According to her record label, Liberty Records, Yuro moved with her family to Los Angeles, United States. There, she sang in her parents' Italian restaurant and in local clubs before catching the eye and ear of record executives. Signed to Liberty, she had a U.S. Billboard No. 4 single in 1961 with "Hurt", an R&B ballad that had been an early success for Roy Hamilton. On "Hurt" and on her Billboard No. 12 follow-up in 1962, "What's a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You?)", Yuro showed an emotional but elegant vocal style that owed a debt to Dinah Washington and other black jazz singers. Many listeners in the early 1960s thought Yuro was black. She opened for Frank Sinatra on his 1962 tour of Australia.
In 1963, Liberty released Make the World Go Away, an album of country and blues standards. The singer at her vocal peak, this recording includes a powerful title track of the same name, a beautifully understated version of Willie Nelson's "Permanently Lonely", and two different blues takes of "I'm Movin' On". Yuro was also known for soulful reworkings of popular American standards, such as "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", "Smile", and "I Apologize".
By the late 1960s, Yuro had performed in venues from London to Las Vegas. However, her career soon lost its early momentum, and she quit the music business altogether after her marriage in 1972. When Yuro began to sing again in the 1980s, her doctors detected throat cancer. Her larynx was eventually removed and in 2004 she succumbed to cancer. Her last recording was the 1984 CD Timi Yuro Sings Willie Nelson, produced by her old friend Nelson.
Yuro's work is admired in the United States as well as in Great Britain and the Netherlands. According to the obituary in the Las Vegas Sun, her hometown paper, Yuro's most famous fan was probably Elvis Presley, who commanded his own table at the casino where Yuro sang in the late 1960s. (Presley had a Top 10 country hit with his 1976 version of "Hurt".) In April 2004, Morrissey announced Yuro's death on his official website, describing her as his "favorite singer". (Morrissey also recorded a version of Yuro's "Interlude" with Siouxsie Sioux in 1995.) P.J.Proby knew Timi Yuro from their time in Hollywood, and often mentions it during his performances of "Hurt".
Yuro found success on the dance floors of northern Britain in the 1970s and 1980s when Northern Soul DJs championed her up-tempo tracks of "It'll Never Be Over for Me" and "What's a Matter Baby". The latter was rereleased on Kent Records in the 1980s.
Smoke gets in your eyes
Timi Yuro Lyrics
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I of course replied "something here inside cannot be denied"
They said "someday you'll find all who love are blind"
When your heart's on fire, you must realize smoke gets in your eyes
So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed to think they could doubt my love
Yet today my love has flown away, I am without my love
Now laughing friends deride tears I cannot hide
(Smoke gets in your eyes, smoke gets in your eyes)
Smoke-gets-in-your-eyes
In Timi Yuro's song Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, the singer is responding to those that question how she knows her true love is true. Her answer is that there is an undeniable feeling inside her that confirms it for her. However, others warn her that someday she will realize that everyone who loves is blind. They caution her that when your heart is on fire, you must realize that smoke gets in your eyes. Despite their warning, the singer chaffs at their doubts and laughs to think that anyone could doubt her love.
As the song progresses, the singer admits that her love has flown away and she is left without her love. Her previous laughing friends now ridicule her and she is unable to hide her tears. But she puts on a brave face and says that when a lovely flame dies, smoke gets in your eyes, implying that the memory of her love is still present, clouding her view.
The song is a poignant and bittersweet reflection on love and loss. The lyrics suggest that love can be all-consuming and can cloud one's judgement, leaving one vulnerable to heartache. The repeated refrain of "smoke gets in your eyes" highlights this idea of love's temporary nature and the pain it can cause.
Line by Line Meaning
They asked me how I knew my true love was true
Someone asked me how I was sure about my love being true
I of course replied "something here inside cannot be denied"
I responded stating that a feeling within me undeniable verifies my love
They said "someday you'll find all who love are blind"
The person replied, saying everyone in love can't see clearly someday
When your heart's on fire, you must realize smoke gets in your eyes
The intensity of love blinds you from seeing the truth
So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed to think they could doubt my love
I found it amusing that they questioned my feelings and laughed it off
Yet today my love has flown away, I am without my love
But now that my love has left, I am alone and missing them
Now laughing friends deride tears I cannot hide
My friends who laughed at me are now teasing me for crying
So I smile and say "when a lovely flame dies, smoke gets in your eyes"
I hide my sadness with a smile and say that the end of a beautiful thing brings tears
(Smoke gets in your eyes, smoke gets in your eyes)
(The memory of past love can cloud your vision and judgment)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind