Dinah
The Revellers Lyrics


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Carolina
Gave me Dinah;
I'm the proudest one
Beneath the Dixie sun.

News is spreadin'
'Bout our weddin';
I hear church bells ringin',
Here's the song my heart keeps singin':

Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!

Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!

Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!

But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,
I would hop an ocean liner,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!

Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!

Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!

Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!

But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,




I would hop an ocean!,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!

Overall Meaning

The song "Dinah" by The Revellers talks about the singer's love for his lady, Dinah. He expresses how proud he is to have her by his side and how much he loves to gaze into her Dixie eyes. The song continues with him confessing his fear of Dinah leaving him and changing her mind about their relationship. He promises to go the extra mile, even if it means hopping an ocean liner, just to be with her if she ever wanders far away from him.


The lyrics capture the essence of a passionate love affair between two people in the southern United States. The mention of Carolina and Dixie adds a unique flavor to the song, reminding us of the beauty of the south. The song also portrays the fear that comes with being in love, the fear of losing that special someone. This fear is very relatable and adds a layer of emotional depth to the track.


The lyrics also encourage listeners to show love to their significant other if there is anyone finer than them in the state of Carolina. This message reminds us of the importance of expressing love and appreciation to our loved ones. Overall, the song "Dinah" is a beautiful expression of love that captures the essence of a passionate southern romance.


Line by Line Meaning

Carolina
The state in which Dinah is from.


Gave me Dinah;
Dinah is the name of someone being referred to as a gift from Carolina.


I'm the proudest one
The person is very proud to have Dinah.


Beneath the Dixie sun.
Under the southern sun in Dixie, where the person with Dinah resides.


News is spreadin'
Information is being shared about the person and Dinah.


'Bout our weddin';
The news is about the upcoming marriage between the person and Dinah.


I hear church bells ringin',
The person can hear the bells that will ring during their wedding.


Here's the song my heart keeps singin':
The person feels very happy and sings a joyful song in their heart.


Dinah,
The person is talking to Dinah.


Is there anyone finer
The person is asking if there is anyone more beautiful and amazing than Dinah.


In the state of Carolina?
They are specifying if that person is in Carolina.


If there is and you know her,
If there is someone better, the person is asking Dinah to let them know.


Show her!
The person is encouraging Dinah to show them this person that is supposed to be better.


With her Dixie eyes blazin',
Dinah has eyes that are shining or radiant.


How I love to sit and gaze in
The person enjoys staring into Dinah's eyes.


To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
The person loves Dinah a lot and admires her eyes in particular.


Yet, every night,
Even with their love, the person is worried.


My, how I shake with fright,
The person is very scared and is physically shaking.


Because my Dinah might,
The person is worried that Dinah might do something that will change how she feels about them.


Change her mind about me!
The person is worried that Dinah might stop loving them.


But if Dinah,
If Dinah were to do something specific.


Ever wandered to China,
If Dinah were to travel to China.


I would hop an ocean liner,
The person would travel very far to be with Dinah.


Just to be with Dinah Lee!
The person loves Dinah so much that they would travel very far just to be with her.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALFRED CLEVELAND, ALFRED W CLEVELAND, SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

william daugherty

I have this recording on an acoustic Victor and it has the same number. So strange! I can’t imagine that they made an electric version at the same time they made the batwing.

The78Prof

Yes, Victor did that sort of thing on a few occasions. "Dinah" was recorded first in September 1925 (acoustic) and again in January 1926 (electric), both issued under the same number. Here is the DAHR site's info post about the session details: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/800007520/BVE-33252-Dinah

Michael O'Leary

Great!

Vinny Cuozzi

Do you digitize all of these?

The78Prof

Only some. If readily available I'll use a CD-sourced track or other clean (or cleanable) file I've obtained from elsewhere over the years. If the description specifically reads "From 78rpm," the audio was transferred from a 78, though not necessary by me.

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