Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6 1949 - June 30, 1995), was born in Philadelphia… Read Full Bio ↴Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6 1949 - June 30, 1995), was born in Philadelphia, and grew up in Pittsburgh. She is perhaps best remembered for her signature song, You Know How to Love Me (1979), which was the title track from her fourth album and which peaked at #6 on the disco chart that year.

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 Inside Your Love
Phyllis Hyman Lyrics

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I wanna hold ya
I wanna hold ya, yeah
My soul wants to love ya
My eyes wanna touch ya

Telling me about your loving
Telling me about your hugging
So good ooh, so good ooh

All I wanna do is squeeze ya
Never want to release ya
So good ooh

Living inside your love makes me feel alright
Things are oh so nice, I got to say it twice
Living inside your love makes me feel alright
And I had to sing it twice

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

I don't wanna own ya
Just wanna love ya, yeah, yeah
All my love is about cha
Can't do without cha, ooh

Telling me about your loving
Telling me about your hugging
So good ooh, so good ooh

All I wanna do is squeeze ya
Never want to release ya
So good ooh

Living inside your love makes me feel alright
Things are oh so nice, I got to say it twice
Living inside your love makes me feel alright
And I had to sing it twice

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

You know it's so good, so good, yeah, yeah

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

Talking 'bout so good
I know your loving's so good

Living inside your love makes me feel alright
Things are oh so nice, I got to say it twice
Living inside your love makes me feel alright
And I had to sing it twice

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

So good ooh, so good ooh
So good ooh, so good ooh

Overall Meaning

In "Living Inside Your Love," Phyllis Hyman sings about being completely enamored with someone and wanting to hold and love them. She emphasizes that she does not want to own them, simply love them with all her heart. The chorus repeats the phrase "Living inside your love makes me feel alright" several times, suggesting that being with this person and experiencing their love is everything she needs to feel content and happy.

The verses of the song describe the physical and emotional sensations she experiences when she's with this person - her soul wants to love and her eyes want to touch them. She sings of how good their love feels, and how all she wants to do is hold and never let go. Overall, the song is a celebration of the power and beauty of love, and the way it can make someone feel truly alive and happy.

Living Inside Your LovePhyllis Hyman Lyrics

Living Inside Your Love
Phyllis Hyman Lyrics