She was the first American singer to record at Abbey Road Studios in England. Her fan base even included Asia and the Philippines. She had 7 top hits, including "Why Don't You Believe in Me?", "Your Cheating Heart," "Almost Always," and "Have You Heard?"
She married composer Tony Acquaviva in 1956. In 1964, she dropped out of the public eye to take care of him and did so until 1986, when Mr. Acquaviva passed away. She began to tour again in the 1990's. She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
All or Nothing At All
Joni James Lyrics
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Half a love, never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
All or nothing at all
If it's love, there is no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may go dizzy and fall
And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
I would be, caught in the undertow
So you see, I've got to say no, no
All or nothing at all
In "All or Nothing At All," Joni James makes it clear that she is looking for a love that is all-encompassing, with no room for hesitation or half-hearted commitment. She rejects the idea of settling for half-hearted love, stating that she would rather have nothing at all than a love that is only partial. For James, love is all or nothing: there can be no middle ground.
The song warns of the dangers of getting too close to someone who cannot offer full commitment, as it may cause one to fall deeply in love, and risk being drowned in a one-sided love affair. James acknowledges the strong attraction she feels for her love interest, but ultimately decides that she must choose between risking everything for a love that may not be returned in full, or losing the person entirely.
In "All or Nothing At All," James conveys the message of the importance of self-love and self-respect in relationships, and the need to set boundaries to prevent heartbreak and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
All or nothing at all
I want a love that is absolute and nothing in between.
Half a love, never appealed to me
I am not interested in a half-hearted love.
If your heart, never could yield to me
If you cannot give me your heart, I am not interested.
Then I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
I would rather have no love at all.
If it's love, there is no in between
Love is absolute, there cannot be any in between.
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
I do not want to start something and end up crying over what could have been.
No I'd rather (rather) have nothing at all
I prefer to have no love than to settle for anything less than absolute.
But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
I do not want to be tempted by your advances.
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
I do not want to be swayed by your charm.
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
Your gestures make me feel vulnerable and weak.
And my heart may go dizzy and fall
Your charms may overpower my heart.
And if I fell (I fell) under the spell of your call
If I let my defenses down and fall for you.
I would be, caught in the undertow
I would be trapped and unable to escape your allure.
So you see, I've got to say no, no
I have to refuse because I know where this could lead.
All or nothing at all
I want a love that is absolute and nothing in between.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: Arthur Altman, Jack Lawrence
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind