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!.
Little Orphan Annie
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who's the little chatterbox
The one with pretty auburn locks
Who can it be
It's Little Orphan Annie
She and Sandy make a pair
Cute little she
This Little Orphan Annie
Bright eyes, cheeks a rosy glow
There's a store of healthiness handy
Mite size, always on the go
If you wanna know, "ARF!" says Sandy
Always wears a sunny smile
Now, wouldn't it be worth the while
If you could be
Like Little Orphan Annie
Leapin' Lizards!
Leapin' Lizards!
All together now
Who's the little chatterbox
The one with pretty auburn locks
Who can it be
It's Little Orphan Annie
She and Sandy make a pair
They never seem to have a care
Cute little she
This Little Orphan Annie
Bright eyes, cheeks a rosy glow
There's a store of healthiness handy
Mite size, always on the go
If you wanna know, "ARF!" says Sandy
Always wears a sunny smile
Now, wouldn't it be worth the while
If you could be
Like Little Orphan Annie
You like Little Orphan Annie
I like Little Orphan Annie
Leapin' Lizards!
We all like Little Orpan Annie
The song "Little Orphan Annie" is a tribute to the comic-strip character of the same name. It describes Annie's physical appearance and personality, praising her for her sunny disposition and irrepressible spirit. The opening line, "Leapin' Lizards!" was a signature catchphrase for the character, and it captures the joyful exclamation that Annie inspires in those around her. The song goes on to describe Annie's inseparable bond with her dog Sandy, emphasizing their carefree existence and their ability to take life as it comes.
Beyond its superficial celebration of Annie's virtues, however, the song also hints at some of the sadness and tragedy at the core of her story. As an orphan, Annie has no family to care for her, and even her loyal companion Sandy can only do so much to shield her from the harsh realities of the world. By focusing on Annie's resilience and optimism, the song suggests that these qualities are what sustain her in the face of adversity.
Overall, "Little Orphan Annie" is a jaunty, upbeat ode to a beloved character whose appeal has endured for decades. It captures the optimistic spirit of the comic strip while also hinting at the darker themes that underlie it.
Line by Line Meaning
Leapin' Lizards!
Expressing amazement or surprise
Who's the little chatterbox
Asking about the identity of the talkative person
The one with pretty auburn locks
Describing the person as having beautiful reddish-brown hair
Who can it be
Wondering who the person could be
It's Little Orphan Annie
Identifying the person as the character Little Orphan Annie
She and Sandy make a pair
Referring to the close relationship between Little Orphan Annie and her dog, Sandy
They never seem to have a care
Noting how content and carefree Little Orphan Annie and Sandy are
Cute little she
Commenting on how adorable Little Orphan Annie is
This Little Orphan Annie
Referring again to the individual in question as Little Orphan Annie
Bright eyes, cheeks a rosy glow
Describing Little Orphan Annie as having a healthy complexion and lively appearance
There's a store of healthiness handy
Implying that Little Orphan Annie has a reserve of vitality
Mite size, always on the go
Pointing out how small Little Orphan Annie is, yet always active
If you wanna know, "ARF!" says Sandy
Suggesting that Sandy the dog is answering a question with a bark
Always wears a sunny smile
Observing how cheerful Little Orphan Annie always appears
Now, wouldn't it be worth the while
Posing a rhetorical question about the benefits of adopting a similar disposition to Little Orphan Annie's
If you could be
Wondering about the potential for someone to embody Little Orphan Annie's positive attitude
You like Little Orphan Annie
Asking if the listener also admires Little Orphan Annie
I like Little Orphan Annie
Stating that the singer also appreciates Little Orphan Annie
Leapin' Lizards!
Repeating the initial exclamation of surprise
We all like Little Orpan Annie
Asserting that everyone present shares an appreciation for Little Orphan Annie
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GUS KAHN, JOE L. SANDERS
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)