Flint began learning to play the piano and acoustic guitar at the age of six; Shelby's family background was deeply rooted in the Southern mountains of America, and throughout her childhood she was exposed to this music. While attending high school, Flint played guitar and sang for her friends, further encouraging her to perform for school assemblies, as well as church and civic programs. She wrote many songs during this period, among them "Angel on My Shoulder" which would in a few years become a pop standard.
In 1958, she recorded a single for Cadence Records, "I Will Love You" (b/w "Oh, I Miss Him So") with The Jordanaires as vocal backing, though it did not materialize into a recording contract. Her original recording of "Angel on My Shoulder" was released on Valiant in 1960; it is reputed that Barry De Vorzon's (with whom Flint would co-write several songs) singular reason for starting the label was to have the opportunity to commit Flint's music to record. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1961; at the end of the year, "Angel on My Shoulder" was listed in the Variety Tune Index of Performance and Sales.
Flint's next album was Shelby Flint Sings Folk (1962), in which she paid homage to the folk songs she had grown up with, such as "The Ash Grove", "Black Is the Color", and "House of the Rising Sun". It was around this time Flint made the conscientious decision to prioritize family over an active career in music, limiting her potential for nationwide, possibly even worldwide, exposure. Throughout the 1960s, she released a series of well-regarded singles on Valiant, her popularity culminating with the release of Cast Your Fate to the Wind (1966) and its accompanying single.
Throughout the 1970s, Flint fostered a relationship with animation, first appearing on the soundtrack for the Peanuts animated special Snoopy, Come Home (1972); ironically, this is the only Peanuts special released in his lifetime for which Vince Guaraldi, the original composer of Flint's 1966 hit, did not contribute a score. In 1977, Flint recorded three songs for the soundtrack for the Disney animated feature The Rescuers. One of the songs featured in the film, "Someone's Waiting for You", was nominated for Best Original Song at the 50th Academy Awards. Aside from appearing on the occasional live action film soundtrack such as Breezy and The Borrowers, she also contributed voice acting for two Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.
With a modestly resuscitated career, Flint recorded the disco/jazz funk album Don't Stop the Music (1979), a collaboration with relative Ian Jack. The album was released in the twilight hour of the disco genre's popularity, and failed to achieve critical acclaim. Then, in the '80s, Flint gathered a jazz group consisting of Bill Bodine, Gregg Karukas, Jerry Peterson, Denny Seiwell, and Jerry Steinholtz. The Shelby Flint Group became one of the most popular '80s L.A. jazz groups, releasing the 1982 live LP You've Been on My Mind which was adored by critics. The group split after a final performance at the Monterey Pop Festival.
Throughout the late '80s and '90s, Flint made guest vocal appearances on well-regarded jazz records by artists such as Chick Corea, Mike Garson, and Tim Weston. In 1994, Flint appeared on Gregg Karukas' holiday offering Home for the Holidays, reinterpreting holiday classics and singing her own compositions. She also makes sporadic live performances as a solo artist, as well as being a member of the a capella group Inner Voices.
In 2012, the Shelby Flint Group reunited, planning the 2012/13 release of Yesterdays (formerly known as The Oceanway Tapes), a follow-up to You've Been on My Mind which was not released at the time. The album has been re-recorded for the occasion, and will also coincide with the re-release of the group's first album, which has been out of print for some time.
Scores of female artists have cited Flint as an artistic influence, among them Karen Carpenter, Joni Mitchell, and Maureen McGovern. Notably, when starting out, Mitchell was intentionally copying Flint's act.
Hi-Lili Hi-Lo
Shelby Flint Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song of love is a song of woe
Don't ask me how I know
A song of love is a sad song
For I have loved and it's so
I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Tomorrow I'll probably love again, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo.
A song of love is a song of woe
Don't ask me how I know
A song of love is a sad song
For I have loved and it's so
I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Tomorrow I'll probably love again, Hi-Lili----Hi-Lili----Hi-Lo.
The hottest songs from Fabares Shelley
The song "Hi Lili Hi-Lo" by Shelby Flint is a poignant ballad and a classic example of the "torch" song genre. The lyricist of the song, Helen Deutsch, wrote the words for the film "Lili" (1953), which tells the story of a young orphan girl who joins a traveling carnival and falls in love with a magician. The song reflects Lili's longing and heartbreak after she is rejected by the man she loves.
The opening lines "A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" sets the tone for the entire song. The singer acknowledges that love can be a beautiful and intense feeling, but it can also bring pain and sorrow. The repetition of "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" creates a mournful melody that captures Lili's emotional state. The line "Don't ask me how I know" suggests that the singer has experienced this pain firsthand and is sharing their wisdom with the listener.
The line "I sit at the window and watch the rain" illustrates the singer's loneliness and sense of melancholy. The rain is a common symbol for sadness and sorrow in literature and the arts. The final line "Tomorrow I'll probably love again" suggests that despite the heartbreak, the singer is open to love again. Overall, the song is a bittersweet meditation on the nature of love and how it can bring both joy and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
The act of loving someone can be a melancholic experience.
A song of love is a song of woe
Love songs are often about sadness and heartbreak.
Don't ask me how I know
I have personal experience with the pain and sadness of love.
For I have loved and it's so
I have been in love before and felt the accompanying sorrow.
I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
I'm wallowing in my sadness, watching the rain fall and thinking of lost love.
Tomorrow I'll probably love again, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo.
Despite the sadness of love, I'll probably continue to pursue it and open myself up to the possibility of feeling it again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, HELEN DEUTSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@moisescedenoorozco4356
Cancion de mi infancia, ya Tengo 73
@mariaconsuelomoraesmaia892
Que voz tão linda e tão suave! Essa música ouvi na minha infância quando ia dormir e depois cantei para minhas filhas tb qdo iam dormir. Amo essa música!
@jonnuanez7183
One of Joni Mitchell's earliest influences
@henryhorner3182
Shelby Flint was greatly underrated despite her obvious talents. Both as a singer as well as a songwriter.
@lilirivera9118
My dad used to sing it to me to put in bed when I was probably one/three years old. I still can recall he walking by our old house with me in his arms till I sleep. I forgot completely this memory until today when like a flashback it came again to my mind. I even did not know what was the song name nor it was a movie. I looked and looked until I found this. I can recall part of the lyrics in spanish which is my mother tongue. Made me cry and remember my dad who passed 10 years ago. I am sure he dedicated it to me. Not my real name but he always called me Lili. I am 64. Thanks so much for it. Not only in my memory but in my heart forever.
@faustodeguzman2749
I remember seeing the movie in the theater when l was 10 years old. Beautiful melodie and lyricist !
@rolandobottino2868
So nice memories.
@davidchamberlain5425
Crystal clear tones 🎶🎶🎶🙏🙏🙏
@davidhambleton8576
Where has all the good music gone? It ages gracefully like this beautiful lady who is now 78.
@levymanlapig8970
No need to worry...they've all gone to youtube where we can find them.