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!.

Sing Sing Sing
Anita O'Day Lyrics

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Sing, sing, sing, sing everybody start to sing like dee dee dee, bah bah bah dah
Now you're singin' with a swing
Sing sing sing, sing, everybody start to sing like dee dee dee, bah bah bah dah
Now you're singin' with a swing.

When the music goes around,
Everybody's goes go to town.
But here is one thing you should know

Sing sing sing sing everybody start to sing like dee dee dee, bah bah bah dah
Now you're singin with a swing

Swing swing swing swing, listen to the trumpet swing
Blow blow blow blow, listen to the trombones go

When the music goes around,
Everybody's goes go to town.
But here is one thing you should know
Sing sing sing sing everybody start to sing like dee dee dee, bah bah bah dah
Everybody go!

Sing sing sing sing everybody start to sing like dee dee dee, bah bah bah dah
Now you're singin with a swing
Sing sing sing sing everybody start to sing like dee dee dee, bah bah bah dah
Now you're singin with a swing

Swing swing swing, everybody start to swing
Now your swingin while you sing
When the music goes around, everybody goes to town
Just relax and take is slow

SIng sing

Start singing, keep swinging
Now you're singing with a swing

Overall Meaning

The song Sing Sing Sing by Anita O'Day is an upbeat and lively tune that is a celebration of music and the joy it brings. The lyrics encourage everyone to join in and sing along, creating a sense of unity through music. The repeated phrase "sing sing sing" is an invitation for anyone and everyone to participate in the music and let go of their inhibitions. The lyrics also mention the importance of the swing genre in this musical expression. The line "now you're singin' with a swing" is a nod to the popular swing music style of the time and encourages listeners to embrace it.

The second verse references the communal nature of music, encouraging everyone to come together and enjoy it. The lines "When the music goes around, everybody goes go to town" suggest that the power of music can bring people together and transport them to a different world. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the importance of participating in the music and just letting go and enjoying the experience.

Overall, the song is a celebration of the power of music to bring people together and create a sense of joy and unity. The upbeat tempo and lively instrumentals encourage listeners to join in and feel the energy of the music.

Line by Line Meaning

Sing, sing, sing, sing everybody start to sing like dee dee dee, bah bah bah dah
Let's all start singing together with joy and energy

Now you're singin' with a swing
Your singing style reflects the upbeat and rhythmic swing music

When the music goes around, Everybody's goes go to town. But here is one thing you should know
The music is spreading everywhere, and people are enjoying it. However, before you join in, here's what you should know

Swing swing swing swing, listen to the trumpet swing Blow blow blow blow, listen to the trombones go
Listen to the beautiful music created by the trumpets and trombones playing in a swing style

Everybody go!
Everyone should participate and have fun

Swing swing swing, everybody start to swing Now your swingin while you sing
Get into the groove and start moving your body along with the swing music while you sing

When the music goes around, everybody goes to town Just relax and take it slow
The music is spreading, and everyone is enjoying it. Take it easy and enjoy yourself

Sing sing Start singing, keep swinging Now you're singing with a swing
Start singing with the same energy and rhythm as the swing music, and you'll be singing with a swing

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOUIS PRIMA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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