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!.
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The night we met
There was magic abroad in the air
There were angels dining at the Ritz
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
I may be right I may be wrong
But I'm perfectly willing to swear
A nightingale sang in Berkeley square
The moon that lingered over London town
Poor puzzled moon he wore a frown
How could he know we two were so in love
The whole damned world seemed upside down
The streets of town were paved with stars
It was such a romantic affair
And as we kissed and said goodnight
A nightingale sang in Berkeley square
How strange it was
How sweet and strange
There was never a dream to compare
To those hazy crazy nights we met
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
Ah this heart of mine
Loud and fast
Like a merry-go-round in a fair
We would dance cheek to cheek
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
The dawn came stealing up
All gold and blue
To interrupt our rendez-vous
I still remember how you smiled and said
Was that a dream or was it true?
Our homeward step was just as light
As the dancing feet of Astaire
And like an echo far away
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
That night in Berkeley square.
In "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square," Anita O'Day sings of a magical night where everything seemed to be touched by romance. The lyrics describe the night she met someone special, and how the whole world seemed to be turned upside down. The song opens with O'Day reminiscing about the meeting, describing the feeling of magic in the air. The song is full of beautiful imagery, such as "angels dining at the Ritz" and "the streets of town were paved with stars."
Despite the fanciful language, the song is rooted in a very real feeling of being swept away by love. The moon itself seems to be picking up on the lovers' feelings, as it watches over them with a frown, unable to understand how anyone could feel so in love. The night ended with the two of them realizing that they found something special, something that many people spend a lifetime looking for. The dreamy feeling of the night they met is further emphasized by the repeated mention of the nightingale singing, adding to the fantastical atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
That certain night
On that particular evening
The night we met
The night we encountered each other
There was magic abroad in the air
There was something special in the atmosphere
There were angels dining at the Ritz
There were influential or wealthy people present
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
A beautiful bird sang in the public square
I may be right I may be wrong
I'm uncertain, but I'm ready to believe
But I'm perfectly willing to swear
I'm confident enough to make an oath
That when you turned and smiled at me
Your gesture made me feel special
A nightingale sang in Berkeley square
The moment felt truly magical
The moon that lingered over London town
The large round object in the sky visible in the city
Poor puzzled moon he wore a frown
The moon appeared confused and troubled
How could he know we two were so in love
The moon was unaware of our strong affection for each other
The whole damned world seemed upside down
Everything appeared disorienting and different
The streets of town were paved with stars
The city looked magical, with bright adornments
It was such a romantic affair
The situation was full of love and attraction
And as we kissed and said goodnight
When we locked lips and bid farewell
A nightingale sang in Berkeley square
The atmosphere was filled with enchantment
How strange it was
It was bizarre to think about
How sweet and strange
Pleasant yet peculiar
There was never a dream to compare
I never had such a wonderful dream
To those hazy crazy nights we met
To the surreal and chaotic nights we became acquainted
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
It was a genuinely magical moment
Ah this heart of mine
My passionate heart
Loud and fast
Beating urgently
Like a merry-go-round in a fair
Like the spinning carousel of a carnival
We would dance cheek to cheek
We'd embrace and sway intimately
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
The surroundings were still enchanted and beguiling
The dawn came stealing up
The sun began to rise, subtly
All gold and blue
The sky was an array of warm colors
To interrupt our rendez-vous
To disturb our romantic encounter
I still remember how you smiled and said
I can recall how you grinned and spoke
Was that a dream or was it true?
Is it possible that we really experienced that, or was it all in our heads?
Our homeward step was just as light
Our steps back home were equally carefree
As the dancing feet of Astaire
Just as easeful as the renowned dancer's graceful movements
And like an echo far away
Similar to a faint reflection from a distant place
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
The memory of that charming night still lingers
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
Again, the enchanting bird filled the air
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Eric Maschwitz, Manning Sherwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Susan
That certain night
The night we met
There was magic abroad in the air
There were angels dining at the Ritz
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
I may be right I may be wrong
But I'm perfectly willing to swear
That when you turned and smiled at me
A nightingale sang in Berkeley square
The moon that lingered over London town
Poor puzzled moon he wore a frown
How could he know we two were so in love
The whole damned world seemed upside down
5.The streets of town were paved with stars
It was such a romantic affair
And as we kissed and said goodnight
A nightingale sang in Berkeley square
1.How strange it was
How sweet and strange
There was never a dream to compare
To those hazy crazy nights we met
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
2.Ah this heart of mine
Loud and fast
Like a merry-go-round in a fair
We would dance cheek to cheek
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
3.The dawn came stealing up
All gold and blue
To interrupt our rendez-vous
I still remember how you smiled and said
Was that a dream or was it true?
4.Our homeward step was just as light
As the tap dancing feet of Astaire
And like an echo far away
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square
I know where I was there
That night in Berkeley square.
Steven Wiggins
Am I alone? This is my favorite version of this song. Nobody sings it more delicately. The words are like feathers coming from Anita O'Day. She was a great jazz singer, not a valued skill any more. But she does this song right.
Shey Shannow
Gotta agree!
vraeyie maskiebaia
You're definitely not alone in this one my friend
Donald Olson
O'Day is my favorite singer of "Nightingale". I'm glad others agree. The intimacy and sweetness of her reading make the song come alive.
She recorded this again later in her career, and it's also wonderful.
Roni Jones
Anita's personal "story" is just as remarkable as her talent. I urge fans to find the documentary about her. She is as honest and beautiful as her voice. She kicked the beast of addictions (heroin and booze) with NO rehab. If you love her already? When u hear her laugh as she discusses her life, you will fall in love with her soul, and her music will inspire u in a deeper dimension. God bless her and all of you. VJ
INA
tears naturally...
steveknows62
I met her at a club in LA when she had written her autobio and was autographing copies. At that time, she was pretty much near the end. I told her that she was the greatest, but she tried singing one song and just didn't have it anymore.
Peter Shaw
The best version of this song ever. You have to listen to the hidden clever stuff. She was great!
Shey Shannow
Totally wonderful! I do NOT get tired of hearing this rendition. WOW that Lady! Just WOW!! Totally WOW!!!!!
chris Shepherd
A masterpiece.