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.
Be Anything
Ruth Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the way up that's when you hear an angel cry
It takes a heartbeat to bring someone back to life
And then you feel that it's all been worthwhile
Voices inside me keep guiding the way
Someone who loved me, I still hear them say:
You can be anything
Anything
You can be anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
Anything you dreamed of
I'd fall, you'd pick me up and wipe away my tears
Always there to drive away my fears
I'd call you late at night so close to giving in
You took the time to care and lift me up again
Lessons you taught me I'll never forget
Reach for the stars with no time for regret
You can be anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
You can be anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
Anything you dreamed of
Anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
You can be anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
Anything you dreamed of
When I can't stand the wait, but I can't bare to
Go
A door is open, then it won't be there for long I
Know
The truth of who I am, and who I wanna be
And what is possible is standing right in front of
Me
Yeah
Cuz you can be anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
You can be anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
Anything you dreamed of
Anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
Anything you dreamed of
Anything
Anything
Oh, you can be anything
You can be anything
Anything
Anything you dreamed of
Anything you dreamed of
The lyrics to Ruth Brown's song Be Anything empowers the listener to aspire for more and to chase their dreams, encouraging them to not only dream big but to know that they have the potential to attain anything they desire. The opening line of the song "It takes a moment to break a butterfly" suggests the fragility of dreams, easily lost and broken. The next line, "On the way up, that’s when you hear an angel cry," implies that the journey towards achieving one's aspirations is never easy, but amidst the struggle, one receives support from those who believe in them. The chorus repeats the phrase "You can be anything, anything you dreamed of," emphasizing the message of the song and the assurance that one has the ability to achieve anything by just believing in oneself.
The song expresses gratitude towards a person who has played a significant role in the singer's life, providing the necessary support and motivation to chase their dreams. The lyrics "I'd fall, you'd pick me up and wipe away my tears; Always there to drive away my fears" reveal that a support system is essential for one to pursue their dreams. In addition, the lyrics "Lessons you taught me, I'll never forget; reach for the stars with no time for regret" advocate for taking risks, pushing oneself out of their comfort zone, and being unafraid of failure.
Overall, Be Anything inspires the listener to never give up on their dreams, believing that with hard work, perseverance, and a support system, they can attain anything they set their minds to.
Line by Line Meaning
It takes a moment to break a butterfly
Small things can be easily broken or destroyed.
On the way up that's when you hear an angel cry
People often face struggles before reaching success.
It takes a heartbeat to bring someone back to life
A small act of kindness can have a huge impact on someone's life.
And then you feel that it's all been worthwhile
The positive effects of helping others are fulfilling.
Voices inside me keep guiding the way
Internal motivation can help guide life decisions.
Someone who loved me, I still hear them say:
Words of encouragement from loved ones can stay with you forever.
You can be anything
There are endless possibilities for personal growth and achievement.
Anything you dreamed of
Don't limit your aspirations, dream big.
I'd fall, you'd pick me up and wipe away my tears
Supportive relationships can help individuals overcome hardships.
Always there to drive away my fears
Trusted individuals can provide comfort during times of fear or uncertainty.
I'd call you late at night so close to giving in
Sometimes reaching out for help can prevent one from giving up completely.
You took the time to care and lift me up again
Caring individuals can help lift others back up when they are feeling defeated.
Lessons you taught me I'll never forget
Important life lessons can have a long-lasting impact on personal growth.
Reach for the stars with no time for regret
Don't let past regrets or failures hold you back from reaching your full potential.
When I can't stand the wait, but I can't bare to go
Feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place can be challenging.
A door is open, then it won't be there for long I know
Opportunities may be fleeting, so it's important to seize them while they're available.
The truth of who I am, and who I wanna be
Self-reflection is necessary in order to work towards personal growth.
And what is possible is standing right in front of Me
Opportunities for personal growth are often within reach.
Oh, you can be anything
The message of the song is empowering and encouraging.
Writer(s): Gordon Irving
Contributed by Peyton I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
delicedelmar
A really sweet, sweet song. Ruth is wonderful, ain't she?
PJDooWop
You hit the nail on the head.. The flip is 5-10-15. I have this on 78 as well. Usuaully early Atlantics sound much better on 78s, but this is one of the few exceptions. The 45 isn't incredibly expensive, it's just very hard to find. This copy is about the cleanest I ever anticipate finding.
ljliljohn
Wow! So great. I remember Ruth Brown from the mid-1940's when I was in high school and the music was called 'rhythm and blues'. I seem to recall that Ruth recorded a favorite of mine called 'Tomorrow Night' but I can't seem to find it it anywhere by her; the version by Lavern Baker on Youtube is pretty good also, but done years later.
Al D'Antonio
Awesome talent with a stellar backup of organ, guitar, drums, sax and bass.
Djé
What a great tune. Thanks for posting
PJDooWop
Ruth was really something else.
bluesborn
This recording glitters with a lost magic.It's the kind of song you might hear come washing in on some errant gypsy signal at 3 in the morning. The musicianship has been commented on but I'd like to add my appreciation of those rich dreamy organ swells.Really fine.
PJDooWop
The Wini Brown and her Boyfriends track on Mercury is beautiful. Quite a rare record as well
lovemywolfie
Amazing, love it.
PJDooWop
I believe I have Ruth's version on 45. I also have a good version by a group called The Popular Five on the Enrica label.