Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg (September 20, 1924 – March 10, 2016), known as Gog… Read Full Bio ↴Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg (September 20, 1924 – March 10, 2016), known as Gogi Grant, was an American popular singer. She is best known for her No. 1 hit in 1956, "The Wayward Wind".

Grant was born as Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the eldest of six children of Russian Jewish parents, Rose (née Jacobson) and Alexander Arinsberg. At the age of 12, she moved to Los Angeles, where she attended Venice High School. In California, she won a teenage singing contest and appeared on television talent shows.

She worked as a car salesperson in the early 1950s.In 1952 she began to record, using first the name "Audrey Brown" and later "Audrey Grant." She was given the name "Gogi" by Dave Kapp, the head of Artists and Repertory at RCA Victor, who liked to patronize a restaurant called "Gogi's LaRue." (Another source says that Grant asked Kapp, "What is a Gogi?" She continued, "His answer was, 'Darned if I know, I dreamed it last night.'")

In 1955 Grant signed with a small record company, Era Records, and had her first top ten hit with "Suddenly There's a Valley." The next year, she had an even bigger hit, reaching number 1 on Billboard 's Top 100 chart with "The Wayward Wind" and holding there for six weeks. The song sold over one million copies in the United States alone, and peaked at No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart. She was voted the most popular female vocalist by Billboard magazine. This single returned to the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.

In 1957, she supplied the vocals for Ann Blyth's portrayal of Helen Morgan in the biographical film, The Helen Morgan Story. The soundtrack occasioned her return to RCA Victor (the soundtrack album climbed to No. 25 in the Billboard album chart), where she had a minor hit the following year with "Strange Are the Ways of Love." Moreover, she was signed to star in The Big Beat in the spring of 1957. The film, which featured musical performances by the Cal Tjader Quintet, George Shearing, and the Del Vikings, was produced and directed by William Cowan and released in February 1958.

In 1958, Grant was one of the three solo singers featured in the first stereo LP of the classic musical Show Boat. The other solo singers were Howard Keel, who had appeared in the 1951 film version of the show, and Anne Jeffreys.

Although she made albums and appeared on television into the 1960s, her popularity declined and she initially retired from singing in 1967 after a final US chart single, "The Sea" (top 20 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart). An album of hers was released in UK some 20 years later. Grant survived cancer surgery and was in remission. In 2004, aged 80, she made an appearance on the PBS 1950s pop music special Magic Moments and sang "The Wayward Wind."

Grant headlined with The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies in Palm Springs, California. One of her more notable appearances of her later years was with the Follies on December 31, 2006. She was still performing as late as 2013, at the age of 89.

In 1959, Grant married attorney Robert Rifkind. The couple had two children.

Grant died on March 10, 2016, aged 91. Her death was announced by her son, Joshua Beckett. She also had a daughter, Jeri Brown.

Why Was I Born
Gogi Grant Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Spending these lonesome evenings
With nothing to do
But to live in dreams that I make up
All by myself

Dreaming that you're beside me
I picture the prettiest stories
Only to wake up

All by myself

What is the good of me by myself?

Why was I born
Why am I living
What do I get
What am I giving

Why do I want a thing
I daren't hope for
What can I hope for
I wish I knew

Why do I try
To draw you near me
Why do I do I cry
You never hear me

I'm a poor fool
But what can I do
Why was I born
To love you

I'm a poor fool
But what can I do

Why was I born
To love you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gogi Grant's "Why Was I Born" explore the feelings of loneliness, longing, and uncertainty surrounding the idea of unrequited love. The opening lines set the scene of the singer's solitary life, passing their time with dreams that they create alone. Through these dreams, they imagine a romantic partner beside them, crafting romantic stories in their head.

However, when they awake, they are faced with the reality that they are alone. The lyrics pose questions about the singer's existence, wondering why they were born and what they are meant to do or receive in life. They express frustration over wanting things they cannot have and feeling foolish for trying to draw someone towards them who doesn't seem to hear them or reciprocate their feelings.

The repeated line of being a "poor fool" highlights a sense of powerlessness and vulnerability. In spite of this, the singer acknowledges that they cannot help how they feel, asking "why was I born to love you" in the face of unrequited affection. The song is a bittersweet depiction of the complexities of love and the emotional turmoil it can bring.

Line by Line Meaning

Spending these lonesome evenings
Passing through these sad, solitary nights

With nothing to do
Without any activity to occupy myself

But to live in dreams that I make up
Except to dwell in the illusions that I create

All by myself
Being alone with my thoughts

Dreaming that you're beside me
Imagining your presence near me

I picture the prettiest stories
I envision the most beautiful scenarios

Only to wake up
But all of it comes to an end once I'm awake

All by myself
Facing reality alone

What is the good of me by myself?
What good can I be on my own?

Why was I born
What was the purpose of my existence?

Why am I living
What meaning is there to my life?