Anita O'Day (October 18, 1919 - November 23, 2006) was an American jazz sin… Read Full Bio ↴Anita O'Day (October 18, 1919 - November 23, 2006) was an American jazz singer.

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!.

Mack The Knife
Anita O'Day Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
And he keeps it, ah, out of sight
Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe
So there's never, never a trace of red

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh
Lies a body just oozin' life, eek
And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river dontcha know
Where a cement bag's just a'drooppin' on down
Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten old Macky's back in town
Now d'ja hear 'bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor
Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?

Now Jenny Diver, ho, ho, yeah, Sukey Tawdry
Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky's back in town

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry
Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Yes, that line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky's back in town
Look out, old Macky's back!!

Overall Meaning

This song is a classic jazz standard that tells the tale of the notorious criminal, Mack the Knife. The first verse describes the shark as a metaphor for Mack, who is just as dangerous and cunning. He hides his weapon, a jackknife, out of sight, so he can strike unexpectedly. When he attacks, the "scarlet billows," or blood, start to spread, but Mack is always careful to wear "fancy gloves" to avoid getting caught with any evidence.

The second verse reveals the aftermath of Mack's latest crime - there is a dead body on the sidewalk, and someone is sneaking around the corner, possibly Mack himself. The third verse alludes to the fact that even though Mack has been out of town, he's still up to his old tricks - a cement bag drops down to the river, presumably containing a body or evidence. And the last verse lists off some of Mack's female companions, and warns the listener that with him back in town, there will surely be trouble.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
The shark is a metaphor for danger, he is powerful, smart and ruthless.

And it shows them pearly white
His power and brutality are visible and striking, like a white shark's teeth.

Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
Mack the Knife, the infamous criminal, has only a simple jackknife as his weapon.

And he keeps it, ah, out of sight
Mack knows how to hide his weapon and his evil intentions to remain unnoticed and unpunished.

Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe
When Mack attacks with his knife, his victims suffer and scream in pain like being bitten by a shark.

Scarlet billows start to spread
The bloody aftermath of Mack's attacks is noticeable and a sign of danger.

Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe
Mack takes great care of his appearance and wears elegant gloves to hide his true self.

So there's never, never a trace of red
Mack is careful not to leave any evidence or clues that can lead to his capture and punishment.

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh
The street is a peaceful place on a nice morning, but danger can still lurk in the shadows.

Lies a body just oozin' life, eek
Mack has struck again, and his victim is fatally wounded and bleeding.

And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner
A suspicious figure is lurking nearby, and it could be Mack looking for his next victim.

Could that someone be Mack the Knife?
The people are frightened and wonder if Mack is the one responsible for the latest murder.

There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river dontcha know
Life goes on, and business continues as usual, even when murder is afoot.

Where a cement bag's just a'drooppin' on down
Sacks of cement are being dropped into the river, perhaps to dispose of evidence or hide something dark and sinister.

Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
The thick cement is a useful tool for Mack to conceal or carry his victims' bodies unnoticed.

Five'll get ya ten old Macky's back in town
Mack is a notorious criminal, and his reputation precedes him wherever he goes. He is feared and respected by all.

Now d'ja hear 'bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe
Mack's criminal exploits are well-known, and his latest victim, Louie Miller, has vanished without a trace.

After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
Mack is not content with just killing his victims, he also takes their money and valuables as a reward for his evil deeds.

And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor
Mack is living lavishly, flashing his ill-gotten wealth around town with no regard for the law or morals.

Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?
Mack is becoming reckless and careless, and his actions could lead to his downfall.

Now Jenny Diver, ho, ho, yeah, Sukey Tawdry
Jenny Diver and Sukey Tawdry are just two of Mack's many female conquests who are used and abused by him.

Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Lotte Lenya and Lucy Brown are two of Mack's enemies who are vying for his capture or downfall.

Oh, the line forms on the right, babe
The people in town are taking sides and lining up for or against Mack.

Now that Macky's back in town
Mack has returned to his hometown, and the people are uneasy and on alert.

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry
The women in Mack's life are either loyal servants or bitter enemies fighting for their own survival.

Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Lotte Lenya and Lucy Brown are powerful women who have the means and the will to defeat Mack and bring him to justice.

Yes, that line forms on the right, babe
The people are taking sides, and the battle lines are drawn between Mack's supporters and his opponents.

Now that Macky's back in town
Mack has returned, and the conflict is about to reach its climax.

Look out, old Macky's back!!
The people are terrified and warn each other of Mack's return, knowing that danger and death are not far behind.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Marc Blitzstein

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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