Born Ruth Alston Weston on 30th January 1928 in Portsmouth, Virginia, she attended I. C. Norcom High School, a historically black high school. Brown's father was a dockhand who directed the local church choir, but the young Ruth showed more of an interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs. She was inspired by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. In 1945, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with a trumpeter, Jimmy Brown, whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month with Lucky Millinder's orchestra, but was fired after she brought drinks to the band for free, and was left stranded in Washington, D.C.
Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway's sister, also a bandleader, arranged a gig for Brown at a Washington nightclub called Crystal Caverns and soon became her manager. Willis Conover, a Voice of America disc jockey, caught her act and recommended her to Atlantic Records bosses, Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. Brown was unable to audition as planned though, because of a serious car accident that resulted in a nine-month hospital stay. In 1948, however, Ertegün and Abramson drove to Washington from New York City to hear her sing in the club. Although her repertoire was mostly popular ballads, Ertegün convinced her to switch to rhythm and blues. His productions for her, however, retained her pop style, with clean, fresh arrangements and the singing spot on the beat with little of the usual blues singer's embroidery.
In her first audition, in 1949, she sang "So Long", which became a hit. This was followed by "Teardrops from My Eyes" in 1950; written by Rudy Toombs, it was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in R&B. Recorded for Atlantic Records in New York City in September 1950, and released in October, it was on Billboard's List of number-one R&B hits (United States) for eleven weeks. The huge hit earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm", and within a few months Ruth Brown became the acknowledged queen of R&B.
She followed up this hit with "I'll Wait for You" (1951), "I Know" (1951), "5-10-15 Hours" (1953), "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (1953), "Oh What a Dream" (1954), "Mambo Baby" (1954), and "Don't Deceive Me" (1960). She also became known as "Little Miss Rhythm" and "the girl with the teardrop in her voice". In all, she was on the R&B charts for 149 weeks from 1949 to 1955, with sixteen top-ten blues records including five number ones, and became Atlantic's most popular artist, earning Atlantic records the proper name of "The House that Ruth Built".
During the 1960s, Brown faded from public view to become a housewife and mother, and only returned to music in 1975 at the urging of Redd Foxx, followed by a series of comic acting gigs, including roles in the sitcom Hello, Larry and the John Waters film Hairspray as local DJ Motormouth Maybelle, as well as Broadway appearances in Amen Corner and Black and Blue, which earned her a Tony Award for her performance and a Grammy award for her album Blues on Broadway, featuring hits from the show.
Brown's fight for musicians' rights and royalties in 1987 led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a Pioneer Award recipient in its first year, 1989. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as "The Queen Mother of the Blues".
She has become an iconic symbol to many black women for later generations, where she is also a favourite artist and inspiration for later blues artists such as Bonnie Raitt. Brown recorded and sang along with fellow rhythm and blues performer Charles Brown, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and toured with Raitt on Raitt's tour in the late 1990s, "Road Tested". Her 1995 autobiography, Miss Rhythm, won the Gleason Award for music journalism.
Brown died in a Las Vegas-area hospital on 17th November 2006, from complications following a heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in October 2006. A memorial concert for her was held on 22nd January 2007 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.
Almost Like Being in Love
Ruth Brown Lyrics
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What a rare mood I'm in!
Why, it's almost like being in love
There's a smile on my face
For the whole human race
Why it's almost like being in love
Like a bell that is ringing for me
And from the way that I feel
When the bell starts to peal
I would swear I was falling
I could swear I was falling
It's almost like being in love
In Ruth Brown's song Almost Like Being in Love, the singer is in a rare and beautiful mood that she compares to the feeling of falling in love. She describes how she has a smile on her face that is meant for the entire human race. The music that she is listening to seems to ring out just for her, and the way that she feels when the music starts to play is so intense that she feels like she is falling.
The lyrics convey a sense of joy and wonder that comes across as infectious. The use of the analogy of falling in love captures the feeling of being swept away by the power of music or any other force that brings immense pleasure. It is almost as though the singer is in a state of euphoria and can see everything in a more positive light.
The song is quintessentially old-school R&B, with a pounding bassline and an upbeat tempo that encourages listeners to tap their feet along. The chorus is catchy and easy to sing along with, giving the song a timeless appeal. Overall, Almost Like Being in Love is a beautiful song that expresses the joy of experiencing positive emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
What a day this has been!
Today has been an extraordinary day filled with excitement and positivity.
What a rare mood I'm in!
I am in an unusual and unique mood, feeling incredibly happy and content.
Why, it's almost like being in love
The heightened emotions and sensations I am experiencing are comparable to the feelings one may have when falling in love.
There's a smile on my face
I am wearing a happy and content smile on my face, reflecting my inner joy and positivity.
For the whole human race
My positivity is not limited to myself but extends to all humanity, as I feel a general sense of harmony and goodwill towards others.
Why it's almost like being in love
The sense of universal love and positivity I feel is so intense that it compares to the feelings experienced in romantic love.
All the music of life seems to be
Everything around me seems to be in harmony and perfect sync, as if life is playing a beautiful melody.
Like a bell that is ringing for me
The beautiful melody seems to be specifically meant for me, sounding like a beautiful bell chime.
And from the way that I feel
The emotions and sensations I am experiencing are so intense that they cannot be ignored or disregarded.
When the bell starts to peal
When the beautiful melody reaches its climax, playing its loudest and most beautiful sound.
I would swear I was falling
The intensity of my emotions is so overwhelming that I feel like I am falling, almost like experiencing vertigo.
I could swear I was falling
The intensity of my feelings is so intense that I cannot help but feel like I am falling, feeling disoriented and dizzy.
It's almost like being in love
The heightened emotions and sensations I am experiencing are comparable to the feelings one may have when falling in love.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind