Born in Royal, Nebraska, Hering began playing piano at age three, and at age six started formal study in classical piano. She studied classical piano and voice at Sacred Heart in Omaha, Nebraska where she became interested in jazz.
After beginning her career at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha she joined a United States Navy recruiting tour during World War II. In the late 1940s, she worked in Chicago clubs where she once was a supporting vocalist for Anita O'Day. She became known for what might be deemed torch songs.
She signed with Decca Records in 1951 and became known both for pop and jazz. The 1950s saw her at the height of her importance. In that decade she sang in a few films and in 1957 she had a top 30 hit with "Fire Down Below". After her switch to Capitol Records she had success doing interpretations of Cole Porter with Billy May arranging some of the more humorous examples.
In the 1960s she gave up music to teach and later moved to Hollywood to work on film composing with Hugo Friedhofer. She also wrote Interpreting Popular Music At The Keyboard during her final years. She died in Los Angeles of pneumonia in 1991.
Hold Me
Jeri Southern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're far away I'm always blue
If you want me to remain romantic
Here are all the things you like to do
Hold me, honey won't you hold me, yeah
Hold me, never let me go
Take me, honey won't you take me
Thrill me, let your kisses thrill me, yeah
Just like you alone can do
O hold me, tenderly enfold me
Never try to hold me away from you
Oh, thrill me, baby let your kisses thrill me, yeah
Just like you are looking good
O hold me, tenderly and fold me, oh yeah
Never try to hold me away from you
Never try to hold me away from you
Baby listen to me
Don't you try to hold me away from you
In Jeri Southern's song "Hold Me," the lyrics depict the strong and fervent emotions that arise from love and longing. The song is a plea to the object of the singer's affection to be close to them to alleviate their emotional aching. The opening lines "When you're near me I feel so romantic, When you're far away I'm always blue" immediately set the tone for the song that will follow. The singer is clearly stating that when their beloved is away from them, they are filled with a sense of emptiness that can only be remedied by being near them.
The rest of the lyrics are an appeal to the listener to hold the singer, to never let them go, to take them and never forsake them because of their love for them. The singer is asking their beloved to thrill them with their kisses, to tenderly enfold them, and to never try to hold them away from them. The plea is not just for physical closeness but also emotional closeness; the singer wants to feel the love and bond between them, and to not be kept at arm's length emotionally.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are deeply emotional, and the simple yet powerful words are capable of expressing the feeling of love and the longing one feels to be close to their beloved. Jeri Southern's singing style, with its delicate tone and phrasing, perfectly conveys the vulnerability and intensity of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're near me I feel so romantic
My feelings intensify when I am near you, and I experience romantic sensations of love.
When you're far away I'm always blue
The thought of being away from you makes me sad and unhappy.
If you want me to remain romantic
In order for me to keep feeling romantic towards you, there are certain things you can do.
Here are all the things you like to do
I will share with you the things that make you happy and keep the romance alive.
Hold me, honey won't you hold me, yeah
Please embrace me tightly and make me feel safe and loved.
Hold me, never let me go
Do not ever let me leave your arms, as I desire to stay close to you forever.
Take me, honey won't you take me
Lead me to the special place where we can be alone and in love.
Never to forsake me, 'cause I love you so-o
Do not abandon me, because I am in love with you and rely on your affection.
Thrill me, let your kisses thrill me, yeah
Excite me with the touch of your lips, as I relish the sensation it brings.
Just like you alone can do
No one can ignite the passion inside of me like you can.
O hold me, tenderly enfold me
Please hold me softly and tightly, letting me feel your powerful love.
Never try to hold me away from you
Please do not keep me from being near to you, as my love is powerful and enduring.
Oh, thrill me, baby let your kisses thrill me, yeah
Please kiss me passionately, as it is the source of my intense pleasure.
Just like you are looking good
In this moment, you are desirable and attractive to me.
Never try to hold me away from you
Do not attempt to keep me apart from you; I long to be as close to you as possible.
Never try to hold me away from you
I must repeat that you should never keep me far from you, as my attachment to you is strong.
Baby listen to me
These are the things I need to say to you, and you must hear them.
Don't you try to hold me away from you
Under no circumstance should you keep me away from you or make me feel unloved.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Christine Mcvie, Robbie Patton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind