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!"
Living All Alone
Phyllis Hyman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we shared this apartment together just us two
I think of how we planned to get married
Saying Love how I used to know you well
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all alone
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all alone
Oh no no no whoa
I'm not even the same I'm a different girl
Yesterday I was somebody's baby
Now today I'm a woman on my own
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all alone
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all alone
It feels good to have somebody hold you tight
It feels good to have somebody love you right
Who would end all my long and lonely nights?
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all alone
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all alone
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all, you all alone
Oh, I don't want to be alone
Oh
Oh I don't want to be alone
We used to be such lovers
We used to care for one another
I don't want to be, I don't want to be alone
No no, no no
No, no
I don't want to be alone
No No No
Need ya, Love ya
Come back to me oh
I love you
Oh please, please come back to me baby
Oh yeah
I can't stand to be alone
I can't stand it
Don't want to be alone
The song Living All Alone by Phyllis Hyman is a heartfelt story of a woman who used to be in love and shared an apartment with her lover. The first verse highlights how much she misses the love they once had and how they planned to get married. However, things have changed, and she finds herself living alone, unable to bear the loneliness. The feeling of emptiness is so overwhelming that she cannot stand it.
In the second verse, she talks about how her life has changed, and she's not the same girl anymore. Though she has learned to love what's in her life, the longing for someone's affection is still there. She goes on to say that it feels good to have somebody hold you tight, somebody who will love and end her long, lonely nights. In the end, she begs her lover to come back to her, saying she cannot stand being alone and needs love.
The song is a soulful ballad that portrays the deep emotions of loneliness, longing, and love. It's a story that most people can relate to, as many people have experienced the pain of losing a loved one, being alone and longing for companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
There used to be time in my life when we were lovers
I miss the time when we were in love and had each other.
And we shared this apartment together just us two
We lived together once, just the two of us.
I think of how we planned to get married
I remember our plans to get married.
Saying Love how I used to know you well
I miss the way we used to be and how well we knew each other.
Whoa oh I can't stand this living all alone
Living alone is unbearable for me.
Now I love what's in my life and I find its a mellow world
I'm content with my life now and it's peaceful.
I'm not even the same I'm a different girl
I've changed since we were together, I'm a different person now.
Yesterday I was somebody's baby
I used to be someone's significant other.
Now today I'm a woman on my own
But now I'm alone and have to be a strong independent woman.
It feels good to have somebody hold you tight
Having someone to hold me tight feels good.
It feels good to have somebody love you right
Having someone to love me in the right way feels good.
Who would end all my long and lonely nights?
I wonder who could end my long and lonely nights.
Oh I don't want to be alone
I don't want to be alone anymore.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNY GAMBLE, DEXTER WANSEL, CYNTHIA DE MARI BIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
paul porter
Who the hell arranged this song? The whistle, the triangle, the rock guitar in just the right place for drama, the bass, The horns. The idea to have some of the instruments slighter out of time at various parts of the song. With so many things going on, it could have easily been dissonance, but it sounds like magic. GENIUS!
Dexter Wansel
paul porter Thank you so much for your kind words. I was the producer/arranger/keyboardist/synthesist. I wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics along with Dr. Cynthia Biggs El and Kenny Gamble.
Carmen Hayes
She was an excellent whistler. Saw in concert years ago just before she died. It was AMAZING. She really does it that well.
Robert Houston
Graciously worded🙏
Algie Woods
YESS..A masterpiece🔊🎶🎶🎶
Fanouvvi
Phyllis arranged her songs, she is actually doing the whistling in the background. why she's not given credit.. it behooves me.
michi ross
ONE OF THE GREATEST FEMALE VOCALISTS OF ALL TIME HANDS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Listen2music
For Sure! 2023! "Yesterday I was somebody's baby"...(.that ending of her vocalizing is just mesmerizing! ..) "Now I'm a woman living all alone" ...Powerful. .
Stevie Sly
YES SHE IS][8]23]
Darryl
AGREED THEY DON'T MAKE EM LIKE THIS ANYMORE