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.
Paradise
Ann-Margret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then I understand. mm
Her eyes afire with one desire
Then a heavenly kiss
Could I resist?
And then she dims the light, mm
And then she holds me tight. mm
Her kiss, each fond caress
She takes me to paradise
And then he holds my hand, mm
And then I understand. mm
His eyes afire with one desire
Then a heavenly kiss
Could I resist?
And then he dims the light, mm
And then he holds me tight. mm
Her kiss, each fond caress
They lead the way to happiness
She takes me to paradise
The song "Paradise" by Ann-Margret speaks of the experience of falling in love, as described by both the male and female perspectives. The lyrics suggest that when two people share mutual attraction and understanding, they are able to reach a state of blissful happiness (sometimes referred to as "paradise"). The first verse describes a woman who takes the initiative to pursue the singer, taking his hand and looking at him with a clear desire. The second verse is told from the perspective of the male, who experiences the same feelings of attraction and desire. In both cases, the singer questions whether they could resist the temptation of their partner's kiss.
The chorus serves as a sort of repetition and affirmation of the verses, suggesting that the happy sense of fulfillment and joy each person feels when they hold hands, dim the light, and embrace, can take them to a sort of idyllic state. The song's lyrics rely on the theme of love and passion, offering a romanticized view of what it means to fall in love.
Line by Line Meaning
And then she holds my hand, mm
When she reaches out to hold my hand, I feel a sense of security and comfort.
And then I understand. mm
Through her touch, she conveys a feeling of closeness and empathy that I understand.
Her eyes afire with one desire
She glances at me with a burning passion, expressing her deep love and desire for me.
Then a heavenly kiss
Could I resist?
Her kiss is so tender and filled with ecstasy that I'm unable to resist her charm.
And then she dims the light, mm
She wants to create a romantic ambiance, so she dims the lights to make me more comfortable.
And then she holds me tight. mm
With all the love in her heart, she enwraps me in a tight embrace to convey the depth of her affection.
Her kiss, each fond caress
They lead the way to happiness
All of the sweet kisses and loving touches are leading us down a path towards a lifetime of happiness together.
She takes me to paradise
Her love is transformative, taking me on a journey to a euphoric state that I've never experienced before.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: Gregory J Abbott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind