Shirley Horn was born and raised in Washington, D.C.. Encouraged by her grandmother, an amateur organist, Horn began piano lessons at the age of four. Aged 12, she studied piano and composition at Howard University, later graduating from there in classical music. Horn was offered a place at the Juilliard School, but her family could not afford to send her there. Horn formed her first jazz piano trio when she was 20. Horn's early piano influences were Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, and moving away from her classical background, Horn later said that "Oscar Peterson became my Rachmaninov, and Ahmad Jamal became my Debussy." She then became enamored with the famous U Street jazz area of Washington (largely destroyed in the 1968 riots), sneaking into jazz clubs before she was of legal age.
Horn first achieved fame in 1960, through her association with Miles Davis. Davis' praise had particular resonance in two respects: because he was so highly respected as a musician, and because he rarely offered public praise for fellow musicians at that time. Horn had, though, recorded several songs with violinist Stuff Smith in 1959 both as a pianist and a singer. After her discovery by Davis, she recorded albums on different small labels in the early 1960s, eventually landing contracts with larger labels Mercury Records and Impulse Records. She was popular with jazz critics, but did not achieve significant popular success.
Quincy Jones attempted to make Horn into a pure vocalist in several recording sessions, something he later hinted may have been a mistake. Horn was also disturbed by the changes in popular music in the 1960s following the arrival of The Beatles. Largely rejecting efforts to remake her into a popular singer, she stated: "I will not stoop to conquer."[4] From the late-1960s, she concentrated on raising her daughter Rainy with her husband, Shepherd Deering (whom she had married in 1955), and largely limited her performances to her native Washington, D.C.
Miles Davis made a rare appearance as a sideman on Horn's 1991 album You Won't Forget Me. Although she preferred to perform in small settings, such as her trio, she also recorded with orchestras, as on the 1992 album Here's to Life, the title song (lyrics by Phyllis Molinary, music by Artie Butler) of which became her signature song. A video documentary of Horn's life and music was released at the same time as "Here's To Life" and shared its title. At the time, arranger Johnny Mandel commented that Horn's piano skill was comparable to that of the noted jazz great Bill Evans. A follow-up was made in 2001, named You're My Thrill.
Horn worked with the same rhythm section for 25 years: Charles Ables (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). Don Heckman wrote in the Los Angeles Times (February 2, 1995) about "the importance of bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams to Horn's sound. Working with boundless subtlety, following her every spontaneous twist and turn, they were the ideal accompanists for a performer who clearly will tolerate nothing less than perfection".
Her albums Here's to Life, Light Out of Darkness (A Tribute to Ray Charles) and I Love You, Paris all reached number one on the Billboard jazz charts.
Due to health problems in the early 2000s, Horn had to cut back on her performances. After 2002, a foot amputation (from complications of diabetes) led her to leave the piano playing to pianist George Mesterhazy. In late 2004, Horn felt able to play piano again, and recorded a live album for Verve, at Manhattan's Au Bar with trumpet player Roy Hargrove, which did not satisfy her.[citation needed] It remains unreleased except for tracks on But Beautiful - The Best of Shirley Horn.
A breast cancer survivor, she had been battling diabetes when she died of complications from the condition, aged 71. She is interred at Ft. Lincoln Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Horn was nominated for nine Grammy Awards during her career, winning the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards for I Remember Miles, a tribute to her friend and mentor (the album's cover featuring a Miles Davis drawing of them both).
She was officially recognized by the 109th US Congress for "her many achievements and contributions to the world of jazz and American culture", and performed at The White House for several U.S. presidents. Horn was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in 2002.
She was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2005 (the highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians).
After You
Shirley Horn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
Don't say that we must part,
Don't break your baby's heart
You know I've loved you for these many years,
Loved you night and day,
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
Someday, when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You're gonna feel bad
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
But baby, think what you're doin'
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
It's gonna drive you to ruin
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
The song "After You've Gone" by Shirley Horn is a classic tale of love lost and heartbreak. The lyrics speak directly to the person who is leaving and begs them not to go. The singer pleads for them not to break their heart and reminds them of how much they have been loved in the years gone by. Despite the attempts at persuasion, the singer is left alone and heartbroken.
The second half of the song is a warning to the person who left. The lyrics state that they will feel regret and sadness once they're gone. The singer warns them that there will come a time when they will want to return, but it may be too late. The song ends on a note of revenge, stating that the singer will haunt and taunt the person who left until they are driven to ruin.
The lyrics are a timeless reminder of the pain of lost love and the hope that those who leave will realize what they have lost. The song is a beautiful showcase of Shirley Horn's vocal talent and emotional depth.
Line by Line Meaning
Now won't you listen honey, while I say,
Please pay attention, my dear, to what I'm about to tell you.
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
I cannot fathom why you must inform me that you're leaving me.
Don't say that we must part,
Please do not utter the words that we need to separate.
Don't break your baby's heart
Please do not hurt my feelings by leaving me.
You know I've loved you for these many years,
You are well aware that I have loved you enormously over the years.
Loved you night and day,
I have consistently loved you, every moment of every day.
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
My dear, don't you perceive my tears and understand my distress?
Listen while I say
Please hear me out as I express my thoughts.
After you've gone and left me cryin'
When you have departed, leaving me in tears
After you've gone there's no denyin'
It's an undeniable fact that after you've gone
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You're going to feel melancholic and sorrowful
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
You will long for the company of your most cherished friend.
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There will come a moment, please bear in mind,
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
When you'll rue your decision
Someday, when you grow lonely
At some point, when you become lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
Your heart will break similar to mine, and you'll desire only me.
You're gonna feel bad
You will feel miserable
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you will yearn for
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
You will long for your best friend whom you've ever had.
But baby, think what you're doin'
But dear, contemplate what you are doing,
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
I will torment you, I will tease you
It's gonna drive you to ruin
This will lead to your downfall
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
When you have left, when you're no longer here.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Henry Creamer, Turner Layton, Ray Sherman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind