Born in West Hampstead in London to a family that enjoyed music, Springfield learned to sing at home. In 1958, she joined her first professional group, the Lana Sisters. Two years later, with her brother Dion O'Brien ("Tom Springfield") and Tim Feild, she formed the folk-pop vocal trio the Springfields. Two of their five 1961–63 Top 40 UK hits – "Island of Dreams" and "Say I Won't Be There"–reached No. 5 on the charts, both in the spring of 1963. In 1962, they also achieved success in the United States with their cover of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles". Her solo career began in late 1963 with the upbeat pop record "I Only Want to Be with You"—a UK No. 4 hit, and the first of her six transatlantic Top 40 hits in the 1960s, along with "Stay Awhile" (1964), "All I See Is You" (1966), "I'll Try Anything" (1967), and two releases which are now considered her signature songs: "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (1966 UK No. 1/US No. 4) and "Son of a Preacher Man" (1968/69 UK No. 9/US No. 10). The latter is featured on the 1968 pop and soul album Dusty in Memphis, one of Springfield's defining works. In March 2020, the US Library of Congress added the album to the National Recording Registry, which preserves audio recordings considered to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Between 1964 and 1969, Springfield enjoyed success in her native United Kingdom with several singles which in America either failed to chart or were not released, among them being "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (the biggest of her many Burt Bacharach/Hal David covers), "In the Middle of Nowhere", "Some of Your Lovin'", "Goin' Back", and "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten". Conversely, she charted in the US (but not in the UK) with hits including "Wishin' and Hopin'", "The Look of Love", and "The Windmills of Your Mind". From 1971 to 1986, she failed to register a hit from five album releases (aside from a minor 1979 UK chart appearance), but her 1987 collaboration with UK synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", took her back near the top of the charts, reaching No. 2 on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100. The collaboration yielded two 1989 UK Top 20 hits: "Nothing Has Been Proved" and "In Private". In 1990, Springfield charted with "Reputation"–the last of 25 UK Top 40 hits in which she features.
A fixture on British television, Springfield presented many episodes of the popular 1963–66 British TV music series Ready Steady Go! and, between 1966 and 1969, hosted her own series on the BBC and ITV. In 1966, she topped popularity polls, including Melody Maker's "Best International Vocalist", and was the first UK singer to top the New Musical Express readers' poll for best female singer. She has been inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the UK Music Hall of Fame. Multiple critics and polls have lauded Springfield as one of the greatest female singers in popular music.
Studio albums
A Girl Called Dusty (1964)
Stay Awhile/I Only Want To Be With You (1964)
Dusty (1964)
Ooooooweeee!!! (1965)
Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty (1965)
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me (1966)
Where Am I Going? (1967)
The Look Of Love (1967)
Dusty... Definitely (1968)
Dusty in Memphis (1969)
A Brand New Me (1970)
See All Her Faces (1972)
Cameo (1973)
It Begins Again (1978)
Living Without Your Love (1979)
White Heat (1982)
Reputation (1990)
A Very Fine Love (1995)
Faithful (2015, recorded in 1971)
Do Re Mi
Dusty Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This little creature was a-passing me
He got a whole lot of rhythm when he walks
And I can hear music, baby, when he talks
Do re mi fa so la ti
Forget about the dough and think about me, oh yeah
Do re mi fa so la ti
He ain't no picture as I can see
But I don't care he looks so good to me
Do re mi fa so la ti
Forget about the dough and think about me
Do re mi fa so la ti
Id like to love you, yeah, yes sirree
It may sound crazy but its a fact
Hey tell me, baby, baby
How you gonna act?
Do re mi fa so la ti
Forget about the dough and think about me
Oh yeah
Do re mi fa so la ti
Lets get together and make whoopee
A b c d e f g
Cupids shootin' arrows straight by me
Do re mi fa so la ti
Forget about the dough and think about me
A b c d e f g
The cats in the cupboard and you cant catch me
A b c d e f g
Forget about the dough and think about me
A b c d e f g
Cupids shootin' arrows straight by me
Oh, yes
The lyrics to Dusty Springfield's "Do Re Mi" are about an unknown creature that catches her attention. The creature has a rhythm in his walk and music in his talk that she finds captivating. The lyrics show that Dusty is willing to look beyond a person's looks and wealth and see them for who they are as a person. She tells this creature to forget about money and focus on her. She wants to love him and make a connection with him. The lyrics also include elements of playfulness and flirtation, with Dusty suggesting that she and the creature should get together and make whoopee.
The song was released in 1961 and was written by Johnnie Lee Wills, a Western swing fiddler and brother of Bob Wills, the "King of Western Swing." The song is a cover of a 1955 track by Lee Dorsey, who later became famous for his hits "Ya Ya" and "Working in a Coal Mine."
Line by Line Meaning
Do re me fa so la ti
This is a playful introduction that sets the tone for the song.
This little creature was a-passing me
The singer spots someone who catches her eye, but she doesn't know who he is yet.
He got a whole lot of rhythm when he walks
The singer is attracted to the way the man moves and carries himself.
And I can hear music, baby, when he talks
The man has a captivating voice that the singer finds musical and enticing.
Forget about the dough and think about me, oh yeah
The singer wants the man to forget about money and focus on her instead.
I wonder who can this creature be?
The singer is curious and intrigued by the man she has spotted.
He ain't no picture as I can see
The man might not be conventionally attractive, but the singer is still drawn to him.
But I don't care he looks so good to me
The singer is attracted to the man's overall presence, regardless of his appearance.
Id like to love you, yeah, yes sirree
The singer is expressing her desire to be with the man she has spotted.
It may sound crazy but its a fact
The singer acknowledges that her feelings might seem intense or irrational, but they are genuine.
Hey tell me, baby, baby, How you gonna act?
The singer is curious about how the man will respond to her advances.
Lets get together and make whoopee
The singer suggests they get intimate and have fun together.
Cupids shootin' arrows straight by me
The singer feels like she's falling in love and is under Cupid's spell.
The cats in the cupboard and you cant catch me
The singer feels playful and elusive, like she's hard to pin down or capture.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EARL KING JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Lisa Dillan - Lyrics
When I said, I needed you
You said you would always stay
It wasn't me who changed, but you
And now you've gone away
Don't you see that now you're gone
And I'm left here on my own
Then I have to follow you
And beg you to come home
You don't have to say you love me
Just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand
Believe me,
I can't help but love you
But believe me, I'll never tie you down
Left alone with just a memory
Life seems dead and so unreal
All that's left is loneliness
There's nothing left to feel
You don't have to say you love me
Just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand
Believe me, believe me
You don't have to say you love me
Just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand
Believe me, believe me. Believe me…