Few female jazz singers matched the hard-swinging and equally hard-living Anita O'Day for sheer exuberance and talent in all areas of jazz vocals. Her improvising, wide dynamic tone, and innate sense of rhythm made her more than just another big-band canary. At a time when most female vocals tended to emphasize the sweet timbres of their voice, she chose to emphasize a path blazed by the one major jazz singer who emphasized message over medium - Billie Holiday. Like Holiday, O'Day combined the soaring freedom of jazz instrumentalist with the storytelling lyricism of a poet.
After making her solo debut in the mid-'40s she incorporated bop modernism into her vocals and recorded over a dozen of the best vocal LPs of the era.
During the late Forties, she recorded two dozen sides, mostly for small labels. The quality of these singles varies: O'Day was trying to achieve popular success without sacrificing her identity as a jazz singer. Among the more notable recordings from this period are "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip", "Key Largo", "How High the Moon", and "Malaguena". O'Day's drug problems began to surface late in 1947, when she and husband Carl Hoff were arrested for possession of marijuana and sentenced to 90 days in jail. Her career was back on the upswing in September of 1948, when she sang with Count Basie at the Royal Roost in New York City, resulting in five airchecks. What secured O'Day's place in the jazz pantheon, however, are the seventeen albums she recorded for Verve between 1956 and 1962.
Her first album, Anita O'Day Sings Jazz (reissued as The Lady Is a Tramp), was recorded in 1956 for the newly established Verve Records (it was also the label's first LP). The album was a critical success and further boosted her popularity. In October of 1952 O'Day was again arrested for possession of marijuana, but found not guilty. The following March, she was arrested for possession of heroin. The case dragged on for most of 1953; O'Day was finally sentenced to six months in jail. Not long after her release from jail on February 25, 1954, she began work on her second album, Songs by Anita O'Day (reissued as An Evening with Anita O'Day). She recorded steadily throughout the Fifties, accompanied by small combos and big bands. In person, O'Day was generally backed by a trio which included the drummer with whom she would work for the next 40 years, John Poole.
As a live performer O'Day also began performing in festivals and concerts with such musicians as Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Dinah Washington, George Shearing, Cal Tjader, and Thelonious Monk. She appeared in the documentary Jazz on a Summer's Day, filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival which increased her popularity. The following year O'Day made a cameo appearance in The Gene Krupa Story , singing "Memories of You". Late in 1959 she toured Europe with Benny Goodman; according to her autobiography, when Goodman's attempts to upstage her failed to diminish the audience's enthusiasm, he cut all but two of her numbers from the show.
After the Goodman fiasco, O'Day went back to touring as a solo artist. She recorded infrequently after the expiration of her Verve contract in 1962 and her career seemed over when she nearly died of a heroin overdose in 1968. After kicking the habit, she made a comeback at the 1970 Berlin Jazz Festival. She also appeared in the films Zig Zag (1970) and The Outfit (1974). She resumed making live and studio albums, many recorded in Japan, and several were released on her own label, Emily Records.
O'Day spoke candidly about her drug addiction in her 1981 memoir, High Times, Hard Times.
Her version of the standard, "Sing, Sing, Sing" was remixed by RSL and was included in the compilation album Verve Remixed 3 in 2005.
2006 saw her first album release in 13 years, entitled Indestructible!.
"Murder" He Says
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Almost completely divine
But his vocabulary
Is killin' this romance of mine
We get into an intimate situation
And then begins this Romeo's conversation
He says, "Murder," he says
He says, "Murder," he says
At a time like this
He says, "Murder," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Solid," he says
Takes me in his arms
And says, "Solid," he says
Meanin' all my charms
He says, "Solid," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Chick, chick, you torture me
Zoot! Are we livin'?"
I'm thinkin' o' leavin' him flat
He says, "Dig, dig, the jumps the old
Ticker is givin'"
Now, he can talk plainer than that
He says, "Murder,"' he says
Every time we kiss
He says, "Murder," he says
Keep it up like this
And that's, "Murder," he says
In that impossible tone
It will bring on nobody's murder but his own
He says, "Jackson," he says
And my name's Marie
He says, "Jackson," he says
'Shoot the snoot to me'
He says, "Jackson," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Woof, woof," he says
When he likes my hat
He says, "Tsk, tsk," he says
What the heck is that?
He says, "Wooh, wooh," he says
Is that the language of love?
