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.
You Came a Long Way from St. Louis
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen the town and country cars that were parked out in front of your fancy address.
You came a long way from St. Louis, you broke a lotta hearts between,
I've seen a gang of gloomy gals who were doing alright till you came on the scene.
You came here from the middle west, and certainly impressed the population hereabouts.
Well, baby, I got news for you, I'm from Missouri too.
So naturely I got my doubts, you got 'em dropping by the wayside,
A feeling I ain't gonna know.
In Joni James's song "You Came A Long Way From St. Louis," the lyrics reflect a sort of wry admiration of someone who has achieved success after leaving their hometown. The chorus repeats the title phrase, emphasizing how the person in question has climbed the ladder of success and left their old life behind. However, there is an undercurrent of skepticism to the lyrics. The singer mentions the fancy cars parked outside the person's address, and notes that they have broken many hearts. The verses reveal that the singer is also from Missouri, where both she and the successful person originally came from. The singer is somewhat doubtful of the other person's success and wonders whether they will continue to be successful.
Line by Line Meaning
You came a long way from St. Louis, you climbed the ladder of success
You have come a long way from St. Louis and achieved success.
I've seen the town and country cars that were parked out in front of your fancy address
I have witnessed the fancy cars of both town and country parked outside your impressive house.
You came a long way from St. Louis, you broke a lotta hearts between
You have left behind a trail of broken hearts as you progressed.
I've seen a gang of gloomy gals who were doing alright till you came on the scene
I have seen many women who were previously happy suddenly become sad because of you.
You came here from the middle west, and certainly impressed the population hereabouts
You arrived from the Midwest and impressed the people here in this area.
Well, baby, I got news for you, I'm from Missouri too
I have a surprise for you, I am also from Missouri like you.
So naturely I got my doubts, you got 'em dropping by the wayside
Therefore, I have my doubts about how successful you really are and whether you can overcome them.
A feeling I ain't gonna know
I cannot empathize with the feeling of having doubts about you.
You came a long way from St. Louis, but baby, you still got a long way to go
You have achieved success, but you still have a long way to go.
Writer(s): Bob Russell, John B. Brooks
Contributed by Juliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.