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.
I'm Old Fashioned
Susannah McCorkle Lyrics
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About the latest fads
I admit I was never one
Adored by local lads
Not that I ever try to be a saint
I'm the type that they classify as quaint
I'm old fashioned
I love the moonlight
The sound of rain
Upon a window pane
The starry song that April sings
This year's fancies
Are passing fancies
But sighing sighs holding hands
These my heart understands
I know I'm old fashioned
But I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me
I'm old fashioned
But I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me
Oh won't you stay old fashioned with me
Oh please stay old fashioned with me
In Susannah McCorkle's song "I'm Old Fashioned," the singer admits to not being up-to-date with the latest trends and fashion. She notes that she has never been admired by local boys, but she also acknowledges that she doesn't strive to be a role model or a perfect person. She embraces her old-fashioned nature, specifically her love of the moonlight, rain on a window pane and the starry song that April sings. She recognizes that the current fancies will come and go, but what she truly treasures are the moments spent holding hands and sighing together with her partner. She emphasizes that she doesn't mind being old-fashioned as long as her partner agrees to stay that way with her. The song conveys a sense of comfort and affection, by celebrating the beauty of simplicity and the lasting value of timeless love.
Line by Line Meaning
I am not such a clever one
I am not someone who is always up-to-date or knowledgeable about new trends and fads.
About the latest fads
I am not particularly interested in or knowledgeable about the latest fashion or trends.
I admit I was never one
I must admit, I have never been someone who was adored or chased after by local boys.
Adored by local lads
I have never been the type of girl that was pursued or coveted by local boys in my area.
Not that I ever try to be a saint
I am not trying to be someone who is perfect or moralistic, just myself.
I'm the type that they classify as quaint
I am the type of person that is often considered charmingly old-fashioned or out of touch with modern times.
I'm old fashioned
I prefer things that are traditional or from an earlier time period.
I love the moonlight
I enjoy the light of the moon, particularly its romantic and ethereal quality.
I love the old fashioned things
I enjoy old-fashioned things and customs, such as holding hands and romantic gestures.
The sound of rain
I find the sound of raindrops on a windowpane to be soothing and beautiful.
Upon a window pane
On the surface of a window, usually during a rainy day or storm.
The starry song that April sings
The beautiful and enchanting song that nature sings during the month of April, particularly the stars in the sky.
This year's fancies
Trends, fashion or popular culture that appear to be in vogue this year.
Are passing fancies
These passing trends or fashions are temporary and will not last.
But sighing sighs holding hands
Romantic moments between two people who enjoy each other's company and intimately hold each other's hands.
These my heart understands
These romantic gestures make sense and resonate deeply with my heart.
I know I'm old fashioned
I am aware that my preferences and beliefs align more with traditional values and customs.
But I don't mind it
I am content with my old-fashioned ways and beliefs.
That's how I want to be
This is how I prefer to live my life and go about my relationships.
As long as you agree
As long as my partner is on the same page as me and accepts my old-fashioned ways.
To stay old fashioned with me
To support and embrace my traditional beliefs and ways of living and to continue to romanticize old-fashioned things and customs with me.
Oh won't you stay old fashioned with me
A plea or request for my partner to stay loyal and committed to my traditional ways of life and love.
Oh please stay old fashioned with me
An earnest request for my partner to stay by my side and embrace traditional values and customs with me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind