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 Didn't Know What Time It Was
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Danced with Jim and Paul and kissed some other chaps
Once I was young, but never was naive
I thought I had a trick or two up my imaginary sleeve
And now I know I was naive
I didn't know what time it was
Then I met you
How sublime it was too!
I didn't know what day it was
Then you held my hand
Warm like the month of May it was
And I'll say it was grand
Grand to be alive, to be young
To be mad, to be yours alone
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Hear your voice say I'm all your own
I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize
I wanted love and here it was
Shining out of your eyes
Once I was old, twenty years or so
Rather well preserved, the wrinkles didn't show
Once I was old, but not too old for fun
I used to hunt for little girls up my imaginary gun
But now I ain't for only one
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I'm so wise and I know what time it is now
The song "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is about the singer's discovery of love and the loss of her former naivety. She reflects on her past, specifically on her youth, which she now realizes she wasn’t as knowledgeable in as she initially thought. She reminisces about dancing with Jim and Paul and kissing other guys but admits that she was never so innocent that she didn't believe she had some wiles of her own. The singer then goes to say that after meeting her lover, she finally came to understand the meaning of true love.
The chorus of the song talks about how the singer experienced a beautiful moment and discovered the joy of love after meeting her significant other. She confesses that she was oblivious to what time or day it was when she first met her partner, as she was caught up in the romance of the situation. The singer then goes on to describe the excitement she feels about being alive, young, and in love. She emphasizes that she is happy to be mad to be her lover’s alone.
Lastly, the song concludes with the singer, who is now old, reflecting on how wise she is and how she now knows what time it is. She emphasizes that despite her age, her love for her partner continues to shine and provide her life with joy and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was young, yesterday, perhaps
Back in the past, I was young, carefree and reckless, it feels like it happened yesterday
Danced with Jim and Paul and kissed some other chaps
I had fun and enjoyed the company of different men, Jim and Paul were two of them whom I danced and kissed
Once I was young, but never was naive
Although I was young, I was never gullible, I always thought I had tricks to win over any situation
I thought I had a trick or two up my imaginary sleeve
Believing in my own capabilities, I imagined possessing several tricks to help me tackle challenges
And now I know I was naive
Realizing how inexperienced I was, I now feel foolish about my earlier notions of my skills
I didn't know what time it was
Before I met you, I didn't know what true love felt like
Then I met you
My life turned around when I found you
Oh, what a lovely time it was
Spending time with you felt wonderful and made me happy
How sublime it was too!
The experience of being with you has been divinely beautiful
I didn't know what day it was
I was lost and confused before you showed me the right way
Then you held my hand
Everything changed for me when you reached out and held my hand
Warm like the month of May it was
Your touch and affection made me feel comfortable and happy, like the pleasant sun of May
And I'll say it was grand
I can't find words to express how beautiful and grand the experience was, being with you
Grand to be alive, to be young
Being alive, young and free is a great experience in itself
To be mad, to be yours alone
Being crazily in love with you, and you alone, is incomparable
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Seeing your face and feeling your touch is the best feeling in the world
Hear your voice say I'm all your own
Hearing you say that I belong to you makes me feel complete and beloved
I didn't know what year it was
I was lost and directionless, not knowing which path to take in life
Life was no prize
My life, at that time, was without any purpose or direction and had no charm or excitement
I wanted love and here it was
I had been longing for love and finally found it, in your loving heart
Shining out of your eyes
The love that I had been searching for, I finally found it, reflected in your eyes
Once I was old, twenty years or so
As time passed, I began to feel old, although I was only twenty or so
Rather well preserved, the wrinkles didn't show
Despite feeling old, I still maintained my charm and youthfulness, without any wrinkles showing on my face
Once I was old, but not too old for fun
Although I was aging, I still enjoyed having fun and experiencing new things
I used to hunt for little girls up my imaginary gun
In my younger days, I used to woo and charm little girls, pretending I was chasing them like hunting prey
But now I ain't for only one
Now I have found my one true love and am completely devoted to you
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
Having experienced love and life, I have grown wiser, and now understand the value of true love
I'm so wise and I know what time it is now
I am convinced about my wisdom and knowledge, and am confident in my decisions, especially those related to love and relationships.
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I believe I have matured and attained both worldly and emotional wisdom, especially when it comes to the matters of the heart.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Britta Wolfert
The amazing Anita O'day, one of if not my favourite Jazz singer of all times. Passionate Class.
HFritzson
I love what she does with this great song. She sounds so young and fresh.
Tom Clohessy
anita plays the ultimate compliment to this great tune....she treats it in her style but let's the tune speak for itself....the tops!
David Randall
Thank you, not only for sharing this, but also for your careful insight and analysis. We must not forget this talent
Joe Hallen
A STUNNING RENDITION BY MISS O'DAY!!! REST IN PEACE PLEASE MISS O'DAY.
Evelyn Kstz
Anita is just great.
Linda Marie Lovison
Lovely song!
David Anthony Stone
one of the greatest gal singers ever Miss O'Day
Cynthia Strasse
Grand indeed....wOW Lovely velvety voix..môn Dieu! Merci
K Lee
Correction, this is a Rodgers and Hart song. Very nice interpretation by Anita O"Day.