Fever
Ann O'Day Lyrics
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Never know how much I care
When you put your arms around me
I get a fever that's so hard to bear
You give me fever when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning
Fever all through the night.
That is something you all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever started long ago
Sun lights up the daytime
Moon lights up the night
I light up when you call my name
And you know I'm gonna treat you right
You give me fever when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning
Fever all through the night
Romeo loved Juliet
Juliet she felt the same
When he put his arms around her
He said 'Julie, baby, you're my flame
Thou giv-est fever when we kisseth
Fever with the flaming youth
Fever I'm afire
Fever yea I burn for sooth'
Captain Smith and Pocahantas
Had a very mad affair
When her daddy tried to kill him
She said 'Daddy, o, don't you dare
He gives me fever with his kisses
Fever when he holds me tight
Fever, I'm his misses,
Oh daddy, won't you treat him right'
Now you've listened to my story
Here's the point that I have made
Cats were born to give chicks fever
Be it Fahrenheit or centigrade
They give you fever when you kiss them
Fever if you live and learn
Fever till you sizzle
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
The lyrics to Ann O'Day's song Fever are speaking to the intensity of the love shared between two people. The singer admits to being uncertain of the depth of their love before experiencing the rush of emotions that come when that person is near. The line “never know how much I love you, never know how much I care” could be interpreted as a confession of having previously been oblivious to the strong feelings that are now present. But when the lover is present, the singer’s emotions are so overwhelming that they are described as a fever that is hard to bear. This description paints a picture of a love that is passionate and all-consuming.
The second verse explores the idea that the experience of feverish love is not unique to the singer. “Everybody’s got the fever” implies that this type of love is not uncommon, and that it has existed for a long time. The next lines describe the cyclical nature of day and night, and how the singer’s love is the thing that lights them up. The chorus then repeats, emphasizing the idea that this feverish love never fades.
The following verses tell stories of historical figures who also experienced this feverish love, such as Romeo and Juliet and Captain Smith and Pocahontas. These stories reinforce the idea that this type of love is timeless and that it has existed throughout history. Ultimately, the song suggests that the natural order of things is that women receive fever from men, regardless of temperature unit. The song’s final words are "What a lovely way to burn", which can be interpreted as an acknowledgement that this passion, while intense and sometimes overwhelming, is a beautiful thing to be savored.
Line by Line Meaning
Never know how much I love you
I've never measured the depth of my love for you
Never know how much I care
I've never calculated the amount of care I have for you
When you put your arms around me
Whenever you embrace me
I get a fever that's so hard to bear
I feel a strong, consuming passion that is difficult to control
You give me fever when you kiss me
Your kisses make me feel passionately consumed
Fever when you hold me tight
I feel a consuming passion when you hold me close
Fever in the morning
I feel passionate and consumed even in the morning
Fever all through the night.
I feel passionate and consumed all night long
Ev'rybody's got the fever
Everyone is familiar with feelings of passion
That is something you all know
Everyone is aware of passion
Fever isn't such a new thing
Passion is not a new concept
Fever started long ago
The experience of passionate love has been around for a long time
Sun lights up the daytime
The sun brightens the day
Moon lights up the night
The moon illuminates the night
I light up when you call my name
I feel excited and passionate when you call out to me
And you know I'm gonna treat you right
You can be sure that I will treat you well
Romeo loved Juliet
Romeo had feelings of love for Juliet
Juliet she felt the same
Juliet reciprocated Romeo's love
When he put his arms around her
When he embraced her
He said 'Julie, baby, you're my flame
He called her his passion, his fire
Thou giv-est fever when we kisseth
Our kisses give us a feeling of passionate heat
Fever with the flaming youth
Our youthful passion burns brightly
Fever I'm afire
I am burning with passion
Fever yea I burn for sooth'
I burn with intense passion
Captain Smith and Pocahantas
Captain Smith and Pocahontas, two historical figures
Had a very mad affair
They shared a tumultuous romance
When her daddy tried to kill him
When Pocahontas' father attempted to harm Captain Smith
She said 'Daddy, o, don't you dare
She implored her father not to carry out any harmful action
He gives me fever with his kisses
His kisses create intense passion within Pocahontas
Fever when he holds me tight
She is consumed with passion when held tightly by the captain
Fever, I'm his misses,
She is his lover
Oh daddy, won't you treat him right'
Pocahontas urges her father to treat Captain Smith kindly
Now you've listened to my story
You have heard my narrative
Here's the point that I have made
The point of the story I have conveyed
Cats were born to give chicks fever
Cats are born to make women feel passionate and consumed
Be it Fahrenheit or centigrade
Whether it is Fahrenheit or centigrade (a temperature scale)
They give you fever when you kiss them
They make you feel passionate when you kiss them
Fever if you live and learn
You will feel passion as you go through life and gain experience
Fever till you sizzle
You will feel a passion so great that it feels like it is boiling over
What a lovely way to burn
This consuming passion is beautiful, even if it is intense and can be hard to handle
What a lovely way to burn
What a beautiful way to experience intense passion
Contributed by Dylan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.