Born Esther Mae Jones in Galveston, Texas, when she was an adolescent, her parents divorced, and she was forced to divide her time between her father in Houston and her mother in the Watts area of Los Angeles. Because she was brought up singing in church, she was hesitant to enter a talent contest at a local blues club, but her sister insisted and she complied. A mature singer at age fourteen, she won the amateur talent contest in 1949 at the Barrelhouse Club owned by Johnny Otis. Otis was so impressed that he recorded her for Modern Records and added her to his traveling revue, the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, billed as 'Little Esther Phillips' (she reportedly took the surname from a gas station sign).
Her first hit record was Double Crossing Blues, recorded in 1950 for Savoy Records. After several hit records with Savoy, including her duet with Mel Walker on Mistrusting Blues, which went to number one that year, as did "Cupid Boogie". Other Phillips records that made it onto the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1950 include "Misery" (number 9), "Deceivin' Blues" (number 4), "Wedding Boogie" (number 6), and "Faraway Blues" (number 6). Few female artists, R&B or otherwise, had ever enjoyed such success in their debut year. Phillips left Otis and the Savoy label at the end of 1950 and signed with Federal Records.
But just as quickly as the hits had started, they stopped. Although she recorded more than thirty sides for Federal, only one, Ring-a-Ding-Doo, charted; the song made it to number 8 in 1952. Not working with Otis was part of her problem; the other part was her drug usage. By the middle of the decade Phillips was chronically addicted to drugs.
In 1954, she returned to Houston to live with her father to recuperate. Short on money, she worked in small nightclubs around the South, punctuated by periodic hospital stays in Lexington, Kentucky, stemming from her addiction. In 1962, Kenny Rogers re-discovered her while singing at a Houston club and got her signed to his brother Lelan’s Lenox label.
Phillips ultimately got well enough to launch a comeback in 1962. Now billed as Esther Phillips instead of Little Esther, she recorded a country tune, Release Me, with producer Bob Gans. This went to number 1 R&B and number 8 on the pop listings. After several other minor R&B hits on Lenox, she was signed by Atlantic Records. Her cover of The Beatles' song And I Love Him nearly made the R&B Top Ten in 1965 and the Beatles flew her to the UK for her first overseas performances.
She had other hits in the 1960s on the label, but no more chart toppers, and she waged a battle with heroin dependency. With her addiction worsening, Phillips checked into a rehab facility. While undergoing treatment, she cut some sides for Roulette in 1969, mostly produced by Lelan Rogers. On her release, she moved back to Los Angeles and re-signed with the Atlantic label. A late 1969 gig at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper club produced the album Burnin'. She performed with the Johnny Otis Show at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1970.
One of her biggest post-1950s triumphs was in 1972 with her first album for Kudu Records. The song penned by Gil Scott-Heron, Home Is Where the Hatred Is, - an account of drug use — was lead track on From a Whisper to a Scream which went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award. When Phillips lost to Aretha Franklin, the latter presented the trophy to Phillips, saying she should have won it instead.
Taylor continued to cut albums with her until in 1975, she scored her biggest hit single since "Release Me" with a disco-style update of Dinah Washington's What a Diff'rence a Day Makes. It reached a high of a Top 20 chart appearance in the U.S., and Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. On November 8, 1975 she performed the song on an episode of NBC's Saturday Night hosted by Candice Bergen. The accompanying album of the same name became her biggest seller yet, with arranger Joe Beck on guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, David Sanborn on alto sax, and Randy Brecker on trumpet to Steve Khan on guitar and Don Grolnick on keyboards.
She continued to record and perform throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, completing a total of seven albums on Kudu and four with Mercury Records, for whom she signed in 1977. In 1983, she charted for the final time on a tiny independent label, Winning with Turn Me Out, which reached #85 R&B. She completed recording her final album a few months before her death, but it was not until 1986 that the label (Muse) released the record.
Phillips died at UCLA Medical Center in Carson, California in 1984, at the age of 48 from liver and kidney failure due to drug use. Her funeral services were conducted by Johnny Otis, and she was buried in the Morning Light section, at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. The bronze marker recognizes her career achievements, as well as quoting a Bible passage, "In My Father's House Are Many Mansions" - St. John 14:2
Some Things You Never Get Used To
Esther Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the same routine of getting up every morning
And putting on a smile
But underneath there's another person
Who can't find a reason to make living worthwhile.
Oh, another day to get through
Without the love that once was mine
Sometimes I think my heartaches come to an end
Like wanting you
And not having you
I'll never get used to
I've gotten used to not listenin' for familiar sounds
You use to make
Now I'm trying to get out of the habit
Of calling your name first thing when I awake.
Look a-here
It's like a child's first steps
I had to learn to walk all, all over again
Cause you were always there
If I should fall
And now there's nobody else that I can call
It's like wanting you
And not having you
I'll never get used to
Lost in a crowd
I think I caught a glimpse of you
Blindly I rushed
To touch your head
To discover
It's my mind playing tricks on me again
(tricks on me again)
Some things you never get used to
Sometimes I think my heartaches come to an end
And then something brings them all back again
Like wanting you
And not having you
I'll never get used to
Baby, baby it's
Wanting you
And not having you
I'll never get used to
Look a-here
I'm wanting you
And not having you
I'll never get used to
Esther Phillips’s “Some Things You Never Get Used To” is a heart-wrenching song about a person who is struggling to move on after a break-up. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song – the routine of waking up every morning and pretending to be happy when inside, the pain is still present. The singer goes on to say that sometimes they think that their heartache has ended, but something always brings it back – it is impossible to get used to the feeling of wanting someone who they no longer have. The reference to lost in a crowd and seeing a glimpse of the person they miss only to realize it is not them is a poignant moment that captures how people can easily mistake someone in a crowd for someone else, heightening their longing for the person they miss.
The song explores the difficulty of moving on from a previous relationship, the struggle to change habits that were once common, like calling out their name when they wake up. It is a journey to “learn to walk all over again” without the support of the person they once relied on. The song ends just as it began, with the singer still wanting the person they can’t have.
The lyrics to “Some Things You Never Get Used To” capture the essence of heartbreak and the struggle to move on. The singer is vulnerable and honest about how they are feeling, and the song provides a sense of comfort for anyone who has ever experienced the pain of losing someone they love.
Line by Line Meaning
Some things you never get used to
Certain things in life are too painful or difficult to ever become accustomed to.
It's the same routine of getting up every morning
Every morning feels monotonous and unfulfilling without the love and companionship of the person who is no longer there.
And putting on a smile
Despite the internal pain and anguish, the person must try to appear happy and hide their true emotions from others.
But underneath there's another person
Beneath the veneer of forced happiness lies a person who is struggling with a profound sense of loss.
Who can't find a reason to make living worthwhile.
Without the love and support of the person they are missing, life seems empty and meaningless.
Oh, another day to get through
Every day feels like a challenge that must be overcome without the love and companionship that once existed.
Without the love that once was mine
The singer is experiencing a deep sense of loss over a past loving relationship that has ended.
Sometimes I think my heartaches come to an end
There are moments when the artist begins to feel better, but these moments are fleeting and temporary.
And then something brings them all back again
Unexpected reminders of the past relationship can cause a flood of painful memories and emotions to resurface.
Like wanting you
The person desires the love and companionship of their former partner and experiences pain due to the lack of it.
And not having you
The person is struggling because they do not have the love and companionship of the person they miss.
I'll never get used to
The artist will never become accustomed to the pain of missing their former partner.
I've gotten used to not listenin' for familiar sounds
The singer has become accustomed to the absence of the sounds that the former partner used to make in their home.
You use to make
The singer is referencing the unique sounds and noises that their former partner used to create and that are now absent from their daily routine.
Now I'm trying to get out of the habit
The singer is trying to break the habit of calling out their former partner's name as soon as they wake up each day.
Of calling your name first thing when I awake.
The artist is referencing their habit of addressing their former partner the moment they wake up, which they are now attempting to break.
Look a-here
This phrase is often used to get someone's attention and express a sense of urgency or importance.
It's like a child's first steps
The singer is comparing the process of learning to live without their former partner to a child learning how to walk.
I had to learn to walk all, all over again
The singer is reflecting on the long and difficult process of learning to cope with the end of their relationship and trying to find a new sense of purpose and direction in life.
Cause you were always there
The artist is referencing the constant presence and support of their former partner in their life.
If I should fall
The artist is referencing the ways in which their former partner acted as a source of stability and support in their life.
And now there's nobody else that I can call
Without their former partner, the artist has no one else to turn to for help or support in times of need.
Lost in a crowd
The singer feels alone and isolated, even when surrounded by other people.
I think I caught a glimpse of you
The artist believes they saw their former partner, perhaps in a crowd or from a distance, causing mixed emotions to resurface.
Blindly I rushed
The singer acted impulsively, without thinking or fully considering the situation, in their attempt to reach their former partner.
To touch your head
The singer longs for physical contact with their former partner and imagines the sensation of touching their former partner's head.
To discover
The singer is hoping to confirm or make sure of something by attempting to touch their former partner.
It's my mind playing tricks on me again
The artist recognizes that their mind is creating false images to cope with the loss they are experiencing.
Baby, baby it's
A term of endearment used to refer to the former partner, emphasizing the importance and significance of their relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: VAN MC COY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alper
this song's sample used in this track called Fabe - On m'a dit (feat. Haroun)
Dee Dee Warwick Music
Background vocals by Dee Dee Warwick