McCorkle was born in Berkeley, California. She studied modern languages at the University of California, Berkeley. McCorkle began singing professionally after hearing recordings of Billie Holiday in Paris in the late 1960s. She nearly became an interpreter at the European Commission in Brussels, but moved instead to London in 1972 to pursue a career in singing. While in the UK, she made two albums which, although well received, enjoyed only limited circulation.
In the late 1970s, McCorkle returned to the United States and settled in New York City, where a five-month engagement at the Cookery in Greenwich Village brought her to wider public attention and elicited rave reviews from critics.
During the 1980s, McCorkle continued to record; her maturing style and the darkening timbre of her voice greatly enhanced her performances. In the early 1990s, two of the albums McCorkle made for Concord Records, No More Blues and Sábia, were enormously successful and made her name known to the wider world. She was recorded by the Smithsonian Institution which at the time made her the youngest singer ever to have been included in its popular music series. McCorkle played Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls five times and Carnegie Hall three times, and was featured soloist with Skitch Henderson and the 80-piece New York Pops in a concert of Brazilian music.
Thanks to her linguistic skills, McCorkle translated lyrics of Brazilian, French, and Italian songs, notably those for her Brazilian album Sabia. McCorkle also had several short stories published and, in 1991, began work on her first novel. She published fiction in Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and non-fiction in the New York Times Magazine and in American Heritage, including lengthy articles on Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Irving Berlin and Mae West.
McCorkle suffered for many years from depression and cancer, and took her own life at age 55 by leaping off the balcony of her highrise Manhattan apartment. She was alone in her home at the time. The police immediately entered her home after identifying her body and found no foul play. Suicide was ruled the cause of death.
Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
Susannah McCorkle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
Since everyone spread the story
With his own little personal touch
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
Is over my head
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
In Susannah McCorkle's song "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me," the singer addresses her partner's concerns regarding rumors about her infidelity. She acknowledges the spread of the story and the personal touches added to it by each individual who passed it along. Despite the rumors, the singer urges her partner to disregard what he hears and wait to hear from her directly before making any judgments or taking any action. She emphasizes the importance of considering their relationship before accepting what others say about her.
The lyrics convey a sense of frustration with gossip and the harm it can cause. The singer challenges the idea that others have the right to tear down someone's dream or relationship by spreading rumors. She pleads with her partner to trust in their love and to not let the words of others damage what they have.
Overall, the song serves as a reminder that communication and trust are crucial components of any relationship. It encourages listeners to be cautious when believing rumors and to prioritize direct communication with their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told someone and someone told you
Quite a few people have been talking about me and you, and it seems like the word has spread quite far. But don't worry, it's nothing harmful.
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
I don't think they'd cause you any trouble, but you never know how stories can grow and change as they pass from one person to another.
Since everyone spread the story / With his own little personal touch
Each person who shared the story put their own spin on it, so there's no telling how much of what you've heard is actually true.
Do nothin' till you hear from me / Pay no attention to what's said
I don't want you to take any action or make any judgments based on what you've heard. Wait to hear from me before you do anything at all.
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream / Is over my head
I don't understand why people can be so eager to undermine someone else's happiness or success, but unfortunately it's a reality of life.
At least consider our romance / If you should take the word of others you've heard / I haven't a chance
Please don't let the gossip you've heard cause you to doubt our relationship. If you believe everything people say about me, then there's no chance for us.
True I've been seen with someone new / But does that mean that I'm untrue
It's true that I've been seen with someone else, but that doesn't mean I've been unfaithful or that my feelings for you have changed.
When we're apart the words in my heart / Reveal how I feel about you
Even when we're not together, I still feel the same way about you as always. My heart is true to you.
Some kiss may cloud my memory / And other arms may hold a thrill
There may have been some moments that distracted me or made me question things, but they don't compare to the love and connection we share.
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me / And you never will
Don't take any action or make any assumptions based on the rumors and whispers you've heard. You'll never hear anything from me that contradicts my love and loyalty to you.
Lyrics © Freibank Musikverlags und vermarktungs GmbH, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, BOB RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind