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/
The Lesson
Vikki Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vikki Carr
This is the lesson taught to me
A long time ago at my mother's knee
She said, someday someone who loves you
Will make you cry
Though he loves you he'll hurt you
But if he says forgive me
Forgive if you can
For you are his woman
And he is your man
When you're looking for roses
There are thorns you will meet
And remember my child
Without any thorns the rose can't be sweet
Well it's finally happened
Now it's my turn to cry
Oh my darling you've hurt me
Till I feel I could die
But you're saying forgive me
And I understand
For I am your woman
And you are my man
Don't tell me about heartache
I've cried my share of tears
I've had my share of rain
But after the storm
No rain will appear
I just know when you hold me
My whole world is complete
And the lesson is clear
Without any thorns the rose can't be sweet
And the lesson is clear
Without any thorns the rose can't be sweet
Vikki Carr’s song “The Lesson” is a poignant reflection on the pain and heartache that can come with love. The lyrics describe a lesson that the singer’s mother taught her as a child: that someday, someone who loves her will make her cry, and though she may feel like she is dying from the hurt, she should try to forgive him if he says sorry because she is his woman and he is her man. The overall theme of the song is the idea that love is not always easy, and that sometimes it will hurt and make us cry, but that forgiveness and understanding are key to moving forward.
When the singer sings about how her own lover has hurt her and made her cry, she remembers the lesson that her mother taught her and realizes that it applies to her situation as well. She recognizes that without forgiveness, their relationship can’t move forward, and that even though he hurt her, she is his woman and he is her man. The final lines of the song offer a hopeful message: that even though there will be thorns in our lives, without them the rose can’t be sweet. In other words, the difficulties and challenges that come with love are what make it all the more precious and valuable.
In summary, “The Lesson” is a powerful meditation on the ups and downs of love, and the importance of forgiveness and understanding in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the lesson taught to me
The following is a lesson that was imparted to me
A long time ago at my mother's knee
My mother taught me this lesson a long time ago
She said, someday someone who loves you
My mother said that someday, a person who loves me will come along
Will make you cry
This person will cause me to cry
Though he loves you he'll hurt you
Despite his love for me, he will cause me pain
Till you feel you could die
This pain will be so intense that it can make me feel like dying
But if he says forgive me
However, if this person asks for my forgiveness
Forgive if you can
I should forgive him if it's possible
For you are his woman
This is because I am his woman
And he is your man
And he is my man
When you're looking for roses
When searching for love
There are thorns you will meet
It's inevitable to encounter pain and obstacles
And remember my child
And I should keep in mind
Without any thorns the rose can't be sweet
That without pain, there can be no reward
Well it's finally happened
This has finally come to pass
Now it's my turn to cry
Now it's my turn to feel the pain
Oh my darling you've hurt me
My love, you have caused me pain
Till I feel I could die
This pain has brought me to the brink of despair
But you're saying forgive me
But you are asking for my forgiveness
And I understand
And I comprehend
For I am your woman
That because I am your woman
And you are my man
And you are my man
Don't tell me about heartache
Do not lecture me about pain
I've cried my share of tears
I have already shed many tears
I've had my share of rain
I have already experienced difficulties in life
But after the storm
But after the hardships
No rain will appear
A time of peace will come
I just know when you hold me
I know that when you embrace me
My whole world is complete
I feel complete and happy
And the lesson is clear
The message is unmistakable
Without any thorns the rose can't be sweet
That without pain, there can be no reward
And the lesson is clear
The message is unmistakable
Without any thorns the rose can't be sweet
That without pain, there can be no reward
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MACK DAVID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind