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 Thought About You
Susannah McCorkle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I thought about you
I p*ssed a shadowy lane
And I thought about yo&117
Two or three cars arked under the stars
A winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And every stop that we made, oh, I thought about you
When I pulled down the shade then I really felt blue
I peeked through the crack, looked at the track
The one going back to you
And what did I do? I thought about you
Susannah McCorkle's "I Thought About You" is a nostalgic tune about a person reflecting on a train ride where they thought of their loved one. The opening lyric, "I took a trip on a train and I thought about you," sets the tone of the song. The mention of the shadowy lane indicates a sense of loneliness and uncertainty, possibly about the future of their relationship. As the train moves on, the person sees several sights that remind them of their lover. The mention of two or three cars parked under the stars, a winding stream, and moon shining down on some little town describes the serene environment around them.
Despite the beautiful scenery around them, the person feels blue and lonely when they close the shade on their train cabin. They find themselves looking back at the track leading back to their loved one. The final lines, "And what did I do? I thought about you," summarize the person's thoughts throughout the entire song. They couldn't stop thinking about their significant other, even when they were surrounded by beautiful scenery.
Overall, "I Thought About You" illustrates how the memory of a loved one can stay with us through different experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a trip on a train
I embarked on a train journey
And I thought about you
You were constantly in my thoughts throughout the journey
I p*ssed a shadowy lane
I crossed a dark lane
And I thought about you
You were on my mind even during the short moment when I crossed the lane
Two or three cars parked under the stars
There were a few cars parked under the stars
A winding stream
I saw a stream that was curving
Moon shining down on some little town
The moonlight was illuminating a small town
And with each beam, the same old dream
The moonlight reminded me of the same old dream I keep having
And every stop that we made, oh, I thought about you
Every time the train made a stop, you were on my mind
When I pulled down the shade then I really felt blue
I felt sad when I pulled down the shade on the window
I peeked through the crack, looked at the track
I looked through the small opening and saw the train tracks
The one going back to you
The track taking the train back in the direction of where you are
And what did I do? I thought about you
I kept thinking about you throughout the journey, even at the sight of the train tracks going back to you
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stephensaltonstall8743
My wife and I have been together for more than 40 years, and this is "our song." I mourn Ms. McCorkle's tragic end.
@roywillis2750
Music does not get better than this. Thank you Susannah .
@stephaniechastain1963
I remember the day I heard she had jumped out the window, in NYC 20 stories high. She had a note in her pocket to take care of her cats. Miss her so much.
@MJLeger-yj1ww
I just discovered the beautiful voice of Susannah McCorkle and I love it! What a talent. I am now listening to everything she recorded. So sorry we lost her way too early but so glad she left us these beautiful recordings of her songs to enjoy. "I Thought About You" is a favorite of mine, and now, her version is a favorite also, because she sings this song slow and sensually and it's gorgeous! For a real treat, listen to her version of the great song, "Estate!"
@BarryNulph
This happens to be just about my favorite song of all of the standards. Ms. McCorkle had a pure voice like few others. Depression is a difficult and terrible thing that many people have to deal with in various degrees. If there is a Heaven... surely she must be there.
@biancachristine7860
Yes for sure.
@davefornshell5094
She was such a special singer and a special person. I still miss seeing her perform at The Algonquin and having drinks and delightful conversations with her afterward. Rest In Peace, dear friend!
@biancachristine7860
What a time - lucky to have been there
@HFritzson
She was a great singer. Nuff said.
@lowellthomasjr.468
She sang so well, just about as well as anyone ever has. May she rest in eternal peace. What a beautiful gift she shared.