Turner began her career with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, "Boxtop", in 1958. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit duet single "A Fool in Love". The duo Ike & Tina Turner became "one of the most formidable live acts in history". They released hits such as "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "River Deep – Mountain High", "Proud Mary", and "Nutbush City Limits" before disbanding in 1976.
In the 1980s, Turner launched "one of the greatest comebacks in music history". Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer contained the hit song "What's Love Got to Do with It", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her first and only number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. At age 44, she was the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100. Her chart success continued with "Better Be Good to Me", "Private Dancer", "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)", "Typical Male", "The Best", "I Don't Wanna Fight", and "GoldenEye". During her Break Every Rule World Tour in 1988, she set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer.
Turner also acted in the films Tommy (1975), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Last Action Hero (1993). In 1993, What's Love Got to Do with It, a biographical film adapted from her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story, was released. In 2009, Turner retired after completing her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which is the 15th highest-grossing tour of the 2000s. In 2018, she became the subject of the jukebox musical Tina.
Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Turner became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She received 12 Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first black artist, and first woman, to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Turner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. She was a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and Women of the Year award.
In 2020, she came out of retirement to collaborate with Norwegian producer Kygo on a remix of "What's Love Got to Do with It". With this release, she became the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven consecutive decades in the UK.
Studio albums
Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)
Acid Queen (1975)
Rough (1978)
Love Explosion (1979)
Private Dancer (1984)
Break Every Rule (1986)
Foreign Affair (1989)
Wildest Dreams (1996)
Twenty Four Seven (1999)
You Are My Sunshine
Tina Turner Lyrics
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I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
If you will only say the same.
But if you leave me to love another,
You'll regret it all some day:
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
You told me once, dear, you really loved me
and no one else could come between.
But now you've left me and love another;
you have shattered all my dreams:
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
Tina Turner's version of "You Are My Sunshine" is a heartfelt rendition of a classic and timeless love song. The first verse is a narrative of a dream the singer had where she held the one she loves in her arms. When she awoke, she realized it was only a dream and cried, expressing the depth of her affection for the person she loves. The song evolves into a plea from the singer to her lover, begging them not to leave and to acknowledge the depth of her love for them. The second verse continues the plea, with the singer reminding the lover of what they once had and begging them to return. However, if they do not love her back, the singer warns that they will regret it in the future.
At its core, "You Are My Sunshine" is a song about love and loss. It exemplifies the constant fear of never being able to keep the one you love close to you forever. The song seems to emphasize the importance of vocalizing one's love and feelings, as well as the need for open communication between lovers to keep the bond strong.
Line by Line Meaning
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
As I drifted off to sleep, I thought of you
I dreamed I held you in my arms
I imagined a world where we were together and happy
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
Upon waking up, I realized that it was just a dream
So I hung my head and I cried.
There was a deep sense of sadness that overcame me when I realized reality
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You are the light and happiness in my life, the person who brings me joy
You make me happy when skies are grey
You make me happy even on the gloomiest of days
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
I don't think you'll ever know how deeply I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
Please don't ever leave me, because without you my life would be dark and dreary
I'll always love you and make you happy,
I promise to always love and cherish you, to be the person who makes you happy
If you will only say the same.
If you could only promise me the same level of love and commitment
But if you leave me to love another,
If you were to leave me for someone else
You'll regret it all some day:
I believe you will look back on your decision and regret it
You told me once, dear, you really loved me
You once declared that you truly loved me
and no one else could come between.
You promised that no one else could come between our love
But now you've left me and love another;
However, now you have broken that promise and you love someone else
you have shattered all my dreams:
This realization has left me heartbroken and lost
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jimmie Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind