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.
Where Flamingos Fly
Helen Merrill Lyrics
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In the still of the night
And morning brings forth
All this wonderful delight
Couldn't have made it more plain
When I heard that soft refrain
And I heard you gently sigh
Way over yonder in the clear blue sky
That's where flamingos fly
Lie in the dark
With the sound of the nightingale
Listen for a lark
I will tell you a tale
Breeze is blowin', blowin' outside
Wanna take that moonlight ride
When I hear you gently sigh
Wanna take you where flamingos fly, flamingos fly
Way over yonder in the clear blue sky
That's where flamingos fly
Well we're here and we're waiting
For that morning light to shine
And I'm looking at you looking at me looking right back at you
And I'm anticipating
Sounds along the way
Looking at you looking at me looking right back at you, hey
I'll follow the road
That will take me, take me right back home
And carry that load
Where the deer and the provincial angels roam
Happiness touches, touches me now
I know where it came from and how
When I hear you gently sigh
Wanna take you where flamingos fly, flamingos fly
Way over yonder in the clear blue sky
That's where flamingos fly, flamingos fly
Way over the rooftops of the houses
I heard it one time, I heard it one time in a lullaby
I heard it one time, I heard it one time in a lullaby
Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere way over the rooftops of the houses
Heard it one time in a lullaby
Heard it one time, heard it one time in a lullaby
The lyrics of "Where Flamingos Fly" by Helen Merrill paint a dreamy and whimsical picture of a romantic getaway, transporting the listener to a serene and enchanting place. The song captures the essence of escaping the mundane routine of everyday life, seeking solace and beauty in a different realm.
The opening lines set the scene for a late-night adventure, where the stillness of the night provides a calming backdrop for the singer's desires. The mention of "morning brings forth all this wonderful delight" suggests the anticipation and excitement that comes with embarking on a new journey. The softness and simplicity of the refrain, along with the gentle sigh, establish a sense of tranquility and intimacy.
The chorus evokes a sense of freedom and imagination, as the singer longs to take their partner to a place where "flamingos fly" in the clear blue sky. This imagery symbolizes a place of beauty and harmony, far removed from the troubles of the everyday world. The song emphasizes the power of nature, with birdsong and breezes becoming vehicles for escape and transcendence.
The bridge introduces a hopeful and optimistic tone, as the singer eagerly awaits the morning light and the adventures that lie ahead. The mutual gaze between the singer and their partner signifies a deep emotional connection and a shared excitement for what lies ahead. The mention of "sounds along the way" hints at the unknown and the unexpected joys that may be encountered on this journey.
Overall, "Where Flamingos Fly" is a song about escapism, love, and the yearning for a magical place where worries fade away. It invites listeners to imagine a world where they can find solace and happiness in the beauty of nature and the company of their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Go for a ride
Embark on a journey
In the still of the night
During the quietness and tranquility of the night
And morning brings forth
And as dawn arrives
All this wonderful delight
Bringing forth an array of delightful experiences
Couldn't have made it more plain
It couldn't have been expressed more clearly
When I heard that soft refrain
Upon hearing that gentle melody
And I heard you gently sigh
And I listened to your soft sigh
Wanna take you where flamingos fly, flamingos fly
I desire to take you to the place where flamingos soar gracefully
Way over yonder in the clear blue sky
Far away, in the expanse of the serene blue sky
That's where flamingos fly
That is the destination adorned by the flight of flamingos
Lie in the dark
Recline in the darkness
With the sound of the nightingale
Enveloped by the melodies of the nightingale
Listen for a lark
Strain to hear a lark
I will tell you a tale
I will share a story with you
Breeze is blowin', blowin' outside
A gentle wind is whispering, blowing outside
Wanna take that moonlight ride
Desire to embark on a journey under the moonlight
When I hear you gently sigh
When I listen to your soft sigh
Well we're here and we're waiting
We are currently present and eagerly anticipating
For that morning light to shine
For the light of dawn to illuminate
And I'm looking at you looking at me looking right back at you
I gaze at you as you gaze at me, our eyes meeting
And I'm anticipating
And I am filled with anticipation
Sounds along the way
Sounds encountered during the journey
Looking at you looking at me looking right back at you, hey
Observing each other, our gazes intertwined
I'll follow the road
I will proceed along the path
That will take me, take me right back home
Leading me directly back to my place of belonging
And carry that load
And bear that burden
Where the deer and the provincial angels roam
Where deer and simple, natural beings freely wander
Happiness touches, touches me now
Bliss now embraces and affects me
I know where it came from and how
I understand its origin and nature
Wanna take you where flamingos fly, flamingos fly
I desire to take you to the magnificent realm of flamingos
Way over yonder in the clear blue sky
Far away, in the distant and vivid blue sky
That's where flamingos fly, flamingos fly
That is the ethereal domain where flamingos gracefully soar
Way over the rooftops of the houses
High above the roofs of the dwellings
I heard it one time, I heard it one time in a lullaby
Once, I heard it—heard its melody within a lullaby
I heard it one time, I heard it one time in a lullaby
Once, I heard it—heard its melody within a lullaby
Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere way over the rooftops of the houses
Somewhere, in a distant place high above the dwellings' roofs
Heard it one time in a lullaby
Encountered its tune once in a soothing lullaby
Heard it one time, heard it one time in a lullaby
Experienced its melody once, within the context of a lullaby
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ELTHEA PEALE, HAROLD COURLANDER, JOHN BENSON BROOKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind