Vonda Shepard was born in New York but her family relocated to California when she was fairly young. She played piano from an early age. Her father is Richmond Shepard, a mime and improv actor. Vonda has three sisters: Rosetta, Luana, and Brianna. Her mother left the family when Vonda was ten, and her father raised the four girls by himself.
After performing as a backing singer for many years she was eventually given her own recording contract. Shepard's first chart appearance was in 1987 when she recorded a duet with Dan Hill entitled 'Can't We Try'. She released her first self-titled album in 1989 with little fanfare. The album did yield one chart single, Don't Cry Ilene, a mid-tempo, piano-driven jazz-RnB flavored song dealing with the break-up of a relationship between a black woman and a white man, arising from adult peer pressure. The track is sung from the perspective of the woman's white female friend, who harbors a desire to have the man for herself, but keeps her distance out of respect for her friend. The song peaked at 17 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for 12 weeks.
After her third album, Shepard was signed up to appear on Ally McBeal after being spotted by the show's creator David E Kelley. While on the show she recorded two full soundtrack albums and was featured on two other Ally McBeal compilations. The songs Shepard recorded for Ally McBeal soundtrack albums were mainly covers of old songs with lyrics that paralleled what was happening in the title character's life onscreen. Since appearing in the show, Shepard has released two more studio albums and a live album.
Shepard is married to music producer Mitchell Froom and they had their first child, Jack Froom, on 15 April 2006.
Don
Vonda Shepard Lyrics
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And his mother's point of view
There was no disguise
He couldn't see through
Sometimes the little things
They don't seem so small
But they had a good thing overall
Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody
Knew him the way you did
It's hard to say exactly why he left you
Maybe a change for good
Don't cry Ilene
There was a rainbow over here
He didn't see it from over there
Black and white are fine
But he's color blind
Watching over me
There must have been some kind of mystery
Because I wanted him too
But it was all wrong, all wrong
[Chorus]
Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody
Knew him the way you did
It's hard to say exactly why he left you
Maybe a change for good
Don't cry Ilene
Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody
Knew him the way you did
It's hard to say exactly why he left you
Maybe a change for good
Don't cry Ilene, no don't cry
It's hard to say exactly why he left you
Maybe a change for good
Don't cry Ilene
Oh no, Don't cry
In this song, Vonda Shepard speaks to a woman named Ilene who has been left by her partner named Don. The opening lines of the song characterize Don as someone who inherited his father's traits, but also his mother's worldview which he struggled to see beyond. The lyrics reveal how the little things, usually unnoticed, ended up contributing to the demise of their relationship. Then comes the chorus that emphasizes how nobody could know or understand Don the way that Ilene did. It is unclear why Don left, but a change for good is offered as a possibility.
The second verse of the song talks about a rainbow that could be seen from one point but not another, just as Don couldn't see beyond his own limited perspective. He sees the world in black and white, blind to the full spectrum of colors. The singer asserts that she too wanted Don, but it was clear that they were wrong for each other. The chorus repeats again with a reminder to Ilene that Don's departure may have been for the best. The song ends with a plea for Ilene not to cry.
Line by Line Meaning
He had his father's eyes
He inherited a lot from his father
And his mother's point of view
His way of thinking was influenced by his mother
There was no disguise
He was honest and open
He couldn't see through
He was not very perceptive
Sometimes the little things
Small details can have a big impact
They don't seem so small
Things can be more significant than they appear
But they had a good thing overall
Despite some flaws, they had a good relationship
Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody
No one knew him as well as you did
Knew him the way you did
You had a unique understanding of him
It's hard to say exactly why he left you
The reasons for his departure are unclear
Maybe a change for good
Perhaps it was a positive change for him
Don't cry Ilene
Don't be sad
There was a rainbow over here
There was beauty and happiness in their relationship
He didn't see it from over there
He didn't appreciate it until it was too late
Black and white are fine
Simplicity can be good
But he's color blind
He was unable to see the beauty in complexity
Watching over me
He was watching over someone, but it's unclear who
There must have been some kind of mystery
There are unanswered questions about his departure
Because I wanted him too
The singer also had feelings for him
But it was all wrong, all wrong
Their relationship was doomed from the start
Oh no, Don't cry
A plea for comfort
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VONDA SHEPARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe Cristina
Probably one of the nicest, understated sax solos in recorded history. Michael Paulo.
Don AD7LL
very true, But I would have loved to hear it played with a tenor
Tommy De Martino
Piano chords and structure along with her great voice makes this a classic and well written song.
D.R.
I still have this CD. I loved this song so much. She's a gem of an artist. 💎
Nancy Luikart
Which CD?
D.R.
@Nancy Luikart It's called, 'It's Good, Eve.' (1996)
Nancy Luikart
@D.R. Thank you.
RPD BU8
@Nancy Luikart That’s wrong. This is from her self-titled album Vonda Shepard which was released 1989. This song came out 1990.
Nancy Luikart
@RPD BU8 Thank you.
mikebtko
Her voice is so perfect for this song!