He says, "Hep, hep, with helium
Now babe, we're cookin'"
And other expressions to wit
He says, "We're in da groove
And da groove is good lookin'"
He sounds like his uppers don't fit
He says, "Murder"
He says, "Murder"
And the way he says, "Murder"
In that impossible tone
I've told him over and over and over again
That it'll be nobody else's murder but his own
The lyrics to Anita O'Day's "Murder, He Says" tell the story of a woman who has found a "divine" man but is put off by his odd choice of words. Despite his smooth moves and charming demeanor, she is turned off by his use of phrases like "murder" and "solid" during intimate situations. She expresses dismay at his insistent use of these words and wonders if they are truly the language of love.
The woman in the song is clearly dealing with a man who is unusual, to say the least. He peppers their conversations with phrases like "chick, chick", "woof, woof", and "hep, hep with helium". The woman is exasperated by his use of language and thinks about leaving him. However, she also seems drawn to his strange charm, which is why she keeps coming back.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a woman struggling to reconcile her conflicting feelings about a man who is both fascinating and frustrating.
Line by Line Meaning
Finally found a fella
I have finally found a guy
Almost completely divine
He is nearly perfect
But his vocabulary
However, his choice of words
Is killin' this romance of mine
Is ruining our relationship
We get into an intimate situation
We start to get close
And then begins this Romeo's conversation
And then he starts talking like a romantic hero
He says, "Murder," he says
He uses the word "murder"
Every time we kiss
Whenever we kiss
At a time like this
At the moment
Is that the language of love?
Is that how you express love?
He says, "Solid," he says
He uses the word "solid"
Takes me in his arms
Holds me tight
And says, "Solid," he says
And repeats the word "solid"
Meanin' all my charms
Referring to my attractive qualities
Is that the language of love?
Is that how you express love?
He says, "Chick, chick, you torture me
He calls me "chick" and says I am tormenting him
Zoot! Are we livin'?"
Asking if we're having a good time
I'm thinkin' o' leavin' him flat
I am considering breaking up with him
He says, "Dig, dig, the jumps the old
He says "dig" and comments on his heart rate
Ticker is givin'"
His heart is beating fast
Now, he can talk plainer than that
He could talk more clearly
Keep it up like this
Continuing this way
And that's, "Murder," he says
The word "murder" again
In that impossible tone
Said in a strange and unappealing manner
It will bring on nobody's murder but his own
If anyone is going to be hurt, it will be him
He says, "Jackson," he says
He uses my name and says "Jackson"
And my name's Marie
But my name isn't Jackson, it's Marie
"Shoot the snoot to me'
He asks me to take a photo of him
He says, "Woof, woof," he says
He barks like a dog
When he likes my hat
When he thinks my hat is cool
"Tsk, tsk," he says
He clicks his tongue disapprovingly
What the heck is that?
Asking what something means
He says, "Wooh, wooh," he says
Another dog bark
Is that the language of love?
Is that how you express love?
He says, "Hep, hep, with helium
He says "Hep hep" with the addition of helium
Now babe, we're cookin'
Things are progressing
And other expressions to wit
And other sayings
He says, "We're in da groove
He says we are in the groove
And da groove is good lookin'
And that the groove is attractive
He sounds like his uppers don't fit
He sounds like he's on drugs
And the way he says, "Murder"
And again he uses the word "murder"
I've told him over and over and over again
I've tried to explain it to him many times
That it'll be nobody else's murder but his own
Any harm will only come to himself
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Frank Loesser, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
daniel stanwyck
Nobody does it - or much of anything better than ODay.
Mike Hudson
Love this and the editing....
Deanna Vowles
I'm not sure how many people have heard this tune but if you'll Google jive talking you'll find out what some of the words actually mean. They're not what you'd think. I totally agree that Betty Hutton's version is the best. She's so cute!
Kathryn Jones
he was talking hipster/ hepcat lingo!
Chuck Par-Due
Barbara Stanwyck's vocal in Ball of Fire was really done by Martha Tilton.
Bill Frankell
Not bad and a big fan of Gene's but Betty Hutton did it right. As a former DJ (Live) it's all in the tempo.
daniel stanwyck
Nowhere not as right as Anita O'Day. She's the real McCoy.
Keith Bjorklund
Not Like - Love this tune - stays with me days at a time - the best version. Others have tried - Tori Amos - Dinah Shore - Ella did it too & would never disparage her but - this tune -this is the best!
Keith Bjorklund
This really knocks me out - Tori Amos - nah, Dinah Shore - nah - Gene Krupa, Anita O'Day & Little Jazz - Roy Eldridge The Best!!
Marcel Audubon
guess you never heard the Betty Hutton version