Dillon was born in 1944 in Linstead, St. Catherine, Jamaica.[1] Influenced by American singers Connie Francis, Patti Page and Dionne Warwick, she began singing in talent contests. It was during a performance at the Glass Bucket Club in Kingston, Jamaica with the group The Vulcans, that Duke Reid's session guitarist Lynn Taitt discovered Dillon.[1]
Dillon was 22 when she recorded her first record for Duke Reid. In 1967, Reid released Dillon's "Donβt Stay Away". While most of Dillonβs subsequent recordings would be covers of popular and obscure American songs including Bettye Swann's "Make Me Yours", Perry Como's "Tulips and Heather," The Grass Roots "Midnight Confessions", and Stephen Stills's "Love the One You're With"; "Don't Stay Away" was an original composition featuring Tommy McCook and the Supersonics as the backing band.
Another original song, "Itβs Rocking Time" would later be turned into the Alton Ellis' hit "Rocksteady". While these early recordings demonstrate Dillon's mastery of the rocksteady sound, a much slower, soulful, response to the sultry weather that made ska's upbeat rhythm and tempo undesirable even impracticable, it was no indication of her greatest performance, 1967βs "Perfidia". Popularized by the American surf rock band The Ventures, "Perfidia" is a 1940 song written by Alberto DomΓnguez and made popular by the Cuban bandleader, Xavier Cugat.
At the end of 1967, Dillon moved to New York.[1] The following five years, she spent living a double life. She had a family and career in the United States, flying frequently back to Kingston, Jamaica to continue recording for Reid.
After a number of singles and an album entitled Living in Love, Dillon ended her recording career in 1971. She was 27 years old.
In 1991, Michael Bonnet, the entertainment director for the Oceanea Hotel in Kingston approached Dillon inviting her to sing. Her refusal at first was later rescinded and sparked a revitalized interest in performing and recording. In the years following, Dillion would tour the UK, Germany and Japan.
In 1998 Phyllis Dillon returned to the recording studio with Lynn Taitt, marked by reinterest in ska music in the United States. She remained active until illness took hold.
Phyllis Dillon died on 15 April 2004 in New York, after a two year battle with cancer, at the age of 59.
Don't Stay Away
Phyllis Dillon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How much I love you
How much I need you
You wouldn't stay away
If you knew
You were my one desire
You set my soul on fire
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
She treats you nice, I know
She's even more beautiful than I
But if you knew
How my heart burned for you
And how I longed for you
You wouldn't stay away
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
She treats you nice, I know
she's even more beautiful than I
But if you knew
How my heart burned for you
And how I longed for you
You wouldn't stay away
You wouldn't stay away
In Phyllis Dillon's song Don't Stay Away, the singer is pleading with their lover to return to them. The first two stanzas present the singer's deep love and need for their partner. The chorus then expresses the belief that if their lover truly knew the depth of the singer's emotions, they would come back to them. The third stanza acknowledges that their lover has found someone else, but the singer believes that their love surpasses this other relationship. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the singer's conviction that if their lover really understood their feelings, they would not stay away.
The lyrics of this song reflect a common theme in love songs: longing for someone who is out of reach. The singer's words express the depth of their emotions and the intensity of their desire for their lover. The repetition of "you wouldn't stay away" underscores the idea that the only thing keeping the couple apart is the lover's misunderstanding of the singer's feelings. This song has a slower, more mournful tone, which amplifies the feelings of sadness and yearning it conveys.
Line by Line Meaning
If you knew
If you only knew
How much I love you
The intense love I feel for you
How much I need you
The immense need I have for you
You wouldn't stay away
You would come back to me
If you knew
If only you understood
You were my one desire
The only thing I want is you
You set my soul on fire
You fill me with passion and desire
You wouldn't stay away
You would stay with me
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
I understand you have someone else
She treats you nice, I know
I'm aware she is kind to you
She's even more beautiful than I
She is more beautiful than I am
But if you knew
But if you only understood
How my heart burned for you
The depth of my love for you
And how I longed for you
The intense longing I have for you
You wouldn't stay away
You would come back to me
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
I understand you have someone else
She treats you nice, I know
I'm aware she is kind to you
She's even more beautiful than I
She is more beautiful than I am
But if you knew
But if you only understood
How my heart burned for you
The depth of my love for you
And how I longed for you
The intense longing I have for you
You wouldn't stay away
You would come back to me
You wouldn't stay away
You would not leave me
Lyrics Β© PUSH MUSIC JAMAICA PUBLISHING
Written by: PHYLLIS DILLON, ARTHUR STANLEY REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zuri8429
If you knew how much I love you
How much I need you
You wouldn't stay away
If you knew you were my one desire
You set my soul on fire
You wouldn't stay away
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
She treats you nice, I know, she's even more beautiful than I
But if you knew
How my heart burned for you
And how I long for you
You wouldn't stay away
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
She treats you nice, I know, she's even more beautiful than I
But if you knew
How my heart burned for you
And how I long for you
You wouldn't stay away
You wouldn't stay away
You wouldn't stay away...
@silicium7679
Lyrcis :
If you knew how much I love you
How much I need you
You wouldn't stay away
If you knew you were my one desire
You set my soul on fire
You wouldn't stay away
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
She treats you nice, I know, she's even more beautiful than I
But if you knew
How my heart burned for you
And how I long for you
You wouldn't stay away
Now darling, I know you have got another girl
She treats you nice, I know, she's even more beautiful than I
But if you knew
How my heart burned for you
And how I long for you
You wouldn't stay away
You wouldn't stay away
You wouldn't stay away...
@donnatomkins7684
My mum sang this song beautifully π’ We would sing it together. Such a beautiful voice my mum had people would stop and listen to her singing outside our house, she would have the windows open doing her chores and singing away. She would of celebrated her 75th birthday this month on the 31st. 40 years without her still hurts miss you always mum Love you forever π πβ€οΈβ¨οΈ
@noelsalisbury7448
That's a lovely story β€οΈ
@soniaharrison1016
That is so beautiful your mother must have been a wonderful person, her memory lives on through you. I love to sing as well especially around the house doing my chores with the windows open in the summertime. Everyone tells me I should have pursued a career in singing. But that was not to be but my life is full and wonderful singing g into my future.
@rastaman1873
R.i.p I hope these songs cheer you up remembering the good times
@andrewtorell8459
Rip mama this is music in it's purest and truest form much respect and big up from Canada.
@tramp2827
Hands down the greatest female vocalist Jamaica ever had. She sang as if she was smiling. RIP Phyl.
@mikbt2000
Man you're right; she DOES sing as if she's smiling!!
@tramp2827
@Mike B. Thompson She was a beautiful girl, inside and out, and she really enjoyed singing. She knew how good she was too.
@michaelgibson4573
May the soul of phhlljs dillon rest in peace
@sylmadelcoke607
I just rediscover her