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!.
Georgia on My Mind
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
just an old sweet song
that keeps Georgia on my mind
I said Georgia
O I said Georgia
a song, a song of you
comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines
Other arms reach out to me
but still in peaceful dreams I see
the road, woo the road leads back to you
I said Georgia, no peace, no peace I find
just an old sweet song
that keeps you Georgia on my mind
Other arms reach out to me
other eyes smile tenderly
but still in peaceful dreams I see
the road, woo the road leads back to you
I said Georgia
no peace, no peace I find
Just that old, sweet song
that keeps you Georgia on my mind
I said Georgia, Georgia, my sweet Georgia
just that old sweet song
that keeps you Georgia on my mind
Anita O'Day's rendition of Georgia on My Mind is a beautiful and nostalgic song about the state of Georgia. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is constantly thinking about this place that holds such significance to them. The song begins with the repetition of the words "Georgia, Georgia," and the sentiment of keeping Georgia on their mind. The singer talks about how just an old sweet song can keep Georgia present in their thoughts and how the sound of it comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines. The music helps to set a mood of longing and nostalgia, which is further amplified by the lyrics.
The second stanza talks about the presence of other people who might try to draw the singer away, but their dreams are still consumed with thoughts of Georgia. The singer continues to express that there is "no peace" without Georgia, and the song is the only thing that can keep the place on their mind. The final stanza repeats the sentiment of the first, with the repetition of "Georgia, Georgia, my sweet Georgia" and the reminder that it is just an old sweet song that keeps the place on their mind.
Overall, the song has a dreamlike quality to it, as though the singer is lost in thought and memory. It's a beautiful song that speaks to the deep emotions that can be tied to a place, a reminiscent portrait of home.
Line by Line Meaning
Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through
The state of Georgia is constantly on my mind, all day, every day.
just an old sweet song
This persistent thought of Georgia is like a beloved, timeless melody.
that keeps Georgia on my mind
This song is a reminder of Georgia and why it's always on my mind.
I said Georgia
I speak directly to the state of Georgia.
O I said Georgia
Oh, how I truly mean it when I say Georgia.
a song, a song of you
This song represents my thoughts and emotions about Georgia.
comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines
This song is pure and beautiful, like the moonlight shining through the trees.
Other arms reach out to me
Although there are other people in my life, trying to comfort me...
other eyes smile tenderly
...and offer me kindness and affection...
but still in peaceful dreams I see
...I can't help but dream peacefully of Georgia.
the road, woo the road leads back to you
No matter where I go or how far away I am, I always find myself coming back to Georgia.
I said Georgia, no peace, no peace I find
When I'm away from Georgia, I can never find peace or contentment.
just an old sweet song
Once again, this song is my constant reminder of Georgia.
that keeps you Georgia on my mind
This melody always brings Georgia to the forefront of my thoughts.
I said Georgia
Once again, I speak directly to Georgia.
no peace, no peace I find
No matter where I go or what I do, I can never shake this longing for Georgia.
Just that old, sweet song
And so, I find comfort in the familiarity of this song.
that keeps you Georgia on my mind
Because it always reminds me of the place that I yearn for.
I said Georgia, Georgia, my sweet Georgia
Once again, I speak directly to Georgia, reminding myself of how much I love it.
just that old sweet song
And once again, I find solace in the familiarity of this song.
that keeps you Georgia on my mind
Because it will always remind me of the special place that Georgia holds in my heart.
Writer(s): STUART GORRELL, HOAGY CARMICHAEL
Contributed by Alice V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@3001st
Gene Krupa and his orchestra.