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.
Lullaby of Birdland
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always hear when you sigh
Never in my wordland
Could there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love?
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
And there's a weepy old willow
He really knows how to cry
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Flyin' high in Birdland
High in the sky up above
All because we're in love
In the song "Lullaby of Birdland," Joni James sings about the magical feeling that she experiences whenever she hears her lover sighing. She compares this feeling to the lullaby of Birdland, and expresses that there is no way to truly communicate her emotions through words. She then goes on to describe the way that she and her lover express their love through kissing, describing it as a kind of magical music made by their lips. James then goes on to mention a weeping willow, empathizing with its sadness, and stating that she would cry in the same way if her lover were ever to say goodbye. The song ends with a call for her lover to kiss her and take her on a flight high into the sky in Birdland, as a symbol of their love.
One interesting fact about "Lullaby of Birdland" is that it was composed by jazz pianist George Shearing in 1952. Shearing wrote the song while he was performing at the Birdland jazz club in New York City, and it quickly became a popular jazz standard. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Barbra Streisand. Another interesting fact is that the song's title and lyrics are a reference to the Birdland club itself, which was named after the famous jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. Additionally, the song was prominently featured in the 1980s film "The Cotton Club," starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane.
The chords for "Lullaby of Birdland" are as follows:
Verse:
Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7
Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7
C7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 D7#5
Chorus:
Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7
Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7
C7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7 D7#5
Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Bbmaj7
Line by Line Meaning
Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I
When you sigh, I hear a lullaby that takes me to Birdland
Always hear when you sigh
Whenever you sigh, I hear that enchanting lullaby
Never in my wordland
I can't express my feelings using words
Could there be ways to reveal
I am unable to find ways to express what I feel
In a phrase how I feel
I cannot convey the depth of my feelings using a mere phrase
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Have you ever witnessed two birds that are deeply in love?
Bill and coo when they love?
They express love by billing and cooing
That's the kind of magic
That's the enchanting magic of love
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
Our kisses make sweet music with our lips
And there's a weepy old willow
There is a melancholic old willow tree
He really knows how to cry
It seems to me that the tree can shed tears as well
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you say goodbye, I will be weeping like that willow tree in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
In case you choose to bid me farewell
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
In a soft manner, Lullaby of Birdland is murmured
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Give me a sweet kiss and we will be off
Flyin' high in Birdland
We'll be flying high in the magical land of Birdland
High in the sky up above
Far above, in the heights of the sky
All because we're in love
This is all because we are head over heels in love with each other
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: George Shearing, George David Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind