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!.
I Believe In You
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yet there's the upturned chin and the grin of impetuous youth;
Oh, I believe in you,
I believe in you!
I hear the sound of good solid judgment whenever you talk,
Yet there's that bold brave spring of the tiger that quickens your walk;
Oh, I believe in you,
And when my faith in my fellow man all but falls apart,
I've got to feel your hand grasping mine and I take heart,
I take heart!
To see the cool clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth,
Yet there's that slam bang tang reminiscent of gin and vermouth;
Oh, I believe in you,
I believe in you!
The lyrics to Anita O'Day and Cal Tjader's song "I Believe in You" express a deep admiration and belief in someone who embodies both wisdom and youthfulness. The opening line describes "cool clear eyes" which symbolize a sense of clarity and insight. These eyes are paired with an "upturned chin" and "grin of impetuous youth", suggesting a boldness and vibrancy that comes with being young.
The second stanza continues this theme of contrast, highlighting the subject's ability to balance "good solid judgment" with the wild, adventurous spirit of a tiger. Together these qualities make for a person who is both wise and curious, grounded and daring.
The final stanza speaks to the way this person's belief in others can be a guiding light in times of despair. Their unwavering faith gives the singer hope and courage even when their own faith in humanity wavers. The closing line emphasizes once again the subject's duality, referencing both a refined drink and a rough-and-tumble energy. This suggests that the person being praised in the song is not just one thing, but a balance of many facets that all contribute to their admirable character.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Believe in You" celebrate the complexity of a person who embodies both wisdom and youth, solid judgment and boldness, belief and doubt. The singer is drawn to this person's ability to balance these opposing forces and finds inspiration in their unwavering belief and faith in others.
Line by Line Meaning
You have the cool clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth,
I admire your wise and truthful gaze as it embodies the quest for knowledge and understanding.
Yet there's the upturned chin and the grin of impetuous youth;
But your youthful energy and confidence shine through with your uplifted chin and playful smile.
Oh, I believe in you,
I have complete faith and trust in you and your abilities.
I hear the sound of good solid judgment whenever you talk,
I can sense your sound and wise judgment every time you speak and make decisions.
Yet there's that bold brave spring of the tiger that quickens your walk;
At the same time, your actions are driven by a brave and bold nature, much like the quick and nimble tiger.
Oh, I believe in you,
Again, I wholeheartedly believe in you and your strengths and instincts.
And when my faith in my fellow man all but falls apart,
When I lose trust and hope in humanity as a whole,
I've got to feel your hand grasping mine and I take heart,
Your comforting presence and touch of support give me the courage to carry on and believe in better things.
I take heart!
I feel uplifted and renewed, with hope and determination for the future.
To see the cool clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth,
Once again, I am struck by the pure and genuine eyes of someone who seeks knowledge and truth above all else.
Yet there's that slam bang tang reminiscent of gin and vermouth;
But your lively and spirited nature brings to mind the fun and excitement of drinking gin and vermouth.
Oh, I believe in you,
And again, I firmly believe in your multi-faceted personality and all that you encompass.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: David Meniketti, Joseph L. Alves, Leonard E. Haze, Phil Kennemore
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)