Reid was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. She sang in church and in high school in Georgia, and moved to New York City in 1947 after her mother died. Toward the end of 1947, she tied out for an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and won the competition for five straight weeks. Soon after she was offered a slot as the featured vocalist with Dick Vance at the Savoy Ballroom, which she held from 1948-1950.
In 1961-62, Reid sang with Count Basie's orchestra, and recorded for Verve Records. She later performed in a Broadway production of the musical The Wiz. Additionally, she sang with Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, and B.B King. Reid receded from fame in the 1970s and 1980s, but launched a comeback near the end of that decade. She appeared at the Savannah Jazz Festival in 1991, 1994, and 1996, and continued releasing albums on Savant Records in the 1990s and 2000s.
In 2002, British DJ duo Beginerz sampled Reid's vocals to make the club hit "Reckless Girl."
We
Irene Reid Lyrics
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Didn't we?
This time we almost made some sense of it
Didn't we?
This time I had the answer, right here in my hand
Then I touched it and it had turned to sand
This time we almost sang our song in tune
This time we almost made it, made it to the moon
Didn't we, love?
This time we almost made our poem rhyme
This time we almost made that long hard climb
Didn't we almost make it?
Didn't we almost make it?
Didn't we almost make it this time?
The lyrics to Irene Reid's song "Didn't We" appear to describe a relationship that almost worked out but ultimately did not. The first verse expresses a sense of almost achieving a breakthrough, with the singer claiming to have had "the answer" in hand before it "turned to sand." This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the fragility of relationships and how difficult it can be to hold onto feelings or moments of clarity.
The second verse builds on this theme, with the repeated phrase "Didn't we, love?" highlighting the disappointment and regret felt by the singer. The line "This time we almost made it, made it to the moon" is particularly poignant, as it references a seemingly impossible goal that was almost achieved but ultimately remained out of reach. The line "This time we almost made our poem rhyme" could be seen as a metaphor for trying to find harmony and balance in a relationship, which has proven elusive.
Overall, the lyrics to "Didn't We" capture the bittersweet nature of relationships and the sense of missed opportunities that can accompany them. The song is a powerful reminder of how fragile love can be and how difficult it can be to make things work, even when it seems like everything is falling into place.
Line by Line Meaning
This time we almost made the pieces fit
We were really close to figuring things out this time
Didn't we?
Right? You know what I mean?
This time we almost made some sense of it
We almost understood everything that was happening
This time I had the answer, right here in my hand
I was sure I knew how to solve everything
Then I touched it and it had turned to sand
But once I tried to put my plan into action, it fell apart
This time we almost sang our song in tune
We almost got everything just right
Didn't we, love?
You know what I mean, my dear?
This time we almost made it, made it to the moon
We almost achieved something really big
Didn't we, love?
Right, my beloved?
This time we almost made our poem rhyme
We almost got all the words to flow together nicely
This time we almost made that long hard climb
We almost made it through a tough challenge
Didn't we almost make it?
We were so close to succeeding, weren't we?
Didn't we almost make it?
We were really close, right?
Didn't we almost make it this time?
We almost did it, but not quite
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jimmy L Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jamil Norwood
Her intros take me out EVERY time... Lil'Kim sampled her original!