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.
Someone You Use
Vonda Shepard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's all I've been to you
Just someone to rely on
When your world is empty and blue
I'm just someone you call dear
Anytime you choose
I'm someone you run to
I'm just someone to talk to
And that's all I'll ever be
Just a clown you can laugh with
Someone to treat as you need
I'm just a fool you can love on
Any time you choose
I'm just someone you run to
Someone you use
I'm just someone you run to
I'm just someone you use
Don't you know when you need me
My little heart just can't refuse
I'm just someone who loves you, baby
I can't win and I can't lose
I'm just someone you run to
I'm just someone you use
In Vonda Shepard's song "Someone You Use", the lyrics describe a one-sided relationship where the singer is being used as a source of comfort and companionship whenever the other person needs it. The singer is aware of their role in this relationship, stating that they are "just a shoulder to cry on" and "just someone to talk to". The lyrics convey a sense of resignation, with the singer accepting their place as someone who is only used for emotional support without receiving anything in return.
The phrase "someone you use" in the chorus is particularly powerful, as it serves as a blunt reminder of the one-sided nature of the relationship. Despite being aware of this, the singer still feels unable to refuse when the other person calls on them, saying "Don't you know when you need me, my little heart just can't refuse". The lyrics also suggest that the singer may have feelings for the other person, stating "I'm just someone who loves you, baby", but these feelings are not reciprocated and instead the singer is just "someone you use".
Overall, "Someone You Use" is a poignant and honest depiction of a relationship where one person is only valued for what they can provide emotionally. The lyrics show how the singer has come to accept their position in the relationship, even though it is unfulfilling for them.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a shoulder to cry on
I am nothing more than a source of comfort for you when you are sad or upset.
That's all I've been to you
You don't view me as anything more than a person you can turn to when you need emotional support.
Just someone to rely on
I am dependable and trustworthy to you, but only in terms of providing emotional support.
When your world is empty and blue
You only come to me when you're feeling down or hopeless, and you want someone to help you feel better.
I'm just someone you call dear
To you, I am just a person you hold in some regard, but it is purely superficial and does not extend beyond a casual level.
Anytime you choose
You can call upon me at any point, without regard for my own needs or feelings, as long as it fulfills your own emotional needs.
I'm someone you run to
You only seek me out when you need me, and once your needs are met, you move on without a second thought.
Someone you use
You take advantage of me, using me only for the emotional support that you need, and nothing more.
I'm just someone to talk to
You use me as someone to communicate with, but it is purely one-sided, and there is no genuine connection or interest in my own life.
And that's all I'll ever be
My role in your life is permanently limited to being a shoulder to cry on, and nothing more.
Just a clown you can laugh with
You see me as someone who can provide levity in your life, but only in a way that does not require any real effort on your part.
Someone to treat as you need
You treat me however you see fit, without regard for my own feelings or desires.
I'm just a fool you can love on
You see me as someone you can shower with affection and love, but only in a way that benefits you and your emotional needs.
Don't you know when you need me
You are fully aware that you can turn to me whenever you want, and that I will always be there for you, regardless of my own needs.
My little heart just can't refuse
I am so desperate for your love and attention that I am willing to put aside my own needs and well-being for the sake of yours.
I'm just someone who loves you, baby
Despite knowing that my love for you is not reciprocated or appreciated, I am unable to help feeling deeply for you.
I can't win and I can't lose
I am stuck in a position where I am unable to move on or let go of my feelings for you, but at the same time, I know that there is no hope for an actual relationship between us.
I'm just someone you run to
The only thing you see me as is someone who you can rely on for emotional support and comfort, without any feelings or genuine connection involved.
I'm just someone you use
You use me to fulfill your own emotional needs, without regarding my own feelings or desires.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CLARENCE GEORGE CARTER, HOPE INNGLESE, KITTY MANN, TOMMY STOUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
chabelyk
Thank you for this! This is my favorite Vonda Shepard song!
Mayette G
Love this song!
LadyJumoo
Thank you very much for all your vonda shepard music videos <3
yvy
I love this, and the AMcB episode it featured in.
Conley Burns
I've been into Vonda Shepard since before it was cool to be. It seems she just never got the audience she deserved
David Stough
My Father....Tommy Stough....and Kitty Mann wrote so many songs together...this was one of them. however Clarence Carter had to have his name as writer to be used as closing song...he did not write one word...for the tune to be used as the closing theme.
Kitty Mann and my Father ....Tommy Stough ...,wrote this song.
Chuck Mann
Truth.
Pinky MadHatter
this is my grandma kitty's song Her name is Mary Cathrine Mccain and Im proud to be her Tinka Boo
Pinky MadHatter
She wrote this song
W. Kempert
wieder klasse Grüße aus Berlin