Origin: Nashville, TN
Decades: 1980's … Read Full Bio ↴from jango.com
Origin: Nashville, TN
Decades: 1980's and 1990's
Up until the rise of Brooks & Dunn in the '90s, the Judds were the most commercially successful duo in country music history. Mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna enjoyed an astounding run of 14 number one singles from 1984 to 1989, ranking them as one of the most popular country acts of the '80s. Their music combined elements of traditional country harmony singing, bluegrass, and Appalachian folk with pop, rock, and polished contemporary production. Moreover, Wynonna's powerful, bluesy, often sexy lead vocals established her as one of the finest female country singers of her era. But even more important than their widely accessible sound -- or their considerable visual appeal -- was their sympathetic understanding of working-class and small-town women, earned through a long, hard struggle of their own. Though their off-stage relationship was often more contentious than it appeared, it took a life-threatening illness to bring the Judds to a halt -- Naomi retired from performing when she was diagnosed with hepatitis C but beat the disease to watch Wynonna enjoy an acclaimed solo career.
The Judds' story began in Ashland, KY, where Naomi was born Diana Ellen Judd on January 11, 1946. An honor roll student, she often played piano in the Baptist church her family attended but shocked the town by getting pregnant at age 17 by a man who abandoned her immediately. Hoping to save face, she married new sweetheart Michael Ciminella but missed her high-school graduation, giving birth to Wynonna (born Christina Ciminella, May 30, 1964); to make matters worse, her brother died of cancer not long after, and her parents divorced. In 1968, the family moved to Los Angeles, and new daughter Ashley (later, of course, a successful movie star) was born not long after. Unfortunately, the marriage broke apart in 1972, and the family often survived on welfare while Diana bounced between jobs (waitressing, modeling, serving as secretary for the pop-soul group the 5th Dimension) and endured an abusive rebound relationship. In 1976, she moved the family back to Kentucky, where they lived in a mountain home with no phone or TV. Music helped pass the time, and Wynonna began playing the guitar and harmonizing with her mother, who was in the meantime studying to become a nurse. She renamed herself Naomi and brought the family back to the West Coast to finish her nursing degree. Wynonna's singing talent was by then readily apparent, and in 1979, the Judds moved to Nashville in hopes of making it in the music business.
Naomi and Wynonna made tapes of themselves on a cheap cassette recorder and sometimes sang on Ralph Emery's local morning show. They caught their first big break through Naomi's nursing job: one of her patients happened to be the daughter of record producer Brent Maher, and that contact eventually led to an audition for RCA executives in early 1983. The Judds were signed on the spot and issued their debut single, "Had a Dream (For the Heart)," late in the year. It reached the country Top 20, and it was accompanied by a quickly assembled mini-album, The Judds. Their second single, "Mama He's Crazy," was a breakout hit that went all the way to number one and later won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal by a Duo or Group. Their first true full-length, Why Not Me, was released in 1984 and took its place as a classic of modern country, establishing the Judds as spokeswomen for a new generation of female country music fans. The Grammy-winning title track, "Girls Night Out," and "Love Is Alive" all went on to top the country charts, as did the album, which also sold over a million copies.
The Judds were now full-fledged stars, and they spent the rest of the '80s cranking out hit after hit. 1985's exuberant Rockin' With the Rhythm spawned four number one singles in "Have Mercy," "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days" (another Grammy winner), "Rockin' With the Rhythm in the Rain," and "Cry Myself to Sleep." 1987's Heartland was widely viewed as more uneven than its predecessors but kept their hit streak going strong with the chart-toppers "I Know Where I'm Going," "Maybe Your Baby's Got the Blues," and "Turn It Loose." The ten-track Greatest Hits was released in 1988 and featured two new songs: "Give a Little Love," which went to number two and won another Grammy, and "Change of Heart," which hit number one. 1989's River of Time became the first Judds album not to top the country charts since their debut mini-album but continued their streak of consecutive million-sellers all the same. "Young Love (Strong Love)" and "Let Me Tell You About Love" both hit number one and would prove to be the last Judds songs to do so.
By this point in the Judds' career, mother and daughter were clearly distinct personalities. Naomi was the extroverted stage presence, the sometime songwriter, the ambitious businesswoman who steered the group's career and pushed her daughter to keep realizing her talent. Wynonna -- despite her quiet, reserved demeanor -- was a prodigiously talented vocal stylist who grew surer of herself with every passing release and rebelled more and more forcefully against her mother's direction. By the time Love Can Build a Bridge was released in 1990, there was already speculation that Wynonna was ready to mount a solo career. Not long after the album was released, Naomi announced that she had been diagnosed with hepatitis C, a chronic and life-threatening illness that she had likely contracted from a needle during her days as a nurse. The constant touring had already begun to take its toll on her health, and she elected to retire from performing and recording, following one last farewell tour in 1991. Love Can Build a Bridge produced several hits, including the Top Fivers "Born to Be Blue" and the title track, and the tour was unsurprisingly a blockbuster success.
Wynonna released her solo debut in 1992 and followed it with several more successful albums over the course of the '90s. Naomi, meanwhile, sought alternative medical treatment for the disease that was expected to take her life in several years. She published her autobiography, Love Can Build a Bridge, in 1993; the book was later turned into a TV-movie. By 1999, Naomi's hepatitis had somehow gone into remission, and she and Wynonna reunited for a gala New Year's Eve concert to ring in the new millennium; it was later released as The Judds Reunion Live. A full-fledged reunion tour followed in 2000, and four newly recorded Judds songs were issued exclusively on a bonus disc included with Wynonna's solo album New Day Dawning. Following the tour, Wynonna resumed her solo career, while Naomi made her primary living as a motivational speaker. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Give a little love
Judds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And slip it on my hand
Put me on a big ol' plane
And fly me to a foreign land
Show me rows of fancy clothes
Saying, Honey you can take your pick!
Well, that would be mighty kind
But it ain't gonna do the trick
Give a little love
A squeeze and a little kiss
Give a little hug
Mmm, I want some more of this
Take a little time
Yeah, make a little fuss
That's what a woman wants
So give a little love
Get this, you can be some big hunk
Handsome, dark and tall
Talk to me in foreign tongues
Or with a southern drawl
Or be a man from old Siam
Wear a pointed hat
I don't care how you look
'Cause that ain't where it's at
(Repeat Chorus)
Well, there are men who'll turn your head
And knock you off of your feet
Sweet talk and big blue eyes
Make a poor heart skip a beat
Drive you wild with a smile
And then they'll treat you cruel
Well, I ain't gonna fall for that
'Cause Mama didn't raise no fool
(Repeat Chorus)
In the Judds' "Give A Little Love," the lyrics are about how grand gestures, such as buying gifts or going on exotic trips, don't matter as much as showing love through physical touch, time, and attention. The singer is saying that while material things can be nice, they cannot replace the sentiment of love. The chorus emphasizes this notion, suggesting that a simple hug or kiss can be more meaningful than any grand gesture.
The second verse mentions that physical appearance or where someone comes from does not matter as much as their ability to give affection. The singer is not concerned with societal norms or the appearance of perfection in a partner. Instead, they are looking for a genuine connection.
Line by Line Meaning
You can buy a diamond ring
If you buy me a diamond ring
And slip it on my hand
And put it on my finger
Put me on a big ol' plane
If you take me on a trip
And fly me to a foreign land
To a country far away
Show me rows of fancy clothes
If you show me expensive outfits
Saying, Honey you can take your pick!
And tell me to choose what I like
Well, that would be mighty kind
It would be generous
But it ain't gonna do the trick
But it's not what I need to be happy
Give a little love
Offer some affection
A squeeze and a little kiss
A hug and a peck on the cheek
Give a little hug
Show me some physical warmth
Mmm, I want some more of this
I want more of these displays of affection
Take a little time
Spend some quality time with me
Yeah, make a little fuss
Pay attention to me
That's what a woman wants
That's what I want as a woman
So give a little love
So show me some love
Get this, you can be some big hunk
I don't care if you're a handsome man
Handsome, dark and tall
Dark-haired and tall
Talk to me in foreign tongues
Speak to me in other languages
Or with a southern drawl
Or with a southern accent
Or be a man from old Siam
Or even a man from Siam
Wear a pointed hat
Even if you dress unusually
I don't care how you look
I do not mind your physical appearance
'Cause that ain't where it's at
It's not about that
Well, there are men who'll turn your head
There are men who can make you swoon
And knock you off of your feet
And impress you a lot
Sweet talk and big blue eyes
With charming words and big blue eyes
Make a poor heart skip a beat
Can make someone's heart race
Drive you wild with a smile
Can excite you with just a smile
And then they'll treat you cruel
And then they can mistreat you
Well, I ain't gonna fall for that
But I won't be fooled by that
'Cause Mama didn't raise no fool
Because I was raised not to be a fool
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTHONY CAMERON, MICHAEL KENNEDY, MICHAEL AGUSTUS KENNEDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shamaraboonemua121
Was so sad to hear Ms. Noami passed away today. Was Just a 6 year old black girl living in the projects when I belted out this song in the 80's my Aunt was listening to and I fell in love with Country Music and of course the Judds. Music is truly a "bridge" that continues to connect us in so many ways. 🙌
@Misty-dq3pp
🤍
@mariaashot5648
Amen to that... She taught her girls well. She taught many of us, all over the world, many wonderful things. A difficult life, but a life well lived. Condolences to all with sorrow, but please don't stop making this music...!
@lupegarcia2306
Very true
@CASSICF
Same!! I was around the same age at this time, a little black girl in the projects, and I loved the Judds. Cried during their farewell concert and now I’m crying again.
@shamaraboonemua121
@@CASSICF yess! Crossed so many barriers. It was extremely emotional 😢
@rosej5029
Beautiful thing about YouTube is that Naomi Judd lives on forever through her musical legacy in the videos.
@jefferyharrison7875
C I
@KristinSchmidt-ke1kt
@@jefferyharrison7875pardon?
@dlmrb80
The Judds were two of the best harmonizing women ever to sing country music! Got em turned up this evening! Naomi will missed. Glad there finally a HD video of this uploaded too!