She has written and recorded not only vocalese lyrics to such be-bop improvisations as Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," but also lyrics to such poignant ballads as Barry Harris's "Deep Love." This creativity as an artist and performer, combined with her being a genuinely warm person, has put her much in demand for concerts both here and abroad -- with sold-out shows not only at London's Ronnie Scott's and at Christofori's in Amsterdam, but also at New York's Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club, at Los Angeles' Jazz Bakery, and at San Francisco's Yoshi's and Plush Room.
Jackie has been blessed with a three and a half octave range. Her mother, who was Mexican, crooned Spanish folk songs to her when she was a child (Jackie often includes a Spanish song on her CDs as a tribute to her mom who passed on when Jackie was in her teens); and her father, who is Irish, is a classically-trained baritone who sang in several languages. So it is not by accident that her appeal "bridges the gap between both geography and generations," as BILLBOARD so aptly put it. She was born to it.
The Very Thought of You
Jackie Ryan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I thought about you
I passed a shadowy lane
And I thought about you
Two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream
Oh, I thought about you
And when I pulled down the shade
Then I really felt blue
I peeped through the crack
Looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you
There were two or three cars parked under the stars
Winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream
And then I peeped through the crack
And I looked at the track
Oh I'm going back to you
And what did I do, I thought about you
The lyrics of Jackie Ryan's "The Very Thought of You" evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia. The singer takes a train journey and throughout the ride, she thinks about the person she loves, whose memory is haunting her. The passing of a shadowy lane, the sight of cars parked under the stars, the sparkling, winding stream, and the glowing moon over some little town - all remind her of her lover, intensifying her yearning for him.
Every stop the train makes, she finds herself lost in thought, consumed by the memory of her significant other. The shades pulled down, she feels the weight of sadness, losing herself to memories, and emotions. Peeping through the crack, watching the tracks, she realizes she must go back to the person she's been thinking about throughout the journey. The themes of the song revolve around pining, remembrance, and nostalgia, and speaks to the power of memories and the places they can take us.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a trip on a train
I embarked on a train journey.
And I thought about you
The thought of you kept me company throughout the journey.
I passed a shadowy lane
As the train passed, I noticed a dark road.
And I thought about you
Your memories flooded my mind.
Two or three cars parked under the stars
In the quiet of the night, I saw a few vehicles parked under the stars.
Winding stream
I sighted a stream that meandered through the terrain.
Moon shining down on some little town
In a small town, the moon cast its light.
And with each beam, the same old dream
Although I saw different sights, I still imagined the same dream.
And every stop that we made
At every stop the train made, my thoughts were consumed with you.
Oh, I thought about you
Your constant presence in my thoughts was comforting.
And when I pulled down the shade
To get some rest, I drew down the window shade.
Then I really felt blue
Without your presence, I felt sad and lonely.
I peeped through the crack
Curious about my surroundings, I peeked through the window crack.
Looked at the track
I watched as the scenery changed with the train tracks.
Oh, I'm going back to you
I couldn't wait to see you again.
And what did I do, I thought about you
Throughout the journey, I was lost in the thought of you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: VAN HEUSEN JIMMY, MERCER JOHNNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan Celli
THE PERFECT SINGER; JACKIE RYAN. I'm making it JACKIE RYAN WEEK on my Facebook.