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!.
Bewitched Bothered And Bewildered
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a daisy, I'm awake
With no bromo-seltzer handy
I don't even shake
Men are not a new sensation
I've done pretty well I think
But this half-pint imitation
I'm wild again, beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep
When love came and told me I shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I
Lost my heart, but what of it
He is cold I agree
He can laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me
I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And long for the day when I'll cling to him
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
He's a fool and don't I know it
But a fool can have his charms
I'm in love and don't I show it
Like a babe in arms
Love's the same old sad sensation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink
I've sinned a lot; I'm mean a lot
But I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
When he talks, he is seeking
Words to get off his chest
Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best
Vexed again, perplexed again
Thank God, I can be oversexed again
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Wise at last, my eyes at last
Are cutting you down to your size at last
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered no more
Burned a lot, but learned a lot
And now you are broke, so you earned a lot
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered no more
Couldn't eat, was dyspeptic
Life was so hard to bear
Now my heart's antiseptic
Since you moved out of there
Romance, finis, your chance, finis
Those ants that invaded my pants, finis
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered no more
The song Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered was originally written by Rodgers and Hart for the 1940 Broadway musical Pal Joey. However, Anita O'Day's version is one of the most well-known and celebrated recordings of the song. In the lyrics, the singer describes how she is "wild again" and "beguiled again" by a man who has put her "on the blink," despite the fact that she acknowledges he is a "fool" who is "cold." She sings about the pain of being in love with someone who does not reciprocate her feelings, but also about the way that love can make her feel young and reckless once again.
One of the interesting things about this song is the way that it critiques traditional gender roles. The singer is a woman who acknowledges that she has had other lovers before, and is not afraid to be sexually forward with the man who is currently captivating her. She describes herself as "oversexed" and "perplexed" by her attraction to this man, but also takes pleasure in the way that he talks about his own desire.
Another interesting aspect of the song is the way that the lyrics use wordplay, particularly around the idea of being "bewitched, bothered, and bewildered." The phrase appears multiple times throughout the song, and the singer seems to be using it to describe a feeling of being completely overcome and overwhelmed by her emotions. However, the words themselves also have a musicality to them that fits perfectly with the melody of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
After one whole quart of brandy
After consuming a large amount of alcohol
Like a daisy, I'm awake
Feeling refreshed and alert
With no bromo-seltzer handy
Without any medicine for a hangover
I don't even shake
Not feeling the effects of the alcohol
Men are not a new sensation
Women are not unfamiliar with men
I've done pretty well I think
I have been successful with men
But this half-pint imitation
But this small and insignificant man
Put me on the blink
Has made me feel unwell and confused
I'm wild again, beguiled again
Feeling excited and seduced
A simpering, whimpering child again
Feeling weak and helpless
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Feeling captivated, troubled, and confused by love
Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep
Unable and unwilling to sleep
When love came and told me I shouldn't sleep
When I fell in love and it kept me awake
Lost my heart, but what of it
I fell in love, but with little benefit
He is cold I agree
He is emotionally distant
He can laugh, but I love it
I still find him amusing
Although the laugh's on me
Even though I am the one being laughed at
I'll sing to him, each spring to him
I will serenade him and long for him
And long for the day when I'll cling to him
And hope for the day when he will be mine
He's a fool and don't I know it
He's foolish, and I'm fully aware of it
But a fool can have his charms
However, he can still be charming despite his foolishness
I'm in love and don't I show it
I am undoubtedly in love and not ashamed to express it
Like a babe in arms
Feeling vulnerable and defenseless
Love's the same old sad sensation
Love is a bittersweet feeling
Lately I've not slept a wink
I have been unable to sleep lately
Since this half-pint imitation
Since this small and insignificant man appeared in my life
Put me on the blink
Has made me feel unwell and confused
I've sinned a lot; I'm mean a lot
I have made many mistakes and done wrong many times
But I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
But I still feel young and foolish at times
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Feeling captivated, troubled, and confused by love
I'll sing to him, each spring to him
I will serenade him and long for him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
And admire the clothes that fit him so well
When he talks, he is seeking
When he talks, he is looking for something
Words to get off his chest
Words to express his thoughts or feelings
Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best
He is most comfortable in physical intimacy
Vexed again, perplexed again
Feeling frustrated and confused again
Thank God, I can be oversexed again
Thankfully, I can feel sexual desire again
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Feeling captivated, troubled, and confused by love
Wise at last, my eyes at last
I have finally become wise and insightful
Are cutting you down to your size at last
Seeing you as you truly are at last
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered no more
No longer feeling captivated, troubled, and confused by love
Burned a lot, but learned a lot
I have experienced a lot but also learned a lot
And now you are broke, so you earned a lot
And now that you are gone, I have gained a lot of knowledge
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered no more
No longer feeling captivated, troubled, and confused by love
Couldn't eat, was dyspeptic
I was unable to eat and felt ill
Life was so hard to bear
Life felt unbearable
Now my heart's antiseptic
Now my heart is free from pain and infection
Since you moved out of there
Since you left my life
Romance, finis, your chance, finis
Our romance is over, and so is your opportunity
Those ants that invaded my pants, finis
Those uncomfortable and unwanted feelings are gone now
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered no more
No longer feeling captivated, troubled, and confused by love
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID GEDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheMadamfee1234
Fabulous 🤩
@eifla1001
This Girl Could sing, I Am a fan of Anita O'Day.........Margate Girl JB??
@phillipprimrose8981
@jimrick6632
COULD YOU PLEASE UPLOAD THIS IN MP4 SO I COULD PLAY IT THRU MY STEREO...THANKS...
@DavidGonzalez-wq9gh
OP u