Valaida Snow (born June 2, 1904, Chattanooga, Tennessee; died May 30, 1956,… Read Full Bio ↴Valaida Snow (born June 2, 1904, Chattanooga, Tennessee; died May 30, 1956, New York City) was an African American jazz musician and entertainer. Raised in Cleveland City, Tennessee by a family devoted to music, she learned to play cello, bass, banjo, violin, mandolin, harp, accordion, clarinet, trumpet, and saxophone at professional levels by the time she was 15. She also sang and danced.

After focusing on the trumpet, Valaida quickly became so famous that she was named "Little Louis" after Louis Armstrong. She played concerts throughout the USA, Europe and China.

Her most successful period was in the 1930's, when she became the toast of London and Paris. Around this time she recorded her hit song, "High Hat, Trumpet, and Rhythm." She performed in the Ethel Waters show, Rhapsody In Black, in New York. In the mid-30's she made films with her husband Ananais Berry of the Berry Brothers dancing troupe. After playing at New York's Apollo theater she revisited Europe and the Far East for more shows and films.

Valaida Snow died of cerebral hemorrhage on May 30, 1956 in New York City.

Until The Real Thing Comes Along
Valaida Snow Lyrics

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I'd wait for you
I'd slave for you
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along

I'd gladly move
The earth for you

To prove my love, dear
And its worth for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along.

With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along

If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along

Overall Meaning

Valaida Snow's song "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is a beautiful love song of unrequited love, expressing the depths that someone is willing to go for love that is not reciprocated. The lyrics present the idea of waiting until the "real thing" comes along, indicating that the love that they are currently experiencing is not "the real thing." The phrase is used throughout to suggest that while the singer is willing to do anything for their love interest, it is simply not enough.

The opening lines "I'd wait for you, I'd slave for you, I'd be a beggar or a knave for you," set the tone for the song, showing that the singer is willing to go to extreme lengths for love. The second verse highlights the depth of the singer's love even further, with the line "I'd gladly move the earth for you to prove my love, dear, and its worth for you." The singer is willing to do anything to prove their love to their partner, but despite all this effort, their love remains unreciprocated.

The song's chorus, "If that isn't love, it will have to do until the real thing comes along," is a poignant reminder that true love is still out there waiting for the singer. The final lines of the song, "If that isn't love, it will have to do until the real thing comes along" suggest the hope that the singer will eventually find true love, even though they are willing to settle for less until then.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd wait for you
I am willing to patiently wait for you

I'd slave for you
I am willing to work extremely hard for you

I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
I am willing to humble myself and do anything for you

If that isn't love, it will have to do
If my actions are not indicative of love, then I will settle for them being enough for now

I'd gladly move the earth for you
I am willing to do the impossible for you

To prove my love, dear
To demonstrate my affections for you

And its worth for you
To show how valuable our love is

With all the words, dear, at my command
Despite having an extensive vocabulary, I am unable to properly express my feelings for you

I just can't make you understand
Your understanding of my love is still lacking

If that isn't love, it will have to do
I will accept that my actions may not fully embody love until I can express it better

Until the real thing comes along
Until we experience true love together