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!"
How Long
Phyllis Hyman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How long (has this been going on)
How long
Baby 1, 2, 3
How long
How long (has the been going on, baby)
You ain't getting enough from me
I ain't crazy
I got the 411 you see
People talking
Telling me I'm living in a make believe
Huh, ho
What's the matter
You ain't man enough to face the truth
Don't chit and chatter
You're out the door
Its over for you
I've learned my lesson
Don't give my heart to no fool
But just for the record
CHORUS
How long
How long (has the been going on)
I wanna know
How long (you been doing me wrong)
How long (has the been going on)
How long (you been doing me wrong)
Oh
Get away from me
If you're thinking that you've pulled the plug on me
I'm the one whose singing for the world to see
I can pick and choose from an assortment of masculinity
But just for the record
How long
CHORUS
How long, oh
How long (has this been going on)
I wanna know, hey, hey
How long (you been doing me wrong)
How long (has the been going on)
How long (you been doing me wrong)
It's a mere known fact
I'm not sweet like I used to be
I finally learned
Only I change my history
And I'm giving you your walking papers, baby
Oh, hey, hey,hey
But just for the record
How long
CHORUS
How long, ooh baby (has this been going on)
Will you talk to me
How long (you been doing me wrong)
How long (has the been going on)
How long hey baby (you been doing me wrong)
Base
I need to know
Base
Can you tell me why
Base
Oh how long, long, hey, hey, hey
How long (has this been going on)
I wanna know
How long (you been doing me wrong)
How long (has the been going on)
How long (you been doing me wrong)
CHORUS
How long (has this been going on)
I wanna know right now
How long (you been doing me wrong)
How long (has the been going on)
How long (you been doing me wrong)
CHORUS
How long, baby (has this been going on)
How long (you been doing me wrong)
I need to know
How long (has this been going on)
How long (you been doing me wrong)
Too late darling
Can you tell me why
I make the rules here
And you can't stay
Just go away child
You got to go now
The song "How Long" by Phyllis Hyman is a powerful track about a woman who has been mistreated by her partner and is now standing up for herself. Through the lyrics, she expresses her frustration, anger, and determination to disconnect herself from this toxic relationship. The song starts with her ordering her partner to keep his distance from her with the words "get away from me," to which she adds a repeating question "how long has this been going on." She accuses him of not being man enough to face the truth and being a fool that she should not have given her heart to. She then tells him to leave her and takes control of the situation.
The chorus in the song is the most potent part of the track. It's forceful and emphatic, with Hyman questioning her partner's actions, asking how long he has been doing her wrong. She repeats the words "how long" four times, emphasizing that she is done with the relationship and that it's time for her partner to leave.
Overall, "How Long" is an empowering song that encourages standing up for oneself in toxic relationships. In this song, Hyman is a bold, strong woman who refuses to be mistreated any longer.
Line by Line Meaning
Get away from me
I want you to leave me alone
How long (has this been going on)
I want to know how long you've been doing this
How long
I need to know how long this has been happening
Baby 1, 2, 3
Counting the time this has been happening
What's your problem
Do you have an issue with me?
You ain't getting enough from me
You're not satisfied with what I am giving
I ain't crazy
I am not insane
I got the 411 you see
I know what's going on, you see
People talking
Others are talking about this
Telling me I'm living in a make believe
Saying that I am living in a fantasy world
What's the matter
What is the issue?
You ain't man enough to face the truth
You don't have the courage to face the reality
Don't chit and chatter
Don't talk nonsense
You're out the door
You're leaving
Its over for you
Our relationship is over
I've learned my lesson
I have gained knowledge from this experience
Don't give my heart to no fool
I won't let anyone mistreat my heart again
CHORUS
Refrain asking how long this has been going on
If you're thinking that you've pulled the plug on me
If you believe that you have ended this relationship
I'm the one whose singing for the world to see
I'm the one who is expressing my feelings publicly
I can pick and choose from an assortment of masculinity
I can choose a partner from many different options
It's a mere known fact
It is a well-established truth
I'm not sweet like I used to be
I'm not as kind as I once was
I finally learned
I finally gained understanding
Only I change my history
Only I can change my future
And I'm giving you your walking papers, baby
I'm breaking up with you
Base
Repeating the need to know how long this has been happening
I need to know
I want to find out
Can you tell me why
Can you explain to me the reason?
Too late darling
It's too late my dear
I make the rules here
I am in control of this situation
And you can't stay
You're not welcome here
Just go away child
Leave now
Contributed by Daniel P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.