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 Song For You
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've sung a lot of songs I've made some bad rhyme
I've acted out my love in stages
With ten thousand people watching
But we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
I know your image of me is what I hope to be
I've treated you unkindly but darlin' can't you see
Darlin' can't you please see through me
Cause we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
You taught me precious secrets of the truth witholding nothing
You came out in front and I was hiding
But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding
I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
You taught me precious secrets of the truth witholding nothing
You came out in front and I was hiding
But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding
I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
The lyrics of "A Song For You" by Anita O'Day explore the emotions of a performer who has traveled far in life and experienced many things but is now alone, singing a song for someone they love. They reflect on the mistakes they have made in the past and express their desire for that special person to see through their facade and truly understand them for who they are. The performer acknowledges that this person is important to them and while they may have treated them badly in the past, they hope that the intimacy of this moment can make up for it.
Throughout the song, we see the impact that this person has had on the performer's life. They have taught them precious secrets of the truth and helped them to come out of hiding, making them a better person overall. The love they share is not bound by physical space or time, and they are grateful for the time they have spent together. The performer expresses the hope that this song will serve as a testament to their love, even after their life is over.
Overall, the lyrics of "A Song For You" convey a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, as the performer sings directly to someone they hold dear. They reflect on the past while treasuring the present, expressing gratitude for the moments of connection they share.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been so many places in my life and time
I have travelled far and wide, experiencing all kinds of adventures, singing many songs and also making some mistakes.
I've sung a lot of songs I've made some bad rhyme
In the course of my career, I have sung many beautiful songs as well as some not so good ones.
I've acted out my love in stages
I have often expressed my love for others through my performances on stage.
With ten thousand people watching
My performances have often been in front of large audiences, sometimes numbering up to ten thousand people.
But we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
However, at this moment, it's just me and you and I am dedicating this song to you.
I know your image of me is what I hope to be
I understand that you see me in a certain light, but I aspire to be the person that you admire.
I've treated you unkindly but darlin' can't you see
I acknowledge that I have not always been kind to you, but I hope you can look past that.
There's no one more important to me
You are the most important person in my life.
Darlin' can't you please see through me
I hope you can see my true intentions and heart.
Cause we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
I am dedicating this song to you because we are currently alone together.
You taught me precious secrets of the truth witholding nothing
You have been a great teacher, sharing with me all the valuable lessons and knowledge, without holding anything back.
You came out in front and I was hiding
You were the brave one who came forward while I was hiding in the background.
But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Thanks to you, I have grown and become a better person. And if I'm having trouble expressing myself, just listen to the music because my love is still there.
Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding
Please pay attention to the music because it's still filled with my love for you.
I love you in a place where there's no space or time
My love for you transcends time and space, it's eternal and infinite.
I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine
I love you for being a wonderful friend and companion in my life.
And when my life is over
When my time on this earth is done.
Remember when we were together
I hope you remember the moments we shared together.
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
During those special times when it was just the two of us, I sang this song for you.
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
Once again, I was singing this song for you when we were alone together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leon Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aceiseverywhere
on Who Cares?
Let it rain and thunder
Let a million firms go under
I am not concerned with, stocks and bombs that I've been burned with
I love you and you love me
And that's how it will always be
And nothing else can ever mean a thing
Who cares what the public chatters?
Love's the only thing that matters
Who cares if the sky, cares to fall
in the sea
Who cares how history rates me?
As long as your kiss intoxicates me
Oh why should I care?
Life is one long jubilee
As long as I care for you
And you care for me!
Who cares if the sky, cares to fall
in the sea
Who cares what banks fail in Yonkers?
As long as you've got a kiss that conquers!
Oh why should I care?
Life is one long jubilee
So long as I care for you
and you care for me!
(These lyrics might be wrong, sorry)