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.
The Good Life
Ann-Margret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems to be the ideal
Yes, the good life let's you hide
All the sadness you feel.
You won't really fall in love,
For you can't take the chance
So be honest with yourself,
It's the good life
To be free and explore the unknown,
Like the heartaches
When you learn you must face them alone.
Please remember, I still love you,
And in case you don't know,
Well, just wake up,
Kiss the good life "hel-lo".
The song "The Good Life" by Ann-Margret is a classic interpretation of the ups and downs of living the "good life". It begins by saying that the good life is full of fun and is perceived to be the perfect life. However, the good life is not perfect, as it allows an individual to hide all the sadness they feel inside. This implies that even people who are living the "good life" are not immune to feeling sad sometimes.
The lyrics go on to say that in living the good life, one should not expect to fall in love. This is because falling in love requires taking chances, and the good life is all about avoiding risks. The essence of this message is that if you try to fake romance, you will end up ruining the good life. It's better to remain honest with oneself and enjoy the freedom that comes with exploring the unknown while being aware that heartaches come with it too.
Towards the end of the song, Ann-Margret reminds the listener that she still loves them and advises them to wake up and embrace the good life. Overall, the song is a reminder that the good life comes with its own challenges, and we should strive to be honest with ourselves and embrace the good life wholeheartedly.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the good life, full of fun,
The ideal life is one that is carefree and enjoyable.
Seems to be the ideal
This image is often seen as the perfect way to live your life.
Yes, the good life let's you hide
Living this way permits you to keep your sadness hidden away.
All the sadness you feel.
You can keep your true emotions hidden while living the ideal life.
You won't really fall in love,
Being in love involves taking a risk that some people aren't willing to take.
For you can't take the chance
They are not willing to take the chance on love and get hurt.
So be honest with yourself,
Be truthful about what you can handle emotionally.
Don't try to fake romance.
Don't make an effort to appear in love if you aren't really.
It's the good life
The perfect way to live your life is the ideal situation.
To be free and explore the unknown,
Freedom to do and see all kinds of things is part of what makes the good life good.
Like the heartaches
You will encounter sorrow, but it's part of the journey.
When you learn you must face them alone.
You will discover through difficult times that you must face these struggles on your own.
Please remember, I still love you,
Don't forget that even though they won't take the risk to be in love, they still care deeply.
And in case you don't know,
If you aren't aware,
Well, just wake up,
Then it's time to snap out of it.
Kiss the good life "hel-lo".
Get back into the game and enjoy what the good life has to offer.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSHUA JACKSON, TONI NIELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind