Hyman began singing professionally in 1971 as part of the group The New Direction. She was also a member of Miami groups All The People and The Hondo Beat before forming Phyllis Hyman & the P/H Factor in 1974 and touring for two years before relocating to New York.
She became a featured vocalist on Norman Connors' album, You Are My Starship (1976) performing "Betcha By Golly Wow" and the duet "We Both Need Each Other" with Michael Henderson.
Hyman released her debut album on Buddah Records with Phyllis Hyman (1977), followed by Sing a Song (1979). After the second album, she signed with Arista, delivering: Somewhere in My Lifetime (1979); You Know How to Love Me (1979); Can't We Fall in Love Again (1981); and Goddess of Love (1983). She then joined Gamble & Huff at Philadelphia International for Living All Alone (1987); Prime of My Life (1991); and I Refuse to Be Lonely (1995), which was released posthumously.
Hyman's first solo Top Ten hit came in 1981 with "Can't We Fall In Love Again", a duet with Michael Henderson. The song was recorded while she was performing in the Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies (1981), a tribute to Duke Ellington. She performed in the role for almost two years, receiving a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer and a Tony Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. In 1992 she was voted 'Number One Best Female Vocalist' in the United Kingdom by Blues & Soul magazine readers. She has also been honored with a bronze plaque along the Philadelphia Walk of Fame, a tribute to the city's native and immigrant musical legends.
In addition to duets with Henderson, Hyman lent vocals to projects with Grover Washington Jr., Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Joe Sample, Lonnie Liston Smith, Jon Lucien, The Fatback Band, Chuck Mangione, The Whispers and The Four Tops. Some of these collaborations appear on One on One (1998).
She can be heard in movie soundtracks: for Too Scared to Scream ("I'll Be There"); The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh ("Magic Mona"); and School Daze ("Be One"). The latter two titles are included on In Between the Heartaches (2004), a compilation that also contains guest appearances and previously unreleased material.
On the afternoon of June 30, 1995, Hyman committed suicide, leaving a note to her fans, family and friends that read in part: "I'm tired. I'm tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you." She was buried on what would have been her 46th birthday. For her stage presence and fashion sense, Hyman was often known as "The Sophisticated Lady".
At the coda of a particularly pretty and memorable tune from McCoy Tyner's "Looking Out" called "In Search of My Heart", Phyllis soulfully sings "Remember me!"
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Phyllis Hyman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He take all my love and leave me there to fight
Solitude, the anger and the pain
Then you're back around to try it all again
It's cutting me like a knife
Save this healing I have for life
Enough pleasure back that I give you
You keep building me up like thunder
Why I feel so empty
And I just can't take it anymore
No more
I can't take it anymore
No more
(Just can't take it anymore)
I used to put a prize of pleasure, it was fun
Now my life has changed, you're the only one
Giving everything and getting no return
This relationship has taking quite a turn
Making love in the night time
Used to be just the right time
To get some satisfaction guaranteed
Now I'm drowning in deep frustration
And I'm ready for a salvation
From this lonely feeling
And I just can't take it aymore
Ooh, no more
I can't take it anoymore
Ooh, no more
Don't you know I'm packing my bags forever
Leaving the scene
On for some new beginning
To follow my dream
I'll be bathing on a pleasure
This new man can give
You know we could keep this moment
The way I really want to feel
I wanna live in ecstasy
I just can't take it anymore (I can't take it, ooh baby)
No more (I don't want it, baby)
I can't take it aymore
(Oh, I can't take it, I don't want it, baby)
No more (No, I can't take it, baby)
I just can't take it anymore (Ohhh...)
No more (I can't take it, baby)
I can't take it anymore (I don't want it, I don't need it)
(I ain't gonna take it, darling)
No more
Just can't take it anymore (I can't take it)
No more (I don't want it)
I can't take it anymore (I can't take this misery and pain)
No more (it's driving me insane)
In "Can't Take It Anymore," Phyllis Hyman talks about the end of a romantic relationship that has lost its former charm. She compares the lover to a thief who stole her heart and left her to deal with solitude, anger, and agony on her own. Even though he returns again and again to repeat this torturous cycle, it seems like there's no moving past the pain of the past.
From the beginning, she sings "Like a thief in the middle of the night," indicating that this loss has hollowed her out where she once was whole — the true sign of a broken relationship. However, she is not content to remain this way. She reminisces about when the relationship was enjoyable like when "Making love in the night time/Used to be just the right time," but now "I'm drowning in deep frustration/And I'm ready for a salvation/From this lonely feeling." Despite her loved one's efforts to build her back up, she remains empty and drained.
Phyllis sings that she is "packing my bags forever" because she is seeking a new beginning, one where her partner does not control her emotions. She declares that she is leaving to find her passions and relish in the new man's pleasures while keeping the memory of their time together in the past tense. She makes it clear that her relationship has reached its end and that she intends to live her life to the fullest, free from emotional turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a thief in the middle of the night
Just like a thief, you took my heart and left me to struggle alone
He take all my love and leave me there to fight
You took all my love, left me alone to fight loneliness and sadness
Solitude, the anger and the pain
I feel nothing but despair, rage, and agony in my solitude
Then you're back around to try it all again
You come back around in cycles, repeating your hurtful behavior again and again
It's cutting me like a knife
Your actions are causing me so much pain and hurt, it's like a sharp knife is cutting through me
Save this healing I have for life
I'm saving my healing energy for my future, for my lifetime
Enough pleasure back that I give you
I've given you enough pleasure already, it's time to reciprocate
You keep building me up like thunder
You keep making me feel good, like a thunderous explosion of emotions
When I'm climbing the peak, I wonder
When I'm at my highest point of happiness, I wonder why it doesn't last
Why I feel so empty
Why am I left feeling empty despite moments of happiness?
I used to put a prize of pleasure, it was fun
I used to value pleasure, it was enjoyable
Now my life has changed, you're the only one
My circumstances have changed, and you're the only constant in my life
Giving everything and getting no return
I'm giving my all, but I'm not getting anything in return from you
This relationship has taken quite a turn
This relationship has changed completely, and not for the better
Making love in the nighttime
Having sex used to be enjoyable at night
Used to be just the right time
It used to be the perfect time for us
To get some satisfaction guaranteed
It used to guarantee sexual satisfaction, but not anymore
Now I'm drowning in deep frustration
Now I'm overwhelmed with frustration
And I'm ready for a salvation
I'm ready for salvation, a way out of this misery
From this lonely feeling
I want to escape this feeling of loneliness
Don't you know I'm packing my bags forever
I'm leaving you for good
Leaving the scene
I'm leaving this relationship behind
On for some new beginning
I'm excited for a fresh start
To follow my dream
I'm pursuing my own dreams and aspirations
I'll be bathing on a pleasure
I'll be enjoying pleasure, but on my own terms
This new man can give
I'll find someone new who can give me what I need
You know we could keep this moment
We could've kept this moment forever, but you didn't appreciate it
The way I really want to feel
The way I truly want to feel, happy and content
I wanna live in ecstasy
I want to live in bliss and happiness
I just can't take it anymore
I can't handle this situation any longer
No more
I'm done with this relationship
(Just can't take it anymore)
I'm at my breaking point
Ooh, no more
I refuse to accept this anymore
(I don't want it, baby)
I don't want to be a part of this relationship anymore
I can't take it anymore
I can't handle this anymore
(I don't want it, I don't need it)
This relationship is not what I want or need
(I ain't gonna take it, darling)
I'm not going to tolerate this anymore
No more
It's over
Just can't take it anymore
I can't handle this situation anymore
(I can't take it)
I've reached my limit
(I don't want it)
I don't want to suffer anymore
No more
It's finally over
(I can't take this misery and pain)
The suffering and pain is too much to bear
(it's driving me insane)
It's taking a toll on my mental health
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NICHOLAS J. MARTINELLI, REGINALD HINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind