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.
The People That You Never Get To Love
Susannah McCorkle Lyrics
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And you see him in non-fiction V-why
He looks up from world war two
And then you catch him, catch him, catch him in his eye
So you quickly turn away a wishful stare
And take a sudden interest in your shoes
If you only had the courage but you don't
And you think about the people that you never get to love
It's not as if you even had the chance
So many worth a second life but rarely do you get a second glance
Until fate cuts in on your dance
And you'll see him on a train that you just missed
At a bus stop where your bus will never stop
Or in a passing Buick when you've been pulled over by a traffic cop
Or you'll share an elevator, just you two
And rise in solemn silence to your floor
Like the fool you are, you get off
And he leaves your life behind a closing door
And you think about the people that you never get to love
That poem you intended to begin
The saddest that anyone has ever said are Lord what might have been?
But no one ever said you get to win
Still you'll never going to miss what you don't know
And you don't know who you'll meet at half past three
It could be a total stranger who looks just a little bit like me
One of the people that you never get to love
One of the people that you never get to love
The people that you never get to love
The lyrics of "The People That You Never Get To Love" by Susannah McCorkle explore the missed opportunities of potential love. The song depicts a scenario where the singer spots someone of interest in a second-hand bookstore. They exchange eye contact, but the singer lacks the courage to approach the person. The fear of rejection causes her to look away and lose the opportunity to take a chance on love. The lyrics then portray how this scenario happens countless times in life; the missed connections in trains, buses, and elevators when everyone is a stranger passing through someone else's life.
The lyrics express regret and loss, acknowledging the chances never taken and consequences of not following through. The song also points out that, in life, you never know who you'll meet or what opportunities are missed. There is a sense of melancholy throughout the song, but the final verse suggests a glimmer of hope. The singer encourages the listener to remain open to new experiences because everyone is one of "the people you never get to love."
Overall, the song conveys a message about missed opportunities in life and the importance of taking chances. It captures the fear of rejection and the consequences of not following through on opportunities in life.
Line by Line Meaning
You're browsing in a second hand book store
You are leisurely walking through a store that sells used books and other relics.
And you see him in non-fiction V-why
While browsing, you notice a man in the non-fiction section, looking at books on World War Two.
He looks up from world war two
His concentration on the book is momentarily broken as he raises his gaze from the pages he was reading.
And then you catch him, catch him, catch him in his eye
Your eyes meet for a fleeting moment, and it feels like you have caught and held his gaze.
So you quickly turn away a wishful stare
You avert your eyes from him, masking your desire to continue to stare at him.
And take a sudden interest in your shoes
You focus on the shoes you're wearing to avoid looking back at him.
If you only had the courage but you don't
You feel like you lack the bravery to approach him, despite your attraction to him.
And he turns and leaves and you both lose
He leaves the store, and with him goes the opportunity for something that could have been special for both of you.
And you think about the people that you never get to love
You ponder over past moments and missed opportunities where you could have found love and companionship.
It's not as if you even had the chance
You realize that it was unlikely that you were ever going to make a connection given the circumstances.
So many worth a second life but rarely do you get a second glance
There are so many people who could have been significant in your life, but you never had the chance to explore that possibility.
Until fate cuts in on your dance
Sometimes, fate intervenes in your life regardless of your intentions or actions.
And you'll see him on a train that you just missed
You might have a chance encounter with someone you could have bonded with on a train, but missed the opportunity.
At a bus stop where your bus will never stop
While waiting for a bus, you might meet someone you could have a connection with, but your bus arrives before you have a chance to start a conversation.
Or in a passing Buick when you've been pulled over by a traffic cop
In circumstances where you least expect it, you could meet someone who could have been special when you least expect it, such as when you've been pulled over by a traffic cop.
Or you'll share an elevator, just you two
In a small, enclosed space like an elevator, you could be alone with someone you could have had a connection with.
And rise in solemn silence to your floor
You both travel together in silence, not making eye contact until you reach your destination.
Like the fool you are, you get off
Even though there is an opportunity to start a conversation, you let it pass without engaging.
And he leaves your life behind a closing door
The elevator doors close, and he is gone from your life, perhaps forever.
That poem you intended to begin
You may have planned to write a sentimental, meaningful poem about someone special you met or about love in general, but those plans will have to be shelved.
The saddest that anyone has ever said are Lord what might have been?
It is a common regret to think, 'what could have been,' and it can be one of the saddest things that people say.
But no one ever said you get to win
Life is often unpredictable and full of surprises, but it does not always fully reward our efforts and desires.
Still you'll never going to miss what you don't know
You can't miss what you never had, or what you weren't aware of in the moment.
And you don't know who you'll meet at half past three
You never know who you will meet or what will happen at any given moment, no matter how unremarkable it may seem.
It could be a total stranger who looks just a little bit like me
A stranger you meet could bear a resemblance to you in some small way, and that chance meeting could start a relationship that unfolds into something wonderful.
One of the people that you never get to love
This stranger could be one of the many people you never had a chance to get to know and love in your life.
One of the people that you never get to love
This line is repeated to reinforce the theme of missed opportunities and the potential for connections that could have happened but didn't.
The people that you never get to love
The song is about the many people who one may miss out on the chance to love or get to know in their life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUPERT HOLMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind