Cole was exposed to the greats of jazz, soul and blues at an early age and began performing at the age of 11. Her debut album in 1975, Inseparable, won her immediate praise, with the smash single This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) (#1 R&B, #6 Pop) winning her a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, a category that had been monopolized by Aretha Franklin, since its inception in 1967. She also was named the Grammys' Best New Artist of 1975. She attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA.
More hits followed through 1980, including her biggest Pop hit, 1977's I've Got Love On My Mind, as well as Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady) (1976), Our Love (1978), and Someone That I Used To Love (1980). "I've Got Love On My Mind" and "Our Love" both earned certifications as Gold singles. But then her career hit a snag in the early 1980s due to a severe drug problem. By 1985, Natalie was clean, sober, and in fine voice, and ready to begin her comeback in earnest with the album Dangerous, released on the Modern label.
In 1987, she released Everlasting (on EMI Manhattan) which sold over 2 million copies in the U.S., and won Cole a Soul Train Award for Female Single of the Year for the #1 R&B ballad I Live for Your Love. This album was the one that put Natalie Cole firmly back in the spotlight, yielding three major hit singles: Jump Start, "I Live For Your Love" (#2 AC and #13 Pop as well as #1 R&B), and a successful remake of Bruce Springsteen's Pink Cadillac (#5 Pop, #16 AC, and #1 Dance). The album also included a taste of things to come in her career with a remake of one of her father's signature hits, "When I Fall In Love," which did moderately well on the AC chart. In 1989, the aptly-titled Good To Be Back gave her another across-the-board smash with "Miss You Like Crazy" (#1 both R&B and AC, and #7 Pop).
However, it was her 1991 album, Unforgettable... with Love, featuring her own arrangements of her father's greatest hits, that gave her the most success. Ironically, when Natalie began her career, she was determined not to capitalize on her father's name and wanted to forge her own identity by going after the soul market in earnest. For many years, she also found the prospect of recording her late father's songs too painful on a personal level. But Unforgettable... With Love certainly paid off. The set sold over 5 million copies in the United States alone, and won Cole several Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. The album featured a duet, the title track, with her father, created by splicing a recording of his vocals into the track. As a single, it reached #14 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 chart, and went gold. The one sour spot in the album's success was that it strained Natalie's already-tumultuous relationship with her mother, Maria, who said in interviews at the time that she couldn't listen to the album or attend any of her daughter's concerts because she felt that the music really belonged to her late husband.
Natalie has released several more albums of pop standards in the years since; as a result of appealing to the "adult standards" audience, she has made only occasional forays onto the pop singles charts in that time (for example, "A Smile Like Yours," #8 AC and #84 Pop in 1997), although her albums still sell well. Her 1999 album Snowfall On The Sahara marked a return to the easy adult-contemporary soul that categorized her late-1980s hits, but for 2002's critically-praised Ask A Woman Who Knows, she turned more to the jazz side of the spectrum, covering songs made famous by Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, and Sarah Vaughan.
Battle With Drugs
In 2000, Cole released an autobiography, Angel on my Shoulder, which described her battle with drugs during much of her life. In the book, Cole admitted to using LSD, heroin and crack cocaine. Cole said she began experimenting with drugs while attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and was arrested in Toronto, Canada for possession of heroin in 1975. Cole continued to spiral out of control - including an incident in which her young son Robert nearly drowned in the family swimming pool while she and her first husband, the late Reverend Marvin Yancy were on a drug binge - until she entered rehab in 1983.
In concert with the release of the book, her autobiography was turned into a made-for-TV movie, The Natalie Cole Story, which aired December 10, 2000 on NBC.
Natalie has been married three times and has a son Robert Yancy (by Marvin Yancy), born in 1977. She later married former Rufus drummer Andre Fischer, who co-produced the Grammy Award-winning Unforgettable... With Love, Natalie's love offering featuring songs made famous by her father, including a faux-duet between her and her father.
The marriage to Fischer ended in divorce a few years later, amidst rumors of domestic verbal and physical abuse.
It has also been reported that Natalie has recovered from a life-threatening hepatitis illness (most likely the cause of her years of drug abuse) by having a liver transplant.
Miss Cole went on to release more albums after Unforgettable...With Love, with most of them featuring jazz-oriented standard songs or pop-song remakes. None of the albums were nearly as successful as Unforgettable...With Love.
As of 2013, Natalie Cole spent most of her professional time covering the concert circuit entertaining audiences around the world with her hits.
On December 31, 2015, Natalie Cole died from congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was aged 65.
Annie Mae
Natalie Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Growing up wasn't easy for Annie Mae
(Hoo, hoo, hoo)
A little girl in a great big world
Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
No one knew about her past
Some people swore she'd never last
She was (growing up much too fast)
Just a little too fast (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Never had her a Mamma, no, no
Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Rarely heard a kind spoken word
Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Looking at life through an empty shell
And all the time she's catching hell
She was growing
(Growing up much too fast) up much too fast
Does anybody know where is Annie Mae today
Where oh where is Annie Mae
All you got to do is look into the faces of
All the young girls
On the avenue (young girls!)
Oh, well, (hoo, hoo, hoo) ha
In the night hear her cry, Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Hurt and pain keeps coming again
And again, and again, Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Trippin' and runnin' is blowin' her mind
Tryin' to decide if she'll make it this time
She was (growing up) oh, yeah (much too fast)
She was (growing up much too fast)
Somebody got to stop her, oh Annie, Annie
(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)
Annie, Annie
Somebody
(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)
Got to stop her, oh, Annie, Annie,
(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)
Annie, Annie
She's runnin', she's runnin'
Growin' up too fast, oh, oh
(She's running') oh, oh
Growin' up too fast, oh, oh
(She's runnin') oh, oh
Growin' up too fast, oh, hey
(She's runnin') Annie, Annie Mae, yeah
(She's running) Where you goin' Annie
(She's runnin') Don't you think somebody aught to stop you
(She's runnin') Somebody aught to stop you
(She's runnin') Don't you think I'm gonna try to stop you
The lyrics to Natalie Cole’s “Annie Mae” tells a story about a young girl who grew up too fast and faced challenges throughout her life. The song introduces listeners to the life of Annie Mae, an independent person who had no mother figure and had to navigate her way through life alone. She is described as a little girl in a great big world, with people constantly doubting her abilities to withstand the struggles she faced. The lyrics suggest that she encountered obstacles that many young girls face growing up, including a lack of love and guidance, limiting her potential for success.
The chorus of the song, “Growing up much too fast”, reinforces how Annie Mae had to mature quicker than her peers and had to endure hardships that impacted her mental health. The lyrics indicate that though Annie Mae’s present situation may be sad and difficult, the existence of young girls like her today is all too real. The lyrics are a reflection on society's failure to support young girls and how this sometimes forces them to navigate life’s difficult situations at a young age.
Overall, the song's lyrics convey a somber and emotional story that is still relatable in today’s society when many girls face similar obstacles as Annie Mae did. The song is a reflection of the struggles that many young girls face while growing up in harsh environments, emphasizing the importance of creating a positive environment and support systems for young girls.
Line by Line Meaning
(Hoo, hoo, hoo) Mmm (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Introduction to the song
Growing up wasn't easy for Annie Mae
Annie Mae had a difficult childhood
(Hoo, hoo, hoo)
Recurring background vocals
A little girl in a great big world
Annie Mae was young and inexperienced
Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Recurring reference to Annie Mae
No one knew about her past
Annie Mae had a mysterious past
Some people swore she'd never last
Some people doubted Annie Mae's chances of surviving
She was (growing up much too fast)
Annie Mae was maturing too quickly
Growing (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Recurring background vocals
Just a little too fast (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Annie Mae was growing up at an inappropriate speed
Never had her a Mamma, no, no
Annie Mae did not have a mother figure
Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Repeated reference to Annie Mae
Rarely heard a kind spoken word
Annie Mae did not receive much kindness from others
Looking at life through an empty shell
Annie Mae felt a sense of emptiness in life
And all the time she's catching hell
Annie Mae experienced a lot of hardship
She was growing
Annie Mae was developing
(Growing up much too fast) up much too fast
Annie Mae was maturing at an inappropriate rate
Does anybody know where is Annie Mae today
The song questions where Annie Mae is today
Where oh where is Annie Mae
Recurring question about Annie Mae's location
All you got to do is look into the faces of
The answer to where Annie Mae is may be in the faces of
All the young girls
Other young girls may share similar experiences to Annie Mae
On the avenue (young girls!)
The young girls can be found on the avenue
Oh, well, (hoo, hoo, hoo) ha
Interjection
In the night hear her cry, Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Annie Mae cries at night
Hurt and pain keeps coming again
Annie Mae constantly experiences hurt and pain
And again, and again, Annie Mae (hoo, hoo, hoo)
Repetitive hurt and pain for Annie Mae
Trippin' and runnin' is blowin' her mind
Annie Mae is under a lot of stress and confusion
Tryin' to decide if she'll make it this time
Annie Mae is unsure if she will survive her current struggles
She was (growing up) oh, yeah (much too fast)
Reiteration that Annie Mae was maturing too quickly
Somebody got to stop her, oh Annie, Annie
Someone needs to help Annie Mae
(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)
Recurring question about Annie Mae's location
Annie, Annie
Repeating of Annie Mae's name
Somebody
Someone needs to help Annie Mae
(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)
Repeated question about Annie Mae's location
Got to stop her, oh, Annie, Annie,
Annie Mae needs assistance before things get worse
(Ooh) (hoo, hoo, hoo) (where is Annie Mae)
Recurrent question about Annie Mae's location
Annie, Annie
Repetitive reference to Annie Mae's name
She's runnin', she's runnin'
Annie Mae is running away
Growin' up too fast, oh, oh
Annie Mae is maturing too quickly
(She's running') oh, oh
Annie Mae is running away
Growin' up too fast, oh, oh
Annie Mae is maturing too quickly
(She's runnin') oh, oh
Annie Mae is running away
Growin' up too fast, oh, hey
Annie Mae is maturing too quickly
(She's runnin') Annie, Annie Mae, yeah
Annie Mae is running away
(She's running) Where you goin' Annie
Someone is questioning where Annie Mae is going
(She's runnin') Don't you think somebody aught to stop you
Someone suggests that Annie Mae needs to be stopped
(She's runnin') Somebody aught to stop you
Someone suggests that Annie Mae needs to be stopped
(She's runnin') Don't you think I'm gonna try to stop you
Someone is determined to help Annie Mae
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janella Rogers
HERE'S RECEIPTS THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT TINA TURNER
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Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born
SEE I TOLD YOU TINA TURNER'S NAME WAS ANNA MAE NOT ANNIE MAE.
CharlaMay1
This song describes me so much!!! Here in 2022!!!! R.I.P Queen Natalie!
agapereign
When I first heard this song, it stopped me in my tracks. I was about 9 and was being molested. Too young to identify with these words. The anguish and shame I felt.
It was like someone understood what I going through as I suffered in silence.
Martha Fernandez
Just found this awesome song after not hearing it for 40 long years!!!!!!!!!! Pulled me out of a bad "FUNK!!!! God Bless Natalie Cole RIP💗🙏🏼✨🌹
Moniqueissaproblem
My sister use to make me sing this over and over until I got it right.. But nobody can do it like Ms.Cole💕
Le'ron morton
I STILL HAVE THIS ORIGINAL ALBUM BY THE UNFORGETTABLE SINGER NATALIE COLE 🤗🤗 AND THIS WONDERFUL SONG WAS BASED ON HER OLD HOUSEKEEPER 🧐 AND FRIEND, THANK YOU QUEEN NATALIE FOR THE GREAT MUSIC LEGACY YOU LEFT BEHIND 🤗
Grown Woman Business
My mom played this song all the time. The whole album was a hit.. R. I.P Ms. Natalie Cole❤
T. Parrish
My sister and I just started singing this song out of the blue and my thirty-five year old niece thought that we were making it up so she Googled it and now she can't stop singing it. I loved a great deal of her songs. Thank you Queen, rest well Ms. Natalie.
Genesis
This is my favorite song by Ms. Natalie!!!
The song is just so deep.I believe she put real elements about her own relationship with her mother in this song.I believe the street life she spoke of concerning Annie Mae, was also laced with her issues with addiction.I love artists like Ms. Natalie because you can learn a lot from their music about yourself and others.
May her spirit thrive in heaven....
Soul Searcher SLR42
+Genesis Shabazz Mine too + La Costa
TerraRyzinglives
Great post. I thought for the most part it was just a street tale woven, but you can hear some autobiographical stuff in there