Raised in Syracuse, New York, she found success in the 70s as a model, working in New York and Paris (where she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange), before rising to public prominence as a singer and personality.
Jones secured a record deal with Island Records, which resulted in a string of club hits. The three disco albums she recorded - Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979) - generated dance singles such as Sorry That's The Trouble, I Need A Man, and a classic cover of La Vie En Rose. During this period, she also became a muse to Andy Warhol, appearing in his portraits and accompanying him to Studio 54 on many occasions.
As the 70s drew to a close, Jones adapted the emerging New Wave music to suit a different style, a significant departure from her previous output that resulted in some of her strongest work. Still with Island, and now working with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell at Compass Point Studios, and with the considerable talents of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (Sly & Robbie) behind her, she released the acclaimed Warm Leatherette (1980) and Nightclubbing (1981). These included re-imaginings of songs by Sting, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Flash And The Pan, The Normal, and Tom Petty, as well as originals like the innuendo-filled Pull Up To The Bumper and the haunting I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango). Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual departure; Jones - working heavily with style artist Jean-Paul Goude - adopted a severe, androgynous look that enhanced her already striking presence, the iconic cover of Nightclubbing exemplifying this new identity. Her collaboration with Sadkin and Blackwell continued with the dub reggae-influenced album Living My Life, which featured Nipple To The Bottle, The Apple Stretching, and the Jones-penned and much-sampled My Jamaican Guy.
Later in the 80s, she worked with Trevor Horn for the conceptual musical collage Slave to the Rhythm (1985), and with Nile Rodgers for Inside Story (1986) - her first album away from the Island label. Inside Story produced her last US Hot 100 hit to date, I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You), while Bulletproof Heart in 1989 produced the #1 US club hit Love on Top of Love - Killer Kiss, produced by C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivilles. Though a chart regular in the UK Grace Jones never achieved mainstream musical success in the US, but most of her singles became huge hits in the dance underground.
Jones' strong visual presence was extended to her stage work. Her performances were unique spectacles as she adopted various personas and wore outlandish costumes throughout, particularly during her years with Goude. Her most memorable performances include the Paradise Garage in 1985, wherein she collaborated with legendary visual artist Keith Haring for her costume and the extraordinary One Man Show filmed in Drury Lane Theatre London and in New York and released on video in 1982 (it is yet to be re-released).
In 2008 she returned with the album "Hurricane".
Someone to Love
Grace Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'm a victim of things that you do,
I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim of love.
Lonely nights, spent all alone by a lonesome telephone,
You never called, you'd never come,
I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim for love.
Oh I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim for love.
Mon cherie, j''etais une folle, completement conne, tu n'etais pas con.
je veux te baiser, tu le mal que tu m'as fait,
Oh I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim for love.
Why did you let go? Why did I lose,
When did love slip away, I though we were always going to stay,
Oh baby, where were you when I needed you,
Oh I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim of love.
In the song "Someone to Love" by Grace Jones, she expresses regret and hurt over a failed relationship. At the beginning of the song, she admits that she was foolish to believe that her partner was "cool." She then goes on to explain how she became a victim of love, hoping to find someone to love but ultimately being hurt by her romantic partner. The loneliness of spending nights alone waiting for her partner to call is emphasized through the lyrics "Lonely nights, spent all alone by a lonesome telephone, you never called, you'd never come."
As the song progresses, Jones expresses frustration and disappointment that her love wasn't reciprocated. She questions why her partner let go and why love slipped away. Despite the pain she has experienced, she still acknowledges her desire for someone to love. The French lyrics add a layer of emotional depth to the song as Jones sings that she was crazy and that she wants to make love to her partner, but he caused her pain. Overall, the song captures the complexity of love and the pain that can come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Darling I, I was a fool, Oh what a fool, I thought you were cool,
I trusted you completely and thought you were amazing, but now I realize how foolish I was to do so.
Now I'm a victim of things that you do,
Your actions have hurt me and made me a victim of your mistreatment.
I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim of love.
All I ever wanted was to love and be loved, but instead I ended up being a victim of a toxic relationship.
Lonely nights, spent all alone by a lonesome telephone,
I spent countless nights alone by the phone waiting for you to call, hoping for some connection.
You never called, you'd never come,
But you never reached out or came to be with me, leaving me feeling neglected and unimportant.
I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim for love.
I was so desperate for love that I allowed myself to become a victim of unhealthy and unfulfilling relationships.
Darling I, I was a fool and so you used me just like a clown,
Once again, I was foolish to trust you, and you took advantage of my feelings by treating me like a joke.
Mon cherie, j''etais une folle, completement conne, tu n'etais pas con.
My beloved, I was crazy and completely foolish, while you were not dim-witted.
je veux te baiser, tu le mal que tu m'as fait,
I want to have sex with you, despite the pain you have caused me.
Why did you let go? Why did I lose,
I can't understand why you let our love slip away, leaving me feeling lost and alone.
When did love slip away, I though we were always going to stay,
I was under the impression that our love was strong enough to last, so I'm confused and devastated about its sudden end.
Oh baby, where were you when I needed you,
During the tough times, you were nowhere to be found and left me to suffer alone.
Oh I just wanted someone to love, so I became a victim of love.
All I ever wanted was a genuine and fulfilling love, but instead I allowed myself to fall victim to the harmful and destructive nature of love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GRACE JONES, CHRISTOPHER STANLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wesley Correia
A minha música favorita da Grace Jones. Ouço sempre.
george4u1960
This song was great I don't know why they didn't play it in mainstream. Whole album was good.
Robert Trepagnier
Fabulous. Grace forever.
Romario Siergio Castillo-Hernandez
She reminds me of Tina Turner.