Anita Kerr was born in Memphis, Tennessee. When Anita Kerr was 4 years old,… Read Full Bio ↴Anita Kerr was born in Memphis, Tennessee. When Anita Kerr was 4 years old, she started taking piano lessons. In the 4th grade, Anita Kerr started playing organ in church for mass. When Anita Kerr was 15 years old, she took a radio staff musician job. She also worked with various orchestras in Memphis where she brought her own arrangements for the orchestra to play. Anita Kerr moved to Nashville in 1948 where she formed a 5-voice vocal harmony group for the fun of singing and hearing her own arrangements performed. The program director at WSM heard about Anita Kerr’s group and hired Anita Kerr to lead and arrange for an 8-voice choir.

Anita Kerr’s first recording session, during which the producer named her group The Anita Kerr Singers, was with Red Foley. Producers started hiring Anita Kerr’s group to back up singers such as Eddy Arnold, Burl Ives, Ernest Tubb, and other country artists. By 1955, The Anita Kerr Singers were recording a national radio program at WSM with Jim Reeves. The Anita Kerr Singers, after winning the talent show in 1956, started performing on the Arthur Godfrey Show in New York. During this time, Anita Kerr and The Anita Kerr Singers sang with top stars such as Brenda Lee, Perry Como, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Vinton, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, Floyd Cramer, and Al Hirt. She also received her first NARAS nomination. In 1964, Anita Kerr opened for Chet Atkins and Jim Reeves on European tour.

In 1965, Anita Kerr moved to Hollywood in Los Angeles, California to do more orchestral writing and other music, where she learned to conduct an orchestra. Over the next two years, Anita Kerr won 3 NARAS Grammy awards for “We Dig Mancini”, “Southland Favorites”, and “A Man and a Woman.” In 1967, Anita Kerr collaborated with Rod McKuen and recorded for Warner Brothers Records. She also received a gold record for the San Sebastian String LP “The Sea.”

Anita Kerr moved to Switzerland in 1970 where she signed with Phonogram International to record albums and performs on television shows in Holland. Anita Kerr received an Edison Award for hits of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Anita Kerr conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1971. In 1972, Anita Kerr scored the music for “LIMBO”, and American movie produced by Universal. Anita Kerr opened and managed Mountain Recording Studio in Montreux, Switzerland with her husband, Alex Grob. Today, Anita Kerr lives in Geneva, Switzerland.

Hey Joe
Anita Kerr Lyrics

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Hey Joe!
Where'd ya find that pearly girlie
Where'd ya get that jolly dolly
How did ya rate that dish I wish was mine
Hey Joe!

She's got skin that's creamy dreamy
Eyes that look so lovey-dovey

Lips as red as cherry berry wine
Now listen Joe, I ain't no heel
But oh buddy let me tell you how I feel
She's a honey, she's a sugar pie
I'm warnin' you I'm gonna try to steal her from you
Hey Joe!
Though we've been the best of friends
This is where that friendship ends
I gotta have that dolly for my own.

(Hey Joe!)
(Hey Joe!)

Hey Joe!
Come on let's be buddy buddies
Show me you're my palsy-walsy
Introduce that pretty little chick to me
Hey Joe!

Quit that waitin', hesitatin'
Let me at 'er, what's the matter
You're as slow as any Joe can be
Now come on Joe let's make a deal
Let me dance with her to see if she is real
She's the cutest girl I've ever seen
An' I tell ya face to face I mean to steal her from you
Hey Joe!

We'll be friends until the end
But this looks like the end my friend
I gotta have that dolly for my own

I've gotta have that dolly for my own
(Hey Joe, Hey Joe)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Anita Kerr Singers' "Hey Joe" revolve around an interesting storyline about friendship and betrayal. The song is about a guy called Joe who seems to have found the perfect girl. The singer in the song seems to be a friend of Joe's, and he is visibly jealous of the girl Joe is with. The singer can't help but comment on how beautiful Joe's girl is, and he even goes out of his way to ask Joe to introduce him to her. However, it becomes evident that the singer has ulterior motives as he confesses his desire to steal Joe's girl away from him.

In the first verse, the singer is in awe of Joe's girl, and he can't help but wonder where Joe got her from. He describes her skin as creamy dreamy and her eyes as lovey-dovey. In the chorus, the singer warns Joe that he intends to steal the girl away from him. In the second verse, the singer tries to convince Joe to let him dance with the girl to see if she is real. At the end of the song, the singer declares that their friendship has come to an end as he has to have the girl for himself.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey Joe!
The singer is addressing Joe and demanding his attention.

Where'd ya find that pearly girlie
The singer is asking Joe where he found such a beautiful girl.

Where'd ya get that jolly dolly
The singer is asking Joe where he got the cute girl from.

How did ya rate that dish I wish was mine
The artist is asking Joe how he managed to attract such an appealing girl.

She's got skin that's creamy dreamy
The artist is describing the girl as having smooth, attractive skin.

Eyes that look so lovey-dovey
The singer is describing the girl's eyes as being full of affection.

Lips as red as cherry berry wine
The singer is describing the girl's lips as being the color of red wine.

Now listen Joe, I ain't no heel
The artist is telling Joe that they are not a bad person.

But oh buddy let me tell you how I feel
The artist is about to confess their feelings to Joe.

She's a honey, she's a sugar pie
The artist is describing the girl as being sweet and attractive.

I'm warnin' you I'm gonna try to steal her from you
The singer is warning Joe that they intend to pursue a relationship with the girl and break Joe's heart.

Come on let's be buddy buddies
The artist is asking Joe to be friends despite their differences.

Show me you're my palsy-walsy
The singer is asking Joe to prove that they are close friends.

Introduce that pretty little chick to me
The singer is asking Joe to introduce them to the girl.

Quit that waitin', hesitatin'
The singer is encouraging Joe to stop hesitating and act.

Let me at 'er, what's the matter
The artist is demanding access to the girl and questioning Joe's hesitation.

You're as slow as any Joe can be
The artist is making a joke about Joe's name and how slow he is to act.

Now come on Joe let's make a deal
The singer is proposing that they strike a deal.

Let me dance with her to see if she is real
The singer is proposing they dance with the girl to see if their attraction is genuine.

She's the cutest girl I've ever seen
The artist is expressing their admiration for the girl's appearance.

An' I tell ya face to face I mean to steal her from you
The artist is telling Joe directly that they intend to pursue a relationship with the girl and break Joe's heart.

We'll be friends until the end
The artist is reminding Joe that they will always be friends.

But this looks like the end my friend
The singer is indicating that their pursuit of the girl may end their friendship.

I gotta have that dolly for my own
The artist is stating their desire to have the girl for themselves.

Hey Joe, Hey Joe
A repetition of the opening line to emphasize the song's title.

Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Billy Roberts

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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