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.
Till There Was You
Etta Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you
There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
And there was music
And there were wonderful roses
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you
The song "Till There Was You" by Etta Jones is a romantic ballad about how the presence of love in one's life can bring a newfound appreciation for the world around them. The first two stanzas of the song describe how the singer never noticed the beauty of nature around them until love entered their life. They never heard the bells ringing, never saw the birds flying until they met someone special. The third stanza speaks of music and roses, which tell the singer about the beauty of the world. The final stanza talks about how love was always around, but it wasn't until the singer found their special someone that they were able to hear and appreciate it.
The lyrics of "Till There Was You" are a beautiful testament to how love can change one's perception of the world. The song is not just about romantic love, but the love between friends, family, and even the love for life itself. The imagery in the song is vivid and emotive, and the lyrics encourage listeners to take a closer look at the world around them and appreciate it more.
Line by Line Meaning
There were bells on the hill
I was aware of the existence of bells on the hill
But I never heard them ringing
But I never actually noticed the sound of the bells
No, I never heard them at all
In fact, I wasn't aware of their existence, as I hadn't paid attention
Till there was you
Until you came into my life and I became aware of what I was previously missing
There were birds in the sky
I knew that birds flew in the sky
But I never saw them winging
However, I never truly appreciated the sight of them flying
No, I never saw them at all
I never stopped to observe and admire them
Till there was you
Until you came into my life and opened my eyes to the beauty of the natural world
And there was music
There was music playing prior to you entering my life
And there were wonderful roses
Beautiful roses were growing, and they were around me
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows
I've heard people speak of the tranquility of meadows filled with the fragrance of flowers
Of dawn and dew
This is where one can see the early morning dew and observe the beauty of the sunrise
There was love all around
People were finding love even before I did
But I never heard it singing
Although there was love around me, I never took notice of it
No, I never heard it at all
I was not able to appreciate it due to my lack of awareness
Till there was you
Everything changed when you came into my life, and I was able to find love and appreciate it
Writer(s): Meredith Willson
Contributed by Connor P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@blimunda21
There were bells
On the hills
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you
There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
Till there was you
And there was music, and there were wonderful roses
They tell me
In sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you ♥
@blimunda21
There were bells
On the hills
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you
There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
Till there was you
And there was music, and there were wonderful roses
They tell me
In sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you ♥
@lucysaboia548
Thanks
@meritofapproval
My goodness! I'm unfamiliar with her, but she is now my new obsession! She's a combination of Billie Holiday & Dinah Washington rolled into one. 🎶
@-amitkalderon1225
Wow. I never thought I could find a version that will give me the same nostalgic feeling like the Beatles one does, but here it is. Amazing...
@solangeholme7995
Uma bela canção nos levando para bem longe onde as estrelas nos tiram para dançar...🤫✨🤭...
@123128592
Bellísima voz y exquisito estilo. Realmente excelente.
@lionheartroar3104
64 years on this earth and this is the first time I hear Etta Jones. This is marvelous.
@timothymorgan764
Fell in love with her voice the first time I heard it! A wonderful blessed voice.
@deeliciousplum
Such a beautiful rendition. Thanks for sharing this.
@JorgeInzunzaAplusent
Gosh! Phenomenal switch in the rythm, from the bluesy Etta Jones’s version to the Spanish-bolero type from the Beatles!!!👍👍👍