Ann-Margret started recording for RCA in 1961, but her recording career was not as successful as her concurrent movie career. She had a sexy, throaty singing voice comparable to Eartha Kitt or Nancy Sinatra, and RCA attempted to capitalize on her "Female Elvis" comparison by her recording a version of Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" and other songs stylistically similar to Presley. She scored one minor hit, "I Just Don't Understand" (which entered the Billboard Top 40 in the third week of August 1961 and stayed 6 weeks, peaking at #17.) Her only charting album is The Beauty and the Beard (1964), on which she was accompanied by trumpeter Al Hirt. The contract with RCA ended in 1966.
Years later, she returned to music at the end of Disco era. Her 1980 album, "Ann-Margret" became a success with both singles, "Midnight Message" and "Love Rush" reaching the Top 10 of the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. In the early 1980s, the album was followed up with the single, "Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes" and the B-Side "Hold Me/Squeeze Me." Ann Margret has continued to record music sporatically since then.
[edit]Film career
In 1961 she also made her film début for in Pocketful of Miracles, starring Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, and Hope Lange, a remake of the Oscar-winning 1933 film Lady for a Day; both versions were directed by the great Frank Capra. She followed that role with the successful remake of Rodgers' and Hammerstein's musical State Fair in 1962. Her next starring role, as the all-American teenager in Bye Bye Birdie, made her a major star. When she filmed Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley the two began an affair that received considerable attention from the gossip columnists in various media. The reports led to a showdown with a very worried Priscilla Beaulieu, which she recounts in her 1985 book, Elvis and Me, including Ann-Margret's attempt to "cut her off at the pass" with a press announcement that Ann-Margret and Elvis were engaged to be married. Although he ended the affair, Presley remained a friend and continued to send her flowers at the opening of each of her stage appearances until he died. Of all the Hollywood starlets he had worked with or had a relationship with, Ann-Margret was the only one to attend his funeral.
In 1963, Ann-Margret was featured and guest-starred, in animated form, in an episode of Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones as "Ann-Margrock." Decades later, she recorded the theme song to the live-action film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas in character as Ann-Margrock. The song she recorded was a modified version of the "Viva Las Vegas" theme.\
In March 1966, Ann-Margret and entertainers Chuck Day and Mickey Jones teamed up for a USO tour to entertain U.S. servicemen in remote parts of Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia. She still has great affection for the veterans and refers to them as "my gentlemen". [1] Ann-Margret, Day and Jones reunited for an encore of this tour for veterans and troops at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in November 2005. [2]
In 1971, she starred in Mike Nichols's Carnal Knowledge, marking a change from her sex-kitten musical roles, garnering a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, while performing at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, she fell 22 feet from the stage and suffered injuries that put her out of commission for several months. Throughout the 1970s, Ann-Margret balanced her live performances with a string of critically acclaimed dramatic film performances that played against her glamorous image, including Tommy in 1975, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In addition, she has been nominated for ten Golden Globe Awards, winning five times including Best Actress for Tommy. She also did a string of successful TV specials, starting with The Ann-Margret Show for NBC in 1968. Now in her mid-60s, she continues to act in movies.
In 1994, she published an autobiography titled Ann Margret: My Story (ISBN 0-399-13891-9). She has been married to actor Roger Smith since 1967. Smith suffers from myasthenia gravis, and Ann-Margret has devoted much of her life to caring for him.
In 2001 Ann-Margret made her first appearance in a stage musical, playing the character of Mona Stangley in a new touring production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
She has also filmed the movie "Mem-o-re", where she stars with Billy Zane and Dennis Hopper.
Chicago
Ann-Margret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That toddlin' town
Chicago, Chicago
I'll show you around, I love it
Bet your bottom dollar
You'll lose the blues
In Chicago, Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday
On State Street, that great street
I just want to say
They do thing's
They don't do on Broadway, say
They have the time
The time or their life
I saw a man
He danced with his wife
In Chicago, my home town
Chicago, Chicago
That toddlin' town
Chicago, Chicago
I'll show you around, I love it
Bet your bottom dollar
You'll lose the blues
In Chicago, Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday
Could not shut down
On State Street, that great street
I just want to say
They do thing's
They don't do on Broadway, say
They have the time
The time or their life
I saw a man
He danced with his wife
In Chicago
Chicago, my home home town
The lyrics of "Chicago" by Ann-Margret paint a vivid picture of a bustling city filled with life and excitement. The singer exclaims her love for the city and promises to show her audience around. She mentions how Chicago has a reputation for lifting people's spirits and making them forget their troubles. The city is described as a "toddlin' town" that can't be shut down, even by famous evangelist Billy Sunday.
The singer then focuses on the famous street of State Street, where she notes that people do things they don't do on Broadway. She highlights the energy and liveliness of the city. The final lines of the song bring the focus back to the singer's personal connection with the city, as she expresses her love for her home town.
Overall, the song celebrates the vivacity of Chicago and its people, showcasing the city as a unique and special place.
Line by Line Meaning
Chicago, Chicago
The singer is addressing the city of Chicago in a repeated phrase that emphasizes the city's name.
That toddlin' town
The nickname 'that toddlin' town' is used to describe the bustling and lively atmosphere of the city.
I'll show you around, I love it
The singer is offering to guide and tour the listener around the city of Chicago, expressing their affection for the place.
Bet your bottom dollar
The singer is using this phrase to guarantee the listener that they will enjoy their time in Chicago, with the implication that their last dollar is as safe as bet.
You'll lose the blues
The singer suggests that Chicago has the power to chase away any sadness or depression.
In Chicago, Chicago
The singer is emphasizing the city's name again and repeating the previous stanza to augment the point.
The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down
The reference to Billy Sunday, an evangelical preacher who fought hard against the city's infamous vice and corruption, highlights Chicago's strong-will and persistent spirit to keep moving forward in the face of societal challenges.
On State Street, that great street
The singer is bragging about State Street, which is a famous and prominent street in Chicago that has been mentioned in several songs and movies.
I just want to say
The singer is pre-empting the next statement with this introductory phrase.
They do things they don't do on Broadway, say
The singer claims that Chicago has a uniqueness and offers an experience that differs from that of Broadway, which is famous for theatrical performances.
They have the time, the time or their life
The singer is telling the listener that Chicago offers a memorable and enjoyable experience, implying the phrase:'time of their life'.
I saw a man, he danced with his wife
The singer is recounting a memory or observation (most likely in Chicago) of a man dancing with his wife, emphasizing the city's romantic and jovial atmosphere.
In Chicago, my home town
The singer emphasizes that Chicago is their home town, indicating a strong attachment and familiarity with the place.
Chicago, Chicago
The song ends with the repetition of the opening stanza, reiterating the importance and admiration towards the city.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Fred Fisher, Phil Kelsall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joan Cuthill
I've heard of Ann-Margaret but never this song Mick. I really enjoyed it. Many thanks. Have a great week. ♥