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.
My Rival
Ann-Margret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Does he love my rival more than me?
When the weekend comes, he′s with my rival;
Yes, he's with my rival constantly.
And all through the week, my competition gets the praise.
That style, that pep, that body line;
There was a time when he praised mine.
He′s not fooling me; he's with my rival.
And I know right where they are.
He's carrying things too far!
My rival is a baby-blue racing car!
I could beat a señorita, or a lady of fame;
A gold-digger with a crazy figure, beat her at her own game.
I′ll make you a bet, I′d make him forget
A hostess on a jet; a sexy brunette;
A model from Paris; a wealthy heiress;
A chick who's a gasser; a graduate of Vassar;
A socialite who′s out all night; a famous movie star;
A debutante; or Charlie Zant; a golfer who shoots par!
Can't compare the female gender
With a spare or with a fender;
Rev it up and listen to it roar!
While I watch the clock and walk the floor...
He′s not fooling me, he's with my rival.
And I know right where they are.
He′s carrying things too far!
My rival is a baby-blue racing car!
The song "My Rival" by Ann-Margret speaks of a woman's concerns over her lover's infatuation with his racing car, which he refers to as 'my rival.' She wonders if he loves the car more than her and if he spends more time with it than with her. She highlights how her competition, the car, gets more of his attention and admiration throughout the week. In her eyes, the car is her rival, and she feels as though her lover is carrying the racecar appreciation a bit too far.
The woman compares herself to other females, noting that she could beat any of them to win her lover's attention, but that seems impossible in comparison to the car's allure. She acknowledges the car's power, revving the engine, while she waits for her lover to come back to her. The woman realizes that her love is fixated on the car, and this discovery causes her much angst, which is evident in the lyrics.
Overall, the song is playful yet emotional. The singer highlights the fact that she will never be able to compete with the racing car for her lover's attention but continues to express her frustration and vulnerability throughout the verses.
Line by Line Meaning
Does he love me most, or love my rival?
Am I his top choice, or does he prefer my rival?
Does he love my rival more than me?
Is his love for my rival greater than his love for me?
When the weekend comes, he's with my rival;
During weekends, he spends time with my rival;
Yes, he's with my rival constantly.
It seems he spends all his time with my rival.
And all through the week, my competition gets the praise.
Throughout the week, he praises my competition.
That style, that pep, that body line;
He admires her style, energy, and physique;
There was a time when he praised mine.
He used to praise me, too.
He's not fooling me; he's with my rival.
I know he's not trying to deceive me; he's really with my rival.
And I know right where they are.
I know exactly where they are.
He's carrying things too far!
He's going too far with this.
My rival is a baby-blue racing car!
My rival is actually a car, a baby-blue racing car!
I could beat a señorita, or a lady of fame;
I could surpass any woman, regardless of her background or fame;
A gold-digger with a crazy figure, beat her at her own game.
I could even beat a woman who uses her body to win;
I'll make you a bet, I'd make him forget
I'm confident I could make him forget about my rival;
A hostess on a jet; a sexy brunette;
I could beat the charm of a flight attendant or a beautiful brunette;
A model from Paris; a wealthy heiress;
I could outdo a Parisian model, or a rich heiress;
A chick who's a gasser; a graduate of Vassar;
I could beat a girl who's a social butterfly, or a Vassar graduate;
A socialite who's out all night; a famous movie star;
I could outshine a partygoer socialite or even a famous actress;
A debutante; or Charlie Zant; a golfer who shoots par!
I could beat a debutante at her own ball or a skilled golfer like Charlie Zant!
Can't compare the female gender
It's not fair to compare women
With a spare or with a fender;
To a spare tire or a car's fender;
Rev it up and listen to it roar!
The sound of a revved-up engine is exciting;
While I watch the clock and walk the floor...
I'm stuck here, keeping track of time and pacing nervously.
He's not fooling me, he's with my rival.
I know he's really with my rival.
And I know right where they are.
I know exactly where they are.
He's carrying things too far!
This is getting out of hand.
My rival is a baby-blue racing car!
My rival is actually a car, a baby-blue racing car!
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Critter Girl
I love this song !!!
Elvis Presley Presley
yes, I like it a lot too
Tony A
Was in Vegas last week and made me want to show my wife this as she has never seen the movie. My favorite Elvis movie growing up in the 70s. That always how l want to remember him ! Lucky Jackson ! It's what my brothers and i have always said when we play the lottery !
K Caldwell
I love her outfit!!! She's so cute
Words of Cheresie
I've noticed that when women call an outfit "cute", 95% of the time it means that a lot of skin is showing and men would call it sexy.
Words of Cheresie
A skirt with a bare midriff is nearly always a sexy look.
Scarlett Jane
This song is too true!😂😂
Elvis Presley Presley
I agree with you
I like it too
C. McCoy
Jesus Christ that was one take! Can you imagine how many attempts it took to get all that choreography right while lip-syncing with herself?
Words of Cheresie
This movie was the inspiration for Speed Racer.