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).
Let Me Entertain You
Annie Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make me see you smile
I will do some kicks
Oh!
I will do some tricks
Sing out, Louise!
I'll tell you a story...
Louise
I'll dance when she's done
Who said that?
Who's out there, George?
I don't know, I got all the mothers out of here!
Just like you told me!
Are you ready to smile?
You're behind, Louise
Get upon it!
Well, I'll try that through
Entertaining you
Who's that?
Sing out, Louise!
You'll love our lullaby
Get that mother out of here!
Lady...
The lyrics to Annie Ross's song Let Me Entertain You are an invitation to the audience to be entertained by the performer. The first two lines present the performer's willingness to do whatever it takes to see the audience smile, including doing kicks and tricks. The following lines seem to be a conversation between two people, likely the performer and a stagehand. There is an urgency in the demands being made by the performer to "Sing out, Louise!" and to "Get upon it!" There is also a hint of chaos as the stagehand tries to get the "mothers" out of there as previously instructed.
The last line of the lyrics, "Lady..." is cut off, leaving the audience to wonder what was about to be said. The lyrics overall create a sense of anticipation and excitement for the performance to come. The phrases "Sing out, Louise!" and "I'll tell you a story..." suggest that the performer will be using various forms of entertainment to captivate the audience.
Line by Line Meaning
Make me entertain you
I am willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy and entertained.
Make me see you smile
I am dedicated to bringing joy and happiness to your life through my performance.
I will do some kicks
I will put on a lively and energetic show for you.
Oh!
Expressing enthusiasm and eagerness to perform.
I will do some tricks
I am skilled and ready to showcase my abilities to entertain you.
Sing out, Louise!
Encouraging someone named Louise to sing and share her talent with the audience.
I'll tell you a story...Louise
I will engage the audience with a captivating story after Louise sings her heart out.
I'll dance when she's done
I will follow Louise's performance with a lively dance routine.
Who said that?
Asking who made a comment or statement in the audience.
Who's out there, George?
Asking George if he sees anyone in the audience making a disturbance.
I don't know, I got all the mothers out of here!
Informing George that all disruptive mothers have been removed from the audience.
Just like you told me!
Acknowledging George's instructions to remove any disruptive audience members.
Are you ready to smile?
Asking the audience if they are ready to be delighted and amused by the performance.
You're behind, Louise
Encouraging Louise to pick up the pace and continue her performance.
Get upon it!
Encouraging everyone to get excited and energized for the performance.
Well, I'll try that through, entertaining you
I will do everything in my power to provide a captivating and enjoyable performance for the audience.
Who's that?
Asking who made noise or entered the room during the performance.
Sing out, Louise!
Encouraging Louise to keep singing and sharing her talent with the audience.
You'll love our lullaby
Assuring the audience that the performance will be soothing and relaxing with a pleasant lullaby.
Get that mother out of here!
Demanding that any disruptive or distracting mothers be removed from the audience.
Lady...
Starting an address or comment to a woman, potentially a member of the audience.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JULE STYNE, STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind