forget
Then she'll fall in love again, forget we ever met
[?] a gonna cry I know
Because she really loves you so
Shall I send you back into her arms
Spend my life just dreaming of your charms
Or shall I, shall I tell her you're not here?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her you're not, you're not here?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Shall I tell her?
The lyrics of Shall I Tell Her by Dionne Warwick deal with the idea of loyalty and honesty, and the conflict that arises when these two values are at odds. The song is sung from the perspective of a woman who is being pursued by another woman, likely a friend or acquaintance, who is looking for her partner. The singer is torn between telling the truth about their partner's whereabouts and potentially losing her friend or lying to maintain the friendship at the cost of her own honesty.
The singer grapples with her conscience, wondering if she should tell her friend the truth that her partner is not there or if she should lie to protect the relationship. She acknowledges that telling the truth might ruin a friendship, but she also doesn't want to live in a world of deceit. She is clearly conflicted about how to navigate this difficult situation.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant, as the singer realizes that no matter what choice she makes, time will eventually heal the pain. Her friend will move on and fall in love again, forgetting about this particular moment in their relationship. It's a bittersweet reflection on the fleeting nature of love and the inevitable changes that come with the passage of time.
Overall, Shall I Tell Her is a contemplative and emotional song about the complexities of human relationships and the difficult choices that we all must make at various points in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Shall I tell her you're not here
Should I inform her that you're not present with me?
Shall I tell her?
Should I reveal your absence to her?
Shall I tell her you're not, you're not here?
Should I emphasize that you are truly not here with me?
[?] calling on the phone
Someone is calling me on the phone
Wants to know if I'm alone
That person is curious if I am by myself
Shall I tell her that I'm holding you
Should I betray the truth that I am with you
Doing all the things I've longed to do
Doing all the things I have desired for so long
Or shall I, shall I tell her you're not here?
Or should I keep the secret that you are not here with me?
She's asking me if you dropped by
She is inquiring if you paid me a visit
But it's so hard for me to lie
Deception is difficult for me to commit to
If I tell the truth I'll lose a friend
If I speak honestly I might lose this friendship
I would hate to see our friendship end
I would be very unhappy if our friendship ended
So shall I, shall I tell her you're not here?
Should I confidently keep the truth from her?
Oh, time will ease the pain, and she'll soon forget
Eventually, time will heal her sorrow and she will forget
Then she'll fall in love again, forget we ever met
She will eventually move on and forget that we ever crossed paths
[?] a gonna cry I know
She is likely to cry, I am aware
Because she really loves you so
Her emotions for you are very strong
Shall I send you back into her arms
Should I return you to her embrace
Spend my life just dreaming of your charms
Should I just spend my life wishing I had your desirable qualities
Or shall I, shall I tell her you're not here?
Or should I conceal the truth of your absence from her?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Should I express that you are currently not present
Shall I tell her?
Should I announce your absence to her?
Shall I tell her you're not here
Should I report to her that you are absent?
Shall I tell her you're not, you're not here?
Should I inform her that you are indeed not here with me?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOC POMUS, MORT SHUMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aline Dowd
on I Cry Alone
Brings back oh so many memories.