101 Strings was an umbrella term for a highly successful easy listening sym… Read Full Bio ↴101 Strings was an umbrella term for a highly successful easy listening symphonic music organization, with a discography exceeding a hundred albums and a creative lifetime of roughly thirty years. Their LPs were individualized by the slogan "The Sound of Magnificence", a puffy cloud logo and sepia-toned photo of the orchestra. According to the photograph, the 101 Strings orchestra was composed of 124 string instruments (all male except for the harpist) and was conducted by Wilhelm Stephan. The orchestra's famous official photograph was taken in the Musikhalle Hamburg. In reality, of course, the recordings also featured a full brass, woodwind and percussion section, and not quite as many strings as are shown in the photograph. In later years (right up to the 80's), the recordings were made by a session orchestra in London, with a line-up including a modern "pop" rhythm section. In the late 1990's, the 101 Strings Orchestra was revived with "The New 101 Strings Orchestra" for a series of modern recordings.

Oh Lady Be Good!
101 Strings Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Listen to my tale of woe,
It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.

I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know,

With somebody just like you. So

Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.

Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,

So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of 101 Strings Orchestra's song "Oh Lady Be Good!" portray the sadness and loneliness of the singer, who is all dressed up each evening but has nowhere to go. The singer of the song is longing to win the affection of a "handsome guy" and wishes to "blossom out" with someone just like him. The lyrics emphasize the singer's feelings of being misunderstood and lonesome as she asks for pity from the "sweet and lovely lady."

The song's central theme is recognition, longing, and desire for companionship with a loved one. The singer's story and her appeal for empathy from the "sweet and lovely lady" resonate with the listener's sympathy for her situation. The lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and demonstrate the human need for connection and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

Listen to my tale of woe,
Please lend me your ear to hear my story of sadness and despair.

It's terribly sad but true,
Although it may be hard to believe, what I am about to say is unfortunately the truth.

All dressed up, no place to go
I am completely ready and prepared, but I have nowhere to be.

Each evening I'm awfully blue.
Every night I feel overwhelmingly sad.

I must win some handsome guy
I feel that I need to find a handsome man to make me happy.

Can't go on like this,
I cannot continue to live this way.

I could blossom out I know,
I am sure that I have the potential to become something great.

With somebody just like you. So
If I had someone like you, I believe I could achieve my full potential. So please,

Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, kind and beautiful woman, please treat me well.

Oh, lady, be good to me
Please show me kindness and compassion.

I am so awfully misunderstood
No one seems to truly understand me.

So lady, be good to me
Therefore, I beg of you to be good to me.

Oh, please have some pity
Please feel sympathy and compassion for me.

I'm all-alone in this big city
I am completely alone in this vast and bustling city.

I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
I am like a young and helpless animal, lost and alone.

So lady be good to me.
Therefore, I plead with you to show me kindness and be good to me.

Oh lady be good to me.
Once again, I beg of you to show me compassion and treat me well.

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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