Merrill's recording career has spanned six decades and she is popular with fans of jazz in Japan and Italy (where she lived for many years) as well as in her native United States. She has recorded and performed with some of the most notable figures in the American jazz scene.
Youth and early career in the states
Merrill was born in 1930 to Croatian immigrant parents. She began singing in jazz clubs in the Bronx at the age of fourteen. By the time she was sixteen, Merrill had taken up music full time. In 1952, Merrill made her recording debut when she was asked to sing "A Cigarette For Company" with the Earl Hines Band; the song was released on their Xanadu album. Etta Jones made her debut on the same album.
At this time she was married to musician Aaron Sachs. They divorced in 1956.
As a result of the exposure she received from "A Cigarette for Company" and two subsequent singles recorded for the Roost record label, Merrill was signed by Mercury Records for their new EmArcy label.
In 1954, Merrill recorded her first (and to date most acclaimed) LP, an eponymous record featuring legendary jazz trumpet player Clifford Brown and bassist/cellist Oscar Pettiford, among others. It was to be one of Brown's last recordings, as he was killed in a car accident just two years later. The album was produced and arranged by Quincy Jones, who was then just twenty-one years old. The success of Helen Merrill prompted Mercury to sign her for an additional four-album contract.
Merrill's follow-up to Helen Merrill was the 1956 LP, Dream of You, which was produced and arranged by bebop arranger and pianist Gil Evans. Evans' work on Dream of You was his first in many years. His arrangements on Merrill's laid the musical foundations for his work in following years with Miles Davis.
Success abroad
After recording sporadically through the late 1950s and 1960s, Merrill spent much of her time touring Europe, where she enjoyed more commercial success than she had in the United States. She settled for a time in Italy recording an album there, and doing live concerts with jazz notables Chet Baker, Romano Mussolini, and Stan Getz. Merrill returned to the U.S. in the 1960s, but moved to Japan in 1967 after touring there. Merrill developed a following in Japan that remains strong to this day. In addition to recording while in Japan, Merrill became involved in other aspects of the music industry, producing albums for Trio Records and hosting a show on a Tokyo radio station.
Later career
Merrill returned to the US in 1972 and has continued recording and regular touring since then. Her later career has seen her experiment in different music genres. She has recorded a bossa nova album, a Christmas album and a record's worth of Rodgers and Hammerstein, among many others.
Two albums from Merrill's later career have been tributes to past musical partners. In 1987, Merrill and Gil Evans recorded fresh arrangements of their classic Dream of You; the new recordings were released under the title Collaboration and became the most critically acclaimed of Merrill's albums in the 1980s.
In 1987 she co-produced a CD "Billy Eckstine sing with Benny Carter" and sing in duet with Mr.B two ballads.
In 1995 she recorded Brownie: Homage to Clifford Brown as a tribute to the late trumpeter.
One of Merrill's millennium released recordings draws from her Croatian heritage as well as her American upbringing. Jelena Ana Milcetic, a.k.a. Helen Merrill (2000), combines jazz, pop and blues songs with several traditional Croatian songs sung in Croatian.
Helen Merrill has been married three times, first to musician Aaron Sachs, second time to UPI vice president the late Donald J Brydon, and third to arranger-conductor the late Torrie Zito. She has one child, a son, Allan P Sachs, also a singer, who is professionally known as Alan Merrill.
When I Fall In Love
Helen Merrill Lyrics
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Maybe I am living in the past
But when I meet the right one
I know that I'll be true
My first love will be the last
When I fall in love it will be forever
Or I'll never fall in love
Love is ended before it began
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
When I give my heart it will be completely
Or I'll never, never, never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I give my heart to you
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I give my heart to you
The lyrics of Helen Merrill's song "When I Fall In Love" describe the singer's desire to experience a lasting and sincere love that transcends the fleeting nature of modern romance. The song expresses a belief in the importance of finding the "right one" and being true to that person for the rest of one's life. The singer suggests that a true love never fades away, unlike the superficial and fleeting connections that are so common in a restless and busy world.
The lyrics use the imagery of moonlight kisses that "cool in the warmth of the sun" to contrast the intensity of a passion that burns brightly in the moment but fades quickly, with the enduring love that lasts forever. The singer's commitment to giving her heart completely and only to someone who reciprocates that feeling is a romantic ideal that is beautifully expressed in the song.
The message underlying the lyrics of "When I Fall In Love" is timeless and universal, appealing to anyone who has ever searched for lasting love in a world that often seems to prioritize transitory experiences and instant gratification. The song conveys a sense of hope and longing that is deeply relatable, and the lyrics seem to resonate with listeners across time and cultural boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I'm old fashioned, feeling as I do
I might have a traditional approach to love that might seem outdated
Maybe I am living in the past
My romantic beliefs may not align with modern society's views of love
But when I meet the right one
However, when I meet the one I'm meant to be with
I know that I'll be true
I can guarantee that I will be loyal to them
My first love will be the last
My love for them will be eternal and unchanging
When I fall in love it will be forever
I only fall in love with the intention of it being a lifelong commitment
Or I'll never fall in love
I won't waste my time or emotions on temporary love
In a restless world like this is
In a world so uncertain and fast-paced
Love is ended before it began
Love often ends before it even has a chance to start
And too many moonlight kisses
Having too many romantic moments in a short period of time
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
Can quickly dissipate once reality sets in
When I give my heart it will be completely
When I decide to open up and love someone, I will do so wholeheartedly
Or I'll never, never, never give my heart
Otherwise I won't give my heart at all
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
When I sense that you feel the same level of commitment and love towards me
Is when I give my heart to you
I will trust you with my heart and love you with all I have
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Heyman, Victor Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind