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)
In The Land Of Make Believe
Dusty Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're mine tonight
Although you are far away
In the land of make believe
I'm holding you tight
The silver moon is shining above
And there's love in your eyes
Like I used to do
Yesterday in paradise
I've been living in the land of make believe
Since you've been gone
I need you so much
That without your love
I must deceive myself
To go on
Your loving hand caresses my face
We embrace tenderly
Never will we part
Deep down in my heart
You are always here with me
You are always here with me
In the land of make believe
In the land of make believe
In the land of make believe
Your loving hand caresses my face
We embrace tenderly
Never will we part
Deep down in my heart
You are always here with me
You are always here with me
In the land of make believe
In the land of make believe
In the land of make believe
In the land of make believe
The lyrics to Dusty Springfield's song "In The Land of Make Believe" are a nostalgic journey down memory lane. The song portrays a vivid picture of an imagined world where the singer longs to be with her loved one. The phrase "land of make believe" suggests a world where anything is possible, and the singer has created this world as a way of coping with the pain of separation. The lyrics convey the depth of her longing for her loved one, and the imagined world is the only place where they can be together.
The verse "I've been living in the land of make-believe since you've been gone" highlights the singer's struggle with loneliness and her desperate need for her lover's return. The chorus contains a dreamy, romantic sentiment that portrays a deep love between the singer and her lover. The idea of holding someone tight even though they are far away is a powerful expression of love that speaks to the heart of many.
Overall, the song conveys a feeling of wistfulness and a longing for something that is out of reach. The wistful and melancholic melody, along with the lyrics, creates a beautiful combination that captures the longing and yearning that comes with being in love.
Line by Line Meaning
In the land of make believe
In the imaginary world that I have created in my mind
You're mine tonight
I feel like you are with me tonight, even though you are far away
Although you are far away
Even though we are physically separated
In the land of make believe
In my imaginary world
I'm holding you tight
I feel like I am holding you close to me
The silver moon is shining above
The moon is shining brightly in the sky
And there's love in your eyes
I can see the love in your eyes when I imagine you
And I'm kissing you
I am imagining kissing you
Like I used to do
In my memory, I am remembering how we used to kiss
Yesterday in paradise
In the past when we were truly happy
I've been living in the land of make believe
I have created this imaginary world to escape the pain of your absence
Since you've been gone
Ever since you left me
I need you so much
I feel an overwhelming need for you
That without your love
Without your love and presence in my life
I must deceive myself
I have to deceive myself into thinking you are with me in order to cope
To go on
To keep living my life without you physically there
Your loving hand caresses my face
In my imagination, your hand lovingly touches my face
We embrace tenderly
We are holding each other in a gentle and loving embrace in my mind
Never will we part
In my imaginary world, we will never be separated
Deep down in my heart
In the depths of my heart and soul
You are always here with me
I feel like you are always with me in spirit
You are always here with me
You are constantly present with me
In the land of make believe
In my imaginary world
In the land of make believe
In my fantasy world
In the land of make believe
In the world that I have created in my mind
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Philmod68
:::SIGH::: WONDERFUL! Boy... her voice and that backing...can't get anymore PERFECT than that!! : )
@219records
woke up with this stuck in my head
@OctoberOhio
her voice blends with the instruments here, they become an orchestra.
@anthonyrussell5244
Love dusty springfield
@oldbeatpete
she really had a beautiful voice. Nice tasteful arrangements too. The American record companies didn't want her competing with their US female singers.
@StanBennet
How the hell did this not make it to the radio?
@theplug66
Just great
@Lukass15
O.S.T.R ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
@despicable6213
1:40
@gerix335
ABC z polskiego abecadła, jak pies skacze do gardła :D