Mammina was born i… Read Full Bio ↴Jenna Mammina is a jazz and pop singer from Michigan.
Mammina was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, and began singing in church from the age of five and performing in school musicals. In her teens, Mammina learned to play piano and guitar, performing with local bands. She attended Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, and Laney College in Oakland, before settling in San Francisco.
After session work with The Spinners and Narada Michael Walden, Mammina has gone on to record five albums, all released on her own label, Mamma Grace. Mammina, who performs as many as 250 times a year, has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Bobby Watson, Nancy King, Andy Narell, and Steve Coleman. Derk Robertson, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, picked her debut album, Under the Influence, as number nine in his top albums of 1999. Her second album, Meant to Be, was nominated for a California Music Award in the Outstanding Jazz Album category.
Mammina is also a music educator, presenting workshops titled "Scat for Cats" and "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star'" in schools and universities.
Mammina combines folk music, pop, and jazz, often performing with guitarist Andre Bush. She covers a wide range of music, including songs ranging from Abbey Lincoln (her idol) to Elvis Costello, U2, and Tom Waits, as well as original compositions. Her voice has been described as "sweet and flexible", "whisper-like" with "air-brushed phrasings and silky nuance", and less flatteringly, as "tiny, thinnish, high-pitched".
My One and Only Love
Jenna Mammina Lyrics
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Like an April breeze on the wings of spring,
And you appear in all your splendor,
My one and only love.
The shadows fall and spread their mystic charms
In the hush of night while you're in my arms.
I feel your lips, so warm and tender,
The touch of your hand is like heaven,
A heaven that I've never known.
The blush on your cheek whenever I speak
Tells me that you are my own.
You fill my eager heart with such desire.
Ev'ry kiss you give sets my soul on fire.
I give myself in sweet surrender,
My one and only love.
Jenna Mammina's song "My One and Only Love" is a beautiful love ballad that captures the essence of the intense passion and desire that only true love can evoke. The lyrics begin by expressing how the mere thought of the person being sung about ignites a feeling of elation within the singer. The comparison to an April breeze on the wings of spring creates imagery of lightness and new beginnings, exactly what being in love feels like. The line "you appear in all your splendor" further emphasizes how much the person means to the singer, and how perfect they are in every way. This is not just any love, but the one and only love for the singer.
The second stanza captures the magic that happens between two people in love. The shadows fall and "spread their mystic charms" to make the moment even more special. The singer then speaks about feeling the lips of their lover, which are "warm and tender". This phrase is used to convey the intimacy of the moment and the deep connection that exists between the two. The word "only" is used again to reinforce the idea that the singer has found their one true love, the only person that can make them feel this way.
The final stanza speaks about the transformative power of love. The touch of their hand is like heaven, something that the singer has never experienced before. The blush on their cheek when the singer speaks is a sign that the person is theirs forever. Every kiss is like fuel that sets the singer's soul on fire, and they offer themselves in "sweet surrender", giving everything to their one and only love. The song ends on a powerful note, with the singer expressing how much their love fills their heart with desire.
Line by Line Meaning
The very thought of you makes my heart sing
The mere thought of you fills me with happiness and joy.
Like an April breeze on the wings of spring,
You bring a freshness and newness to my life like a gentle spring breeze.
And you appear in all your splendor,
When I see you, I am struck by how beautiful you are.
My one and only love.
You are the only person I love with my whole heart.
The shadows fall and spread their mystic charms
As darkness falls, it creates a mysterious and romantic feeling.
In the hush of night while you're in my arms.
As we hold each other in the silence of the night, the world fades away and it feels like it's just us.
I feel your lips, so warm and tender,
When I kiss you, your lips are soft and loving.
My one and only love.
You are the only person I love with my whole heart.
The touch of your hand is like heaven,
When you touch me, it feels heavenly and perfect.
A heaven that I've never known.
Being with you feels like experiencing something I've never experienced before.
The blush on your cheek whenever I speak
When I talk to you, I can see a slight blush on your cheeks, which shows me that you are moved by my words.
Tells me that you are my own.
Your blushing shows me that you are mine and I am yours.
You fill my eager heart with such desire.
My heart is full of desire and longing for you when I am around you.
Ev'ry kiss you give sets my soul on fire.
When you kiss me, it feels like I am on fire with passion and love.
I give myself in sweet surrender,
I willingly give myself to you because my love for you is so strong.
My one and only love.
You are the only person I love with my whole heart.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Guy B. Wood, Robert Mellin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind