In addition to her many album releases, Vikki Carr has played concerts for fans around the world, as well as appeared on stage, and television. She has starred in productions of South Pacific, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road. In 2002 she starred in the Reprise production of Steven Sondheim's beloved musical Follies in Los Angeles, garnering glowing reviews from the LA Times, Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. Two years later, Los Angeles PBS affiliate, KCET, filmed a special Vikki Carr: Memories, Memorias: a salute to the English-language hits of the 1940s and 1950s originally composed by Latinos, and featuring guest appearances by Jack Jones, Pepe Aguilar and Arturo Sandoval. PBS again tapped Vikki to host and star in a production celebrating the music of Mexico, Fiesta Mexicana, which was featured on all PBS stations for their June 2008 pledge drive.
Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in the San Gabriel Valley of California, Vikki Carr, the eldest of seven children, began performing at the tender age of four singing "Adeste Fidelis" in Latin at a Christmas program. She was signed to a contract with Liberty Records in 1961. She recorded "He's a Rebel", which first became a hit in Australia. That title was soon followed by the unforgettable release, It Must Be Him, which charged up the charts in England. A year later, the single was released in the United States and earned Carr three Grammy Award nominations. The international hit emerged again when she and the song were featured in the storyline of the Academy Award winning movie Moonstruck. After "It Must Be Him" came a string of hits, including With Pen in Hand, for which she received her fourth Grammy Award nomination, The Lesson, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, and For Once in My Life.
Her international appeal was so great that she was invited to perform at a Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II, followed by sold-out shows throughout Europe. In the States, Carr became a darling of the White House, performing regularly at State Dinners and at President Richard Nixon's 1973 Inaugural celebration. President Gerald Ford called her his "favorite Mexican dish". She also performed for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and at the 1992 Presidential Summit hosted by President Bill Clinton.
A frequent musical guest on major network variety shows of celebrities like Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan, Perry Como, and Carol Burnett, Carr also taped six specials for London Weekend TV. As an actor, she appeared on the Bing Crosby Show, Mod Squad, Fantasy Island, and co-hosted the Mrs. America and Mrs. World of the World pageants. She was the first woman to regularly guest host for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. She was also a visitor and guest host on Michael Jackson's ABC radio show.
The diversity of her rich voice is impressive. She can belt out the blues or touch the heart with a soft romantic ballad. Frank Sinatra once said, "She possesses my kind of voice", Dean Martin called her "the best girl singer in the business", and Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald named her among their three favorite female singers of all time. Elvis Presley was also very fond of her and even remarked on stage in Las Vegas many times that Vikki Carr was one of his favorite singers and that he liked her because "she sang from the gut" and introduced her at many of his personal appearances in which she attended.
Vikki Carr has received numerous prestigious awards, including:
- Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2008)
- National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)
- Latino Spirit Award (2003)
- Tito Guizar Award (2003)
- Trefoil Award (2002)
- Inductee of the Latino Legends Hall of Fame (2000)
- Imagen Foundation "Humanitarian Award (1998)
- Hispanic Heritage Award (1996)
- Nosotros Golden Eagle Award (1988)
- Hispanic Woman of the Year (1984)
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1981)
- Doctorate in Law from San Diego University (1974)
- Doctorate in Fine Arts from St. Edwards University (1974)
- American Guild of Variety Artists' "Entertainer of the Year" (1972), and
- The Los Angeles Times' highly respected "Woman of the Year" (1970)
She has also earned the career achievement award of the Association of Hispanic Critics, Chicago's Ovation Award, the YWCA Silver Achievement Award, and was honored in 1990 by the City of Hope with the Founder of Hope Award. In 1991, she was presented the Girl Scouts of America Award.
Respected both as an artist and a humanitarian, Carr devotes time to many charities including The United Way, The American Lung Association, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and St Jude's Hospital. For 22 years she held benefit concerts to support Holy Cross High School in San Antonio. In 1971 she established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, dedicated to offering college scholarships to Latino students in California and Texas. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than 280 scholarships totaling over a quarter of a million dollars.
"My voice is a gift and a gift is nothing unless you can share it. The Foundation is one of the ways that I am able to share my gift", said Carr. "The Foundation seeks to help young Mexican-American students achieve their goals through a college education, something I myself was never able to do."
Official website: http://www.vikkicarr.com/
Anyone Who Had A Heart
Vikki Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could look at me and know that I love you
Anyone who ever dreamed
Could look at me and know I dream of you
Knowing I love you, so
Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me too
And hurt me like you hurt me
And be so untrue
What am I to do?
Every time you go away
I always say this time it's goodbye dear
Loving you the way I do I take you back
Without you I'd die dear
Knowing I love you, so
Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me too
You couldn't really have a heart
And hurt me like you hurt me
And be so untrue
What am I to do?
Knowing I love you, so
Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me too
You couldn't really have a heart
And hurt me like you hurt me
And be so untrue
Anyone who had a heart could love me too
Anyone who had a heart would surely take me
In his arms and always love me
Why won't you?, yeah
Anyone who had a heart would love me too, yeah
Anyone who had a heart would simply take me
In his arms and always love me
Why won't you?, yeah
Anyone who had a heart would love me too
In Vikki Carr's song "Anyone Who Had A Heart," the lyrics express the pain and desperation of a woman who loves someone deeply but is constantly hurt and betrayed by them. She speaks to her lover, telling them that anyone who has ever loved or dreamed could see how much she loves them, but that they continue to hurt her despite this knowledge. The singer pleads with her lover to take her in their arms and love her too, but questions whether they even have a heart, as they continue to hurt her and be untrue.
The lyrics are powerful in their ability to capture the raw emotion of a person who is deeply in love, yet constantly hurt by their partner's actions. The use of repeated phrases such as "Knowing I love you, so" and "What am I to do?" reinforces the singer's feelings of hopelessness and desperation. The line "Every time you go away, I always say this time it's goodbye dear," suggests that the singer is aware of the cycle of pain and heartbreak, yet feels powerless to break it.
The song is a beautiful, emotional ballad that has been covered by many artists over the years. It is a testament to the power of love and the pain that can come with it. Overall, the lyrics of "Anyone Who Had A Heart" are a poignant reminder that love can be a beautiful and painful experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Anyone who ever loved
If you have ever experienced love, then you can understand how much I love you.
Could look at me and know that I love you
My love for you is so evident that anyone who cares to see can tell that I love you.
Anyone who ever dreamed
If you have ever had a dream, then you can understand how much I have dreamt of you.
Could look at me and know I dream of you
My dreams and desires for you are so visible that anyone who cares to see can tell that I dream of you.
Knowing I love you, so
Since you know how much I love you, it's hard for me to understand why you would hurt me.
Anyone who had a heart
If you have ever experienced true love, then you would be capable of loving me back.
Would take me in his arms and love me too
If you truly love me, then you would embrace me and show me affection.
You couldn't really have a heart
If you don't love me back, then you cannot claim to have a heart capable of feeling love.
And hurt me like you hurt me
If you hurt me, it's evident that you don't love me as I love you.
And be so untrue
If you are unfaithful to me, then your love was never true to begin with.
What am I to do?
I don't know how to handle this pain and betrayal.
Every time you go away
Whenever you leave me, it feels like you are gone forever.
I always say this time it's goodbye dear
I try to convince myself that it's over and that I need to move on.
Loving you the way I do I take you back
But my love for you is so strong that I can't help but take you back every time you come back to me.
Without you I'd die dear
Without your love, I feel like I cannot live or function normally.
Anyone who had a heart could love me too
If only you could love me back, then anyone else who has experienced love could also love me.
Anyone who had a heart would surely take me
If only you could love me back, then anyone else who has experienced love could also show me affection.
Why won't you?, yeah
I don't understand why you can't love me back and why you hurt me instead.
Anyone who had a heart would love me too
If only you could love me back, then anyone else who has experienced love could also love me.
Anyone who had a heart would simply take me
If only you could love me back, then anyone else who has experienced love could simply embrace me.
In his arms and always love me
If only you could love me back, then anyone else who has experienced love could always show me affection and devotion.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind