Ella Mae Morse (September 12, 1924 – October 16, 1999) was an American popu… Read Full Bio ↴Ella Mae Morse (September 12, 1924 – October 16, 1999) was an American popular singer. Morse blended jazz, country, pop, and rhythm and blues.

Ella Mae Morse was born in Mansfield, Texas, United States. She was hired by Jimmy Dorsey when she was 14 years old. Dorsey believed she was 19, and when he was informed by the school board that he was now responsible for her care, he fired her. In 1942, at the age of 17, she joined Freddie Slack's band, with whom in the same year she recorded "Cow Cow Boogie", Capitol Records' first gold single. "Mr. Five by Five" was also recorded by Morse with Slack, and they had a hit recording with the song in 1942 (Capitol 115). She also originated the wartime hit "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet", which was later popularized by Nancy Walker in the film, Broadway Rhythm.

In 1943, Morse began to record solo. She reached #1 in the R&B chart with "Shoo-Shoo Baby" in December for two weeks. In the same year she performed "Cow Cow Boogie" in the film Reveille with Beverly and starred in Universal's South of Dixie and The Ghost Catchers with Olsen and Johnson and How Do You Dooo? with radio's Mad Russian, Bert Gordon. She sang in a wide variety of styles, and she had hits on both the U.S. pop and rhythm and blues charts. However, she never received the popularity of a major star because her versatility prevented her from being placed into any one category of music.

The song "Love Me or Leave Me" as recorded by Morse was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 1922, with the flip side "Blacksmith Blues," which became her biggest hit.

In 1946, "House of Blue Lights" by Freddie Slack and Morse, (written by Slack and Raye) saw them perform what was one of many of Raye's songs picked up by black R&B artists. Her biggest solo success was "Blacksmith Blues" in 1952, which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The same year her version of "Down the Road a Piece" appeared on Capitol with Slack again on piano accompaniment. Morse also recorded a version of "Oakie Boogie" for Capitol which reached #23 in 1952. Her version was one of the first songs arranged by Nelson Riddle.

Morse ceased recording in 1957, but continued performing until the early 1990s at such clubs as Michael's Pub in New York, Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel's Cinegrill and the Vine St. Bar and Grill. She appeared regularly at Disneyland for several years with the Ray McKinley Orchestra, and did a successful tour of Australia shortly before her final illness.

Her music career was profiled in Nick Tosches' 1984 book, The Unsung Heroes of Rock 'N' Roll: The Birth of Rock in the Wild Years Before Elvis. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street. Her entire recorded body of work was issued in a deluxe box set by Bear Family Records.

As Morse's musical style blended jazz, blues, and country, she has sometimes been called the first rock 'n' roll singer. A good example is her 1942 recording of the song "Get On Board, Little Chillun", which, with strong gospel, blues, boogie, and jive sounds as a genuine precursor to the later rockabilly/ rock 'n roll songs. Her records sold well to both Caucasian and African-American audiences. As she was not well known at the time of her first solo hits, many people assumed she was African-American because of her 'hip' vocal style and choice of material.

Morse had six children from two marriages, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and an estranged sister named Flo Handy, who was also a singer.

In 1999 Morse died of respiratory failure in Bullhead City, Arizona, aged 75.

All I Need Is You
Ella Mae Morse Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't need a million dollars
To make my dreams come true
Baby, all I need is you

I don't need a fortune teller
To tell my troubles to
Baby, all I need is you

Don't need the sun, don't need the stars
For at last I realize
I found the sun, I found the stars
Shining in your eyes

I'm right at the gates of heaven
And I could walk right through
Baby, all I need is you

Baby, all I need is you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ella Mae Morse's song All I Need Is You convey someone's deep love and devotion to their partner. The song speaks to how love makes life's little worries disappear, and the only thing that truly matters is being with the one you love. The opening lines state that having a lot of money is not a requirement for fulfilling one's dreams; all that they need is their partner by their side. This is reiterated when the singer says that they don't need a fortune teller to tell their troubles because just being with their lover is enough to ease their worries.

The chorus is where the message is most clear. The singer states that they don't need the sun or stars because they have found their own "sun" and "stars" in their partner's eyes. They are overcome by feelings of bliss and contentment, feeling as though they are at the gates of heaven, able to walk right through them as long as they have their partner by their side. Throughout the song, the message is clear: the singer's love for their partner is all-encompassing and they need nothing else in order to find happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't need a million dollars
Contrary to popular belief, I don't require wealth to make my wishes happen

To make my dreams come true
To fulfill my aspirations in life

Baby, all I need is you
All I need is your company, love, and support

I don't need a fortune teller
No need for someone to predict my future

To tell my troubles to
To divulge my concerns or problems

Don't need the sun, don't need the stars
I don't need cosmic objects to bring light in my life

For at last I realize
It took me a while, but now I understand

I found the sun, I found the stars
The source of my happiness and joy is you

Shining in your eyes
Emanating from your expressive gaze

I'm right at the gates of heaven
I feel like I am on the brink of absolute bliss

And I could walk right through
I could enter into the realm of utter happiness and contentment

Baby, all I need is you
I don't require anything else in my life besides you

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GUY THEODORE SEBASTIAN, ADAM REILY, ALUN BENJAMIN FIRTH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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