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!"
Why Not Me
Phyllis Hyman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oo..Oo..oo..oo..do..wee...do..wee
shoo-boo-doo-doo-dwee-ay-dwee-ay
bo-bo-do-do-de-do-ee
shoo-boo-doo-dwee-do..dwee..do..dwee..
Yeah, yeah
Chorus:
In this love illusion
'Cause baby, what I need is true
You got me in the middle
I can't solve this riddle
So baby, it's goodbye to you
Late night phone calls, occasional passion
Talking too much, not enough action
Cancelled dates, half-hearted invitations
It take some time, but now I learn my lesson
It's not about you (It's not about you)
It's about me (It's about me)
I gotta go (I gotta go)
I need to be free (I need to be free)
Too many lies (Too many lies)
Not enough love (Not enough love)
Saying goodbye (Saying goodbye)
'Cause I had enough ('Cause I had enough)
Chorus
For far so long, I was feeling hopeless
But now I'm through, so I'm giving you some notice
No, it ain't your fault, it's just your nature
But it's not my job to try and re-arrange you
It's not about you (it's not about you)
It's about me (it's about me)
I gotta go (I gotta go)
I need to be free (I need to be free)
Too many lies (too many lies)
Not enough love (not enough love)
Saying goodbye (saying goodbye)
'Cause I had enough ('cause I had enough)
Chorus
Oh, it's goodbye, baby, it's goodbye...
baby, yeah, yeah...
I don'r need you no more
Your lies...
And I can leave (it's good)
I don't need to put up with this...stuff no more
Repeat Chorus twice
It's goodbye...Oh...
All I'm asking is for the truth
Got me in the middle, I don't wanna solve it, no
Goodbye, so long, baby
Repeat Chorus 'til fade
The song "Why Not Me" by Phyllis Hyman is a story of a woman who is dissatisfied with the state of her relationship. She is tired of the lies and half-hearted attempts at love. The chorus expresses how she feels stuck in a love illusion that is causing her confusion. She wants true love, but she feels like she cannot solve this riddle of a relationship, so she must say goodbye to her partner.
The verses of the song recount some of the issues in their relationship, such as cancelled dates, occasional passion, and not enough action. The singer expresses that it's not about her partner but about her own need to be true to herself and to be free. She has had enough of the lies and not enough love, and as much as it hurts, she knows it's time to say goodbye.
Overall, the lyrics emphasize the importance of honesty and the need to stand up for oneself in a relationship. The singer realizes that her partner's nature is not her fault, but it's not her job to try and change them either. She simply wants the truth and a love that is true to her.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't take this confusion
I am unable to handle this uncertainty
In this love illusion
In this deceptive romantic situation
'Cause baby, what I need is true
Because what I actually desire is authenticity
You got me in the middle
You have placed me in a dilemma
I can't solve this riddle
I am incapable of unraveling this mystery
So baby, it's goodbye to you
Therefore, it is farewell to you
Late night phone calls, occasional passion
We sporadically communicate at night and occasionally express affection
Talking too much, not enough action
We engage in long conversations but do not follow them up with deeds
Cancelled dates, half-hearted invitations
We frequently call off planned outings and half-heartedly invite each other
It take some time, but now I learn my lesson
It took some time, but I have finally learned the lesson
It's not about you (It's not about you)
It does not involve you in particular
It's about me (It's about me)
It concerns me particularly
I gotta go (I gotta go)
I have to depart
I need to be free (I need to be free)
I require freedom
Too many lies (Too many lies)
There are too many falsehoods
Not enough love (Not enough love)
There is insufficient love
Saying goodbye (Saying goodbye)
Declaring farewell
'Cause I had enough ('Cause I had enough)
Because I have had my fill
For far so long, I was feeling hopeless
I have been experiencing despair for too long
But now I'm through, so I'm giving you some notice
But now I have come to the end, so I am informing you
No, it ain't your fault, it's just your nature
No, it is not your responsibility; it is simply how you are
But it's not my job to try and re-arrange you
However, it is not my responsibility to fix you
Oh, it's goodbye, baby, it's goodbye...
Oh, it is farewell, baby, it is farewell...
I don'r need you no more
I do not require you anymore
Your lies...
Your falsehoods...
And I can leave (it's good)
And I am capable of departing (it is fine)
I don't need to put up with this...stuff no more
I no longer need to tolerate this...nonsense
All I'm asking is for the truth
All I want is the truth
Got me in the middle, I don't wanna solve it, no
You have trapped me in the middle, and I do not want to resolve it, no
Goodbye, so long, baby
Farewell, so long, baby
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GORDON CHAMBERS, DAVE HALL, PHYLLIS LINDA HYMAN, PHYLLIS HYMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind