She is noted for her elegant interpretations of standards, ballads, and blues. Her characteristic inflections have sometimes prompted comparisons to stylistic devices employed by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Jones' recordings, particularly her debut record (Don't Go To Strangers, 1960), have earned wide admiration in a new generation of listeners.
She had three Grammy nominations, for the Don't Go to Strangers LP in 1960, Save Your Love for Me in 1981, and My Buddy in 1999.
Jones had a musical partnership of more than thirty years with tenor sax player Houston Person, who received equal billing with her. He also produced her albums and served as her manager.
Jones was born in Aiken, South Carolina, and raised in Harlem. She died at the age of 72 from cancer. She was survived by her husband, John Medlock, and a granddaughter.
All The Way
Etta Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's no good unless he loves you all the way
Happy to be near you
When you need someone to cheer you all the way
Taller than the tallest tree is
That's how it's got to feel
Deeper than the deep blue sea is
When somebody needs you
It's no good unless he needs you all the way
Through the good or lean years
And for all the in-between years come what may
Who knows where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say
But if you'll let me love you
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
Deeper than the deep blue sea is
That's how deep it goes if it's real
So, if you'll let me love you
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
In Etta Jones's song All The Way, the lyrics emphasize the importance of being loved or needed “all the way”. The singer expresses that simply being loved or needed partially or conditionally is not enough. The love has to be complete and genuine to truly matter. The lyrics suggest that true love should be layered, with multiple levels of depth and intensity. The song compares this love to the height of the tallest tree and the depth of the deep blue sea. It suggests that if the love is real, it has to be profound and overwhelming.
The lyrics also discuss the uncertainty of life and relationships. The singer acknowledges that the future is uncertain and the path ahead is unknown. However, the singer is willing to take that risk, as long as the person they love is willing to love them back “all the way”. The lyrics suggest that true love can conquer all obstacles, including the good and bad times.
Overall, the lyrics of All The Way emphasize the idea that true love is all-encompassing and unconditional. It has to be complete, genuine, and deep to truly matter.
Line by Line Meaning
When somebody loves you
When someone truly loves you
It's no good unless he loves you all the way
It's not enough if they only love you halfheartedly or halfway
Happy to be near you
Content just to be in your vicinity
When you need someone to cheer you all the way
Someone who will support and encourage you through everything
Taller than the tallest tree is
The love you receive should be limitless and enormous
That's how it's got to feel
This level of love is required to be truly meaningful
Deeper than the deep blue sea is
The love should be vast and profound
That's how deep it goes if it's real
The love needs to be genuine and sincere
When somebody needs you
When someone truly needs you
It's no good unless he needs you all the way
It's not sufficient if they only need you partially or for certain situations
Through the good or lean years
Through the successes and struggles
And for all the in-between years come what may
And through every other unpredictable period in life
Who knows where the road will lead us
There's no way to predict what will happen in the future
Only a fool would say
It's foolish to make predictions
But if you'll let me love you
But if you allow me to love you
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
I will love you with my entire being, no matter what happens
Deeper than the deep blue sea is
The love should be vast and profound
That's how deep it goes if it's real
The love needs to be genuine and sincere
So, if you'll let me love you
Therefore, if you will accept my love
It's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way all the way
I will love you wholeheartedly with every fiber of my being
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD (GB 2) SUMNER, GILLIAN LESLEY GILBERT, PETER HOOK, STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kennedy Cole
One of my favorite songs