Annie Ross (born 1930) is a jazz singer and actress, best known as a member… Read Full Bio ↴Annie Ross (born 1930) is a jazz singer and actress, best known as a member of the trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.
Ross is one of the early practitioners of a singing style known as vocalese, which involves the setting of original lyrics to an instrumental jazz solo. Her 1952 treatment of saxophonist Wardell Gray's "Twisted" is a classic example of vocalese. "Twisted" is perhaps her most famous song.
She recorded seven albums with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross between 1957 and 1962. Annie left the group in 1962 and in 1964 opened her own nightclub in London. Annie's Room featured performances by such jazz luminaries as Joe Williams, Stuff Smith, Blossom Dearie, Anita O'Day, Jon Hendricks, and Erroll Garner as well as Annie herself.
Ross is also an accomplished actress and has appeared in a number of films: Superman III (1983), Throw Mama From The Train (1987), Pump Up the Volume (1990), Blue Sky (1994), Short Cuts (1993).

All I Need Is a Boy
Annie Ross Lyrics

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Got my new gown
Let my hair down
All I need now is the boy
Got my silk net
Got my heart set
Got my five yards of beaded crepe de chine on
Now all I need is the strong arm to lean on

If he'll just appear
We'll use this big town for a toy
And if he'll say
My darling I'm yours I'll throw away
My silk net yes and every bead
All I really need is the boy

Got my new gown
Let my hair down
All I need now is the boy
Got my silk net
Got my heart set
Got my five yards of beaded crepe de chine on
Now all I need is the strong arm to lean on

If he'll just appear
We'll use this big town for a toy
And if he'll say
My darling I'm yours
I'll throw away
My silk net yes and every bead
All I really need is the boy
I really need
I really need

I really need
I really really really really really really need the boy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Annie Ross's "All I Need Is a Boy" portray a yearning for companionship and love. The singer is described in a state of readiness to win the heart of a partner through the means of physical appearance: she has a new gown, lets her hair down, wears silk net, and beaded crepe de chine. Despite these material preparations, she recognizes that it is the boy that she truly needs, someone to lean on and give her love. She awaits his arrival to take on the town as a couple and throws away her material possessions if he promises to be by her side.

It is clear from the lyrics that the singer feels incomplete without the presence of a male partner. Her preparations for the date highlight the societal pressure on women to meet certain beauty requirements to be desirable. However, the most important thing for her is having someone to rely on and love. The lyrics paint a picture of a woman who has done everything society has told her to do to win a man's heart but is still waiting for love to come her way.

Line by Line Meaning

Got my new gown
I have a new dress

Let my hair down
I have let my hair loose

All I need now is the boy
I need a man in my life

Got my silk net
I have a net made of silk

Got my heart set
I have made up my mind

Got my five yards of beaded crepe de chine on
I am wearing a five-yard dress made of beaded fabric

Now all I need is the strong arm to lean on
I need a man who can support me

If he'll just appear
If he just shows up

We'll use this big town for a toy
We will have a great time in the city

And if he'll say
And if he tells me

My darling I'm yours
That he belongs to me