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.
Overture
Ann-Margret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chained, chained and enraged
How did this place, become our place?
How did this place, become the price I paid?
I did not want this, I did not ask for this
I built this, I can't escape this
How did I get here?
How did this come to be?
How did this come to be?
You wanna know, how we got here, to have this stain upon our nation?
I have ideas, and a theory, you may toss
There was a state, a ballot cast, less an election than a ballgame
Played out between a lady and a boss
One woman's life, one nation's loss
Let me set the stage here
Picture lots of oil drills
Cattle, cowboys and shit-kickers
And the rest of us, waiting for...
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
How did this come to be?
You didn't pick me
Well, first you picked me, In 1990
I was Governor of Texas, and I was thinking about DC
In 1994, you picked Bush 43
And that set us on the road, of how this came to be
You didn't pick me (You Picked Me)
You didn't pick me (Texas Picked Me)
You picked Bush 43 (That's Me)
That's how this came to be?
Ready? OK!
2 4 6 Beers! Why are there no baseball cheers?
Governor after me, should have let him be, instead of 43, the boss of baseball
Built a stadium, gave it to him, all paid for by the vassals
Instant ratings boost, We knew the truth, Texas bluebloods had bought a castle
The balls of those assholes
When I was a girl we could dribble three times, couldn't even cross the half court line
Maggies hadn't sued to play in the band, boys with balls was the law of the land
When I was a girl we could dribble three times, couldn't even cross the half court line
Maggies hadn't sued to play in the band, boys with balls was the law of the land
Balls of those assholes
Balls of those assholes
Balls of those assholes
Balls of those assholes
The first two lines of the song immediately set a tone of confinement and anger. The use of the word "chained" twice not only emphasizes the physical imprisonment but also the emotional rage felt towards the situation. The following lines question the circumstances that led to this imprisonment, suggesting that the singer did not willingly end up in this place but rather feels trapped. The repetition of "how did this come to be?" emphasizes the confusion surrounding the situation that led to this confinement.
The next set of lyrics introduces the idea that this imprisonment is a result of a political game played out by two powerful figures. The use of the words "less an election than a ballgame" suggests that the election process was not based on merit but rather on manipulative tactics. The lines "one woman's life, one nation's loss" suggest that the consequences of this game were not only personal but also affected the country as a whole.
The final set of lyrics shifts the focus to a seemingly unrelated topic - sports. It is unclear how this connects to the rest of the song, but the repeated use of the phrase "balls of those assholes" suggests that it is somehow related to the political corruption and manipulation described earlier. This confusion and lack of clarity add to the sense of confinement and frustration present in the earlier lines.
Line by Line Meaning
Chained, chained to the cage
Trapped and helpless in this unfortunate situation
Chained, chained and enraged
Feeling intense anger due to being trapped and helpless
How did this place, become our place?
How did we end up in this situation/ place
How did this place, become the price I paid?
Why am I the one suffering the consequences of this situation
I did not want this, I did not ask for this
This is not something I desired or chose
I built this, I can't escape this
I am responsible for creating this situation, but I cannot find a way out
Fuckin' Gitmo
A reference to the controversial U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay
How did I get here?
How did I end up in this situation
How did this come to be?
What caused this situation to arise
You wanna know, how we got here, to have this stain upon our nation?
Do you want to know how we arrived at a point where our nation has a negative reputation due to this situation
I have ideas, and a theory, you may toss
I have some thoughts on the matter, but you may not agree with them
One woman's life, one nation's loss
The negative consequences of this situation have affected both me as an individual and the nation as a whole
Let me set the stage here
Allow me to provide some context
Picture lots of oil drills
A reference to the oil industry, which plays a significant role in Texas politics
Cattle, cowboys and shit-kickers
A reference to the Western/cowboy culture of Texas
And the rest of us, waiting for...
The non-cowboy population of Texas waiting for some representation
Well, first you picked me, In 1990
George H.W. Bush was elected President in 1990, with Texas being his home state
In 1994, you picked Bush 43
George W. Bush, the son of George H.W. Bush, was elected Governor of Texas in 1994
And that set us on the road, of how this came to be
The election of Bush 43 was a key factor in shaping the situation
2 4 6 Beers! Why are there no baseball cheers?
A reference to the 2001 World Series, which was a significant event during the Bush presidency
Governor after me, should have let him be, instead of 43, the boss of baseball
Ann-Margret believes that Bush 43 was not fit for presidency due to his previous position as owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team
Built a stadium, gave it to him, all paid for by the vassals
The Texas Rangers received a new stadium during Bush 43's tenure as owner, funded by taxpayers
Instant ratings boost, We knew the truth, Texas bluebloods had bought a castle
The new stadium brought popularity, but it was known that wealthy Texans had funded it for their own interests
When I was a girl we could dribble three times, couldn't even cross the half court line. Maggies hadn't sued to play in the band, boys with balls was the law of the land
Ann-Margret describes how there was less equality when she was younger, with certain activities being gender-specific and male-dominated
Balls of those assholes
A profane expression of frustration and anger towards those responsible for the situation.
Balls of those assholes
A profane expression of frustration and anger towards those responsible for the situation.
Balls of those assholes
A profane expression of frustration and anger towards those responsible for the situation.
Balls of those assholes
A profane expression of frustration and anger towards those responsible for the situation.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Alli Villines, Hyman Goldstein, Jeffrey Villines, Megan Weaver, Sam Cannariato, William Suddreath
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind