She moved to New York and became a recording vocalist with Harry James big band in 1937.
Her swing recordings with Harry James included "Jubilee", "I Can Dream Can't I", "That's The Dreamer In Me" and "Song Of The Wanderer".
Helen Humes became one of the vocalists with Count Basie's band in the late 1930s.
Her vocals with Basie's band included "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea".
During the 1940s and 1950s Helen Humes became a solo performer and worked with different bands and other vocalists including Nat King Cole.
In 1950 Humes recorded Benny Carter's "Rock Me to Sleep". She managed to bridge the gap between big band jazz swing and rhythm and blues.
She moved to Hawaii and later to Australia.
Helen Humes died in Santa Monica, California.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Humes"
You're Driving Me Crazy
Helen Humes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why did you leave me lonely?
For here's a heart that's only
For nobody but you!
I'm burning like a flame, dear;
Oh, I'll never be the same, dear;
I'll always place the blame, dear,
Yes, you,
You're driving me crazy!
What did I do? What did I do?
My tears for you
Make everything hazy,
Clouding the skies of blue.
How true,
Were the friends who were near me to cheer me,
Believe me, they knew!
But you,
Were the kind who would hurt me, desert me,
When I needed you!
Yes, you!
You're driving me crazy!
What did I do to you?
In Helen Humes's "You're Driving Me Crazy," the lyrics tell the story of a love that has ended, leaving the singer heartbroken and confused. The first stanza sets the stage of loneliness and sadness, with the singer asking why they were left alone. The heart that was once devoted to the love interest is now empty and waiting to be filled by them. The next stanza describes the effect this relationship has had on the singer. They feel as though they're on fire, unable to quench this burning desire. The blame for this fire is not placed on anyone else but the love interest.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "You're driving me crazy," which emphasizes the singer's state of mind. The singer's sadness is so overwhelming that it clouds their view of everything else around them, as portrayed in the line "My tears for you make everything hazy, clouding the skies of blue." The third stanza makes it clear that the singer's friends have been offering support, even though they knew that the love interest was the kind of person who could hurt and desert them. The final chorus repeats the question "What did I do to you?" which alludes to the fact that the singer doesn't understand why the love interest left.
Line by Line Meaning
You left me sad and lonely;
You made me feel abandoned and alone;
Why did you leave me lonely?
I don't understand why you chose to leave me alone;
For here's a heart that's only
I have a heart that is exclusively
For nobody but you!
reserved for you!
I'm burning like a flame, dear;
I am consumed by a fiery passion, my dear;
Oh, I'll never be the same, dear;
I know I will never be the same again, my dear;
I'll always place the blame, dear,
I will always assign blame, my dear,
On nobody but you.
to nobody but you.
Yes, you,
You, who I am referring to;
You're driving me crazy!
You are causing me to feel insane with emotional pain!
What did I do? What did I do?
I don't see what I have done to make you behave this way towards me!
My tears for you
The tears I shed for you
Make everything hazy,
Causes a fog over everything around me,
Clouding the skies of blue.
Depriving the blue skies of their brightness.
How true,
My friends who offered support were very honest when they said that
Were the friends who were near me to cheer me,
they were the friends who were always there to comfort me,
Believe me, they knew!
They truly understood what I was going through!
But you,
You, on the other hand,
Were the kind who would hurt me, desert me,
Would cause me pain and then abandon me,
When I needed you!
At the very moment when I needed you most!
Yes, you!
I am still talking about you!
You're driving me crazy!
You are pushing me to the brink of insanity with your behavior!
What did I do to you?
I cannot understand how I provoked such treatment from you!
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Karlos Clarke
Always enjoyed listening to Helen Humes, especially when she sang with the Count Basie Orchestra, after Holiday. Like the pitch in her voice sometimes slow tempo in an upbeat song. She became one of my favorite singers after Billie's death but no one can replace Billie.
Mary Bogue
Thank you for sharing. She was a dear friend of mine and I have the best memories. Hearing her sing always brings a smile to my heart. Thank you again.
Aj Washington
The band is hot ❤