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.
You Go To My Head
Susannah McCorkle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You go to my head
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you
The thrill of the thought
That you might give a thought to my plea, cast a spell over me
Still I say to myself get a hold of yourself
Can't you see that it never can be?
You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand July's
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
You go to my head
You go to my head
The lyrics to Susannah McCorkle’s “You Go To My Head” describe the overwhelming feelings of infatuation that one experiences when thinking of a love interest. The singer is deeply affected by this person, who haunts their thoughts and lingers in their mind like a “haunting refrain”. In the first verse, we are presented with the image of champagne bubbles – just as the bubbles rise and spin around in a glass of champagne, the memory of this person spins around in the singer’s brain. In the second verse, we hear about the thrill and excitement of being around this person, and how just the mention of their name can be intoxicating, like the kick of a strong drink.
Despite being fully aware that the chances of having a relationship with this person are slim, the singer is unable to control the way they feel about them. The person has cast a spell on them, and they’ve been completely captivated. The song is a testament to the breathtaking nature of being infatuated with someone, and the helplessness one feels when in love.
Line by Line Meaning
You go to my head
You are constantly on my mind and I cannot stop thinking about you.
And you linger like a haunting refrain
Your presence and memory stay with me, much like a repetitive melody in a song.
And I find you spinning round in my brain
You are always on my mind and I cannot stop thinking about you.
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You are effervescent and exciting, always bringing a sense of joy and celebration to my thoughts.
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
Even the mere thought of you brings pleasure and excitement to me, much like a delicious and enjoyable drink.
And I find the very mention of you
You have a strong effect on me, even hearing your name brings me a rush of emotions.
Like the kicker in a julep or two
Like the mint leaf in a refreshing cocktail, you add a little extra zing to my life.
The thrill of the thought
The excitement and anticipation that comes from considering the possibility of being with you.
That you might give a thought to my plea, cast a spell over me
The idea that you might consider my feelings and desires for a relationship is incredibly powerful and magical to me.
Still I say to myself get a hold of yourself
Despite my strong emotions, I remind myself to stay calm and rational.
Can't you see that it never can be?
I realize that a relationship with you may not be possible, and I must accept that fact.
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Your smile has a powerful and enticing effect on me, causing me to feel both excited and nervous.
Like a summer with a thousand July's
Your presence in my life brings an overwhelming sense of warmth and happiness, much like a perfect summer day.
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Your gaze has a deeply mesmerizing and addictive quality to it, capturing my attention and filling me with a sense of desire.
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
Despite my strong feelings for you, I know that it is unlikely that we will ever be together.
You go to my head
You have such a significant and lasting effect on me that you have become a constant presence in my thoughts.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J.F. Coots, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind