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.
I Have But One Heart
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have but one heart to share with you
I have but one dream that I can cling to
You are the one dream I pray comes true
Darling, until I saw you, I never felt this way
And nobody else before you, ever has heard me say
You are my one love, my life I live for youI have but one heart to give to you
Vicin'o mare, facimmo 'ammore
A core a core, pe' ce spassa
So marenare e tiro 'a rezza
Ma, p'allerezza, stongo a muri
The lyrics to Joni James's song I Have But One Heart express the deep and profound love the singer has for the person she is addressing in the song. She tells them that she only has one heart to give them, and that they are the one dream she hopes will come true in her life. The lyrics speak of a singular and exclusive love that the singer has for this person, saying that she never felt this way about anyone else before.
The lines "Darling, until I saw you, I never felt this way, and nobody else before you, ever has heard me say" express the idea that this love is new and unique, and that it is only with this person that the singer has finally found the missing piece of her heart. The use of the Italian language in the lyrics, with lines like "Vicin'o mare, facimmo 'ammore" (translation: "Near the sea, let's make love"), adds to the romantic and passionate tone of the song.
Overall, the lyrics to I Have But One Heart convey the message that true love is rare, precious, and should be cherished when found. The singer's commitment and dedication to the person she loves are evident in every word she sings, making this a touching and heartfelt love song.
Line by Line Meaning
I have but one heart, this heart I bring you
I only have one heart and I want to give it to you
I have but one dream that I can cling to
I have only one cherished dream and it's to be with you
You are the one dream I pray comes true
You are the one I hope to be with forever and ever
Darling, until I saw you, I never felt this way
I never experienced such feelings until I met you, my love
And nobody else before you, ever has heard me say
I have never told anyone else what I'm going to tell you now
You are my one love, my life I live for you
You are the only one I love and I'll do anything for you
I have but one heart to give to you
All I can offer you is my one and only heart, my love
Writer(s): JOHNNY FARROW, MARTY SYMES
Contributed by Hunter S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Shelby1314
My Dad loved her music...this song brings back such good memories...what a lovely sweet voice...
@dancingron
This song makes me miss my father. We grew up in an Italian household. My dad loved music and so do I. It is by accident that I found this song by Joni James. Whoever recorded this for you tube, I thank you so very much. Beautiful............
@toñodueñas
Endearing comment. They are many versions of “I Have But One Heart” on the internet: Al Martino, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Vic Damone.
@ruthannbrafford9710
My Mom has the album I use to listen to this all the time growing up. She was a wonderful singer.
@felixkwan3592
My sweet memories in the 60s
@ThePietraPreziosa
thanks for sharing this lovely song... went straight in my heart!
@jimmytobias3362
I love this song nice voice joni
@waynebrasler
It always distressed me that M-G-M did record this album in stereo but a stereo master was never prepared. The next album, Joni's French album, was recorded with this album and it was released in stereo, and it always makes me think of how brilliant a stereo version of "Ti Voglio Bene" would have been.
@XX_DD2
golden voice of golden mem'ries of d past
@DrGolf4
Nice Italian girl beautiful voice