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).
Just For A Thrill
Shirley Horn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You changed the sunshine to rain
Just for a thrill
You filled my heart with pain
To me you were my pride and joy
But to you, I was merely a toy
A plaything, that you could toss around at will
Just for a thrill
You made my life one sad song
Just for a thrill
You just led me along
Although you're free and havin' your fun
To me you're still the only one
Cause you made my heart stand still
Just for a thrill
Although you're free and havin' your fun
To me you're still the only one
Cause you made my heart stand still
Well, it was just for a thrill
And baby you, you, made my heart stand still
Just for a thrill
Shirley Horn's song "Just For A Thrill" is a soulful piece that explores the pain and heartbreak that comes with unrequited love. The song begins by highlighting the impact that the other person has had on the singer's life - turning what was once a source of happiness and warmth (sunshine) into something cold and unforgiving (rain). The lyrics seem to suggest that the person in question did this simply to feed their own thrill-seeking desires, with little regard for the pain they were causing.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the fact that they were once deeply attached to this person - "To me you were my pride and joy". However, they go on to acknowledge that they were not seen as an equal partner in the relationship - "But to you, I was merely a toy, a plaything, that you could toss around at will". This line conveys a sense of powerlessness and helplessness, as though the singer was unable to assert their own needs and desires in the relationship.
The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer acknowledging that, despite everything, they still feel a sense of attachment to this person. The final lines - "Although you're free and havin' your fun, to me you're still the only one, cause you made my heart stand still, just for a thrill" - suggest that the singer is still trying to come to terms with the mixed emotions that this person has brought into their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Just for a thrill
You changed our happy days to sorrow just for the excitement it brought you.
You changed the sunshine to rain
You altered our joy and made it sorrowful for your own pleasure.
You filled my heart with pain
Your actions caused me extreme emotional anguish and heartbreak.
To me you were my pride and joy
I cherished you and thought of you as my greatest accomplishment and source of happiness.
But to you, I was merely a toy
You only saw me as an object to use and play with for your own entertainment.
A plaything, that you could toss around at will
I was completely under your control, to be manipulated and discarded without regard for my feelings.
You made my life one sad song
Your actions created a constant state of sadness in my life.
You just led me along
You strung me along with false hopes and promises, never intending to follow through.
Although you're free and havin' your fun
Despite your freedom to do as you please and indulge in your desires.
To me you're still the only one
I still hold onto the belief that you are the one for me.
Cause you made my heart stand still
Your actions and presence held such power over me that time seemed to stand still.
Well, it was just for a thrill
All of this heartache and pain was simply for your own pleasure and excitement.
And baby you, you, made my heart stand still
You had such an intense effect on me that my heart literally stopped in its tracks.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON RAYE, LILLIAN HARDIN ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jason Blasingame
This is like the saddest song I've ever heard. Great interpretation by Ms Shirley Horn