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)
Don't You Know
Dusty Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know just what to do with myself
I'm so used to doing everything with you
Planning everything for two
And now that we're through
I just don't know what to do with my time
I'm so lonesome for you it's a crime
Parties make me feel as bad
When I'm not with you
I just don't know what to do
Like a summer rose
It needs the sun and rain
Oh, I need your sweet love
To beat all the pain
I just don't know what to do with myself
I just don't know what to do with myself
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
Come back, I will be around
Just waiting for you
I don't know what else to do
Like a summer rose
It needs the sun and rain
Oh, I need your sweet love
To beat all the pain
I don't know just what to do with myself
I don't know just what to do with myself
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
Come on back, I will be around
Just waiting for you
I don't know what else to do, no, no, no
I don't know what else to do
I'm still so crazy for you, no, no, no, no
I don't know what else to do, no, no, no
I'm still so crazy for you
In Dusty Springfield's song "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," the singer is dealing with the aftermath of a difficult break-up. The lyrics convey a sense of helplessness and confusion as the singer struggles to cope with the loss of her significant other. The opening lines, "I just don't know what to do with myself, Don't know just what to do with myself," set the tone for the rest of the song.
The lyrics go on to describe the singer's struggle to fill the time she once spent with her loved one. She is left feeling lonely and lost, and even simple activities like going to the movies or attending parties no longer provide her with any joy. The chorus of the song repeats the same lines, emphasizing the singer's sense of confusion and despair.
As the song progresses, the lyrics turn to a plea for her former lover to come back to her. The metaphor of the summer rose needing both sunlight and rain to survive is used to illustrate how she needs her ex-partner's love to overcome her pain. The song ends with a final plea for her lover to return, as the singer confesses that she is "still so crazy" for him.
Overall, "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" is a powerful portrayal of heartbreak and the struggle to move on after a break-up.
Line by Line Meaning
I just don't know what to do with myself
I'm feeling lost and unsure about how to spend my time without you.
Don't know just what to do with myself
I'm completely uncertain about how to fill my days without you here.
I'm so used to doing everything with you
I've grown accustomed to relying on you for just about everything in my life.
Planning everything for two
We always did everything together, and now I'm not sure how to make decisions on my own.
And now that we're through
Now that our relationship is over, I'm struggling to adjust to life without you.
I just don't know what to do with my time
I feel like I have too much free time now that we're not spending it together.
I'm so lonesome for you it's a crime
I'm filled with a deep sense of loneliness now that you're no longer around.
Going to the movie only makes me sad
Even the things we used to enjoy doing together only remind me of how much I miss you now.
Parties make me feel as bad
I can't even enjoy social events anymore because you're not there with me.
When I'm not with you
Whenever we're not together, I feel lost and incomplete.
Like a summer rose
Just like a rose needs sunlight and rain to thrive and grow,
It needs the sun and rain
I need your love and affection to help me feel whole again.
Oh, I need your sweet love
Without your love, I'm left feeling empty and alone.
To beat all the pain
Your love is the only thing that can help me overcome the pain and heartache I'm feeling.
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
If your new relationship doesn't work out, I'll still be here, waiting for you to come back to me.
Come back, I will be around
I'm still here for you, even after everything that's happened between us.
Just waiting for you
I'm patiently waiting for you to realize that you still love me too.
I don't know what else to do
I'm at a loss for how to move on or find happiness without you.
I'm still so crazy for you
Despite everything, I still love you deeply and passionately.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Hal David, Burt F. Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sherom
The best !!! Could sing anything !!!