When Naomi Judd found herself pregnant, she quickly got married but not to the father of her first child, daughter Christina Ciminella. Christina, born May 30, 1964, became known as Wynonna Judd when the mother-daughter duo stormed the country charts in the 1980s.
After Naomi Judd divorced, she moved from Hollywood, back to Morrill, Ky., with Wynonna and another daughter Ashley. There, she worked as a nurse in a local infirmary. Outside working and school hours, she and the children would sing anything from bluegrass to showbiz standards for their own amusement. However, when Wynonna nurtured aspirations to be a professional entertainer, her mother lent her encouragement, to the extent of moving the family to Nashville in 1979. Naomi's contralto subtly underlined Wynonna's tuneful drawl.
In addition to many performances on Ralph Emery's morning television show, Naomi elicited an audition for RCA Records while tending a hospitalized relation of label producer Brent Maher. With a past that read like a Judith Krantz novel, the Judds -- so the executives considered -- would have more than an even chance in the country market. An exploratory mini-album, which contained proved the executives correct. The single "Had a Dream (From the Heart)" peaked at No. 17 in 1984. Later that year, the Judds scored their first of 14 No. 1 hits with "Mama He's Crazy."
Self-composed songs included Naomi's 1989 composition "Change of Heart," dedicated to her future second husband (and former Elvis Presley backing vocalist) Larry Strickland. Meanwhile, Maher co-wrote hits such as 1985's Grammy-winning "Why Not Me," "Turn It Loose," "Girls Night Out," "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days)" and "Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain."
Most Judds records exhibited an acoustic bias and a penchant for star guests that included the Jordanaires on "Don't Be Cruel," Emmylou Harris on "The Sweetest Gift," Mark Knopfler on his "Water of Love" and Bonnie Raitt playing slide guitar on the album Love Can Build a Bridge. In 1988, the pair became the first female country act to found their own booking agency (Pro-Tours), but a chronic hepatitis infection forced Naomi to retire from the concert stage two years later.
The Judds toured America in a series of farewell concerts before Wynonna began her solo career. Wynonna got off to a strong start, as her first two singles both went to #1. Her 1994 single "Girls With Guitars" featured Naomi (as well as Lyle Lovett) on backup vocals.
In 1998, The Judds appeared in a commercial for the retail chain Kmart, singing Wynonna's single "Woman To Woman".
In 1999, Wynonna reunited with her mother for a New Year's Eve concert in Phoenix. The following year, the duo recorded four new tracks for a bonus disc issued with Wynonna's album New Day Dawning, and undertook a multi-city tour. The results were issued as the album Reunion Live. A 2004 single, "Flies On The Butter (You Can't Go Home Again)" was recorded with Naomi; however, the single was credited as "Wynonna with Naomi Judd" instead of "The Judds".
Born to Be Blue
The Judds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I'm right
Maybe I just don't know
Will I ever fall in love
And never have to worry
That I'm fallin' all alone?
Maybe it's true
Maybe it's true
I was just born to be blue
They say everybody's got a someone
A sweet somebody to love
It might be fate or destiny
May be written in the stars above
But I can't help but wonder
After all that I've been through
Maybe my baby's nowhere to be found
And I was just born to be blue
Was I born to be unhappy?
Just to live on heartache street
Was I born to go to bed each night
And cry myself to sleep?
Can somebody out there help me?
Give me some kind of clue
Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm right
But, don't tell me I was born to be blue
They say nobody dies from a heartache
You can't drown in your own tears
But who wants to live in this world alone
Where minutes turn into years?
So I'd rather go down believin'
Suffer a heartache or two
Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm right
But, don't tell me I was born to be blue
Was I born to be blue?
Born just to cry?
Born to be alone 'til the day I die?
Somebody tell me
Was I born to be loved?
Born to be kissed?
Born to find the one to show me what I missed?
Was I born to be blue?
Born just to cry?
Born to be alone 'til the day I die?
Tell me, Mama
Was I born to be loved?
Born to be kissed?
Born to find the one to show me what I missed?
In "Born to Be Blue," The Judds explore the concept of destiny and whether or not individuals are born with a pre-determined fate. The lyrics are imbued with feelings of loneliness, heartache, and searching for love. The song starts with a sense of uncertainty as the singer wonders if they will ever fall in love and find someone to share life with. There's a feeling of desperation and yearning throughout the song.
The chorus of the song, "Maybe it's true, I was just born to be blue," suggests that the singer has resigned themselves to the idea that their destiny is to be unhappy and that their search for love may ultimately be fruitless. Despite this, the lyrics express a desire to find love and companionship, with the singer asking if they were born to be loved, kissed and find the one that could show them what they've missed.
The verses of the song also grapple with the idea of fate and destiny but bring a more melancholic middle-aged perspective to it. The Judds ask whether the singer's fate to live alone and unhappy. A feeling that many might have who have suffered through multiple bad relationships or been alone for a long time. These questions about fate and destiny are both poignant and relatable, and the song's lyrics are among the best works in country music.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe I'm wrong
I might not have the right idea about love and relationships
Maybe I'm right
I could be correct in my beliefs about love and relationships
Maybe I just don't know
I am uncertain about what love has in store for me
Will I ever fall in love
I wonder if I will ever find true love
And never have to worry
To not be anxious about being alone
That I'm fallin' all alone?
The fear of being isolated and without a partner
Maybe it's true
It could be possible
I was just born to be blue
To be inherently predisposed to loneliness and heartache
They say everybody's got a someone
It is believed that everyone has a soulmate
A sweet somebody to love
A significant other to care for and cherish
It might be fate or destiny
Perhaps it is predetermined by a higher power
May be written in the stars above
The fate of a relationship could be determined by heavenly bodies
But I can't help but wonder
I am curious about this idea
After all that I've been through
Considering all the struggles I've faced in love
Maybe my baby's nowhere to be found
Perhaps my soulmate does not exist
And I was just born to be blue
I may be predetermined to experience loneliness and heartbreak
Was I born to be unhappy?
Is my purpose in life to be miserable?
Just to live on heartache street
To exist in a constant state of pain and sadness
Was I born to go to bed each night
To suffer every night before sleep
And cry myself to sleep?
Tears and sorrow being the last thoughts before rest
Can somebody out there help me?
Is there anyone who can assist me in finding love?
Give me some kind of clue
Offer some guidance or suggestions on how to find love
They say nobody dies from a heartache
It is believed that emotional anguish is not fatal
You can't drown in your own tears
It is impossible to be consumed by one's emotive responses
But who wants to live in this world alone
Being alone is an undesirable way of life
Where minutes turn into years?
The long, torturous experience of being alone
So I'd rather go down believin'
Hoping until the end
Suffer a heartache or two
Experiencing occasional heartbreak or sadness is bearable
Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm right
Affirm or reject my beliefs about love and relationships
But, don't tell me I was born to be blue
Don't confirm my worst fears about being alone and unhappy
Was I born to be blue?
Is my fate to be lonely and heartbroken?
Born just to cry?
To exist only to endure pain and sorrow
Born to be alone 'til the day I die?
To live without a partner for the entirety of life
Somebody tell me
I need confirmation, assistance, or advice
Was I born to be loved?
Can I experience true, fulfilling love?
Born to be kissed?
Will I ever have romantic experiences?
Born to find the one to show me what I missed?
To finally be with the person who makes life fulfilling and complete
Tell me, Mama
An appeal for maternal guidance or insight
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AMPLIFIED ADMINISTRATION
Written by: BRENT MAHER, MACK DAVID, MICHAEL BARRY REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind