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 Need You Now
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need you now
I can't remember when
I've ever been so blue
If I ever needed love
I need it now
I feel so all alone
No day or night goes by
When I don't have my cry
I feel like I could die
From wanting you
I can't ease my aching heart
But you know how
If I ever needed you
I need you now
No day or night goes by
When I don't have my cry
I feel like I could die
From wanting you
I can't ease my aching heart
But you know how
If I ever needed you
I need you now
The lyrics of Joni James's song "I Need You Now" express a desperate longing for someone who is absent. The singer is so heartbroken and lonely that they can't even remember a time when they felt this low. They need that person's love and presence, but they are not there, and this makes the singer feel like they could die from wanting them so much. The pain and longing are so intense that the singer cries every day and every night, with no relief.
The singer's vocal performance is emotional and heart-wrenching, capturing the intensity of the lyrics. The song's slow, mournful melody matches the melancholic mood and emphasizes the feeling of loneliness and longing. The lyrics express a universal feeling of needing love and companionship when one is at their lowest point.
Overall, "I Need You Now" is a heartfelt and honest expression of the human need for love and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
If I ever needed you
The singer acknowledges that there is a need in her life for someone's presence
I need you now
The singer makes a plea for someone's attention and asks them to be present in her life at this very moment
I can't remember when
The singer cannot recall any other time when she felt this low and needed help this much
I've ever been so blue
The artist is feeling emotionally down and depressed
If I ever needed love
The artist acknowledges that she requires love to heal her emotional pain
I need it now
The singer implores someone to love her and invest in her emotional well-being, and that it must happen in the present moment
I feel so all alone
The singer is feeling isolated and without the support of others during a difficult time
I don't know what to do
The artist is unsure of how to alleviate her negative emotions and needs someone to guide her through it
No day or night goes by
The artist's emotional pain doesn't disappear and they feel this way throughout the day and night
When I don't have my cry
The artist needs to release her emotions through crying due to the intensity of her feelings
I feel like I could die
The singer's emotional pain is so intense they feel like it could be fatal
From wanting you
The artist's emotional pain is connected to her need for someone's love and presence
I can't ease my aching heart
Nothing the singer has tried has helped to alleviate the emotional pain she is feeling
But you know how
The singer has hope and faith that the person she is directing this towards can help ease her emotional pain
If I ever needed you
The singer reiterates the importance of this person's presence in her life
I need you now
The artist reaffirms her plea to someone to be present in her life during a difficult time
Contributed by Isabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vicky
I love this song so much. The lyrics are so meaningful, unlike other songs today..
Jay
Such a Sweet Song By A Singer With Such A Beautiful Voice.
Micky May
Abslutely wonderful to hear Joni's extremely incredible voice sing in a way that talks to my heart. Fantatic quality again Tom Smith. Your great work is appreciated because hearing this makes me so very happy.
takoma5
Great song!
Patrick Wall
Great blues ballad song. Covered by Jerry Lee Lewis and Eddie Fisher as well.
catman916
I prefer Joni's original ballad version from 1953.
Cal Stout
Tom, thank you for cleaning up my Joni James error. It was her husband, orchestra
leader Tony Acquaviva, who passed away in 1961.
Wayne Brasler
Actually, Joni originally recorded "I Need You Now" April 5, 1953 with Lew Douglas in Chicago about two weeks before Fisher recorded his version in New York City. Hers was done a slow torchy ballad, his as an up-tempo swinger. When RCA was to release Fisher's version, Joni was on the charts with a two-sided hit of "My Love, My Love" and "You're Foolin' Someone" and M-G-M didn't want to step on it. So her "I Need You Now" was shelved. Fisher later told her, "You should have had the hit."
Tom Smith
Thanks for your nice comments!
Cal Stout
Tom, thank you for clearing up my Joni James error. In fact, in was her husband, orchestra leader Tony Acquaviva, who died in 1986 at the age of 31. Tom, again, thank you. As a Joni James fan I can't believe my obvious error.