McRae was born in Harlem, New York, on the 8th April 1920, and studied piano as a child. As a teenager she came to the attention of Teddy Wilson and his wife, the composer Irene Kitchings Wilson. Through their influence, one of McRae’s early songs, "Dream of Life", was recorded by Wilson’s longtime collaborator Billie Holiday.
By the late 1940s she was well known among the modern jazz musicians who gathered at Minton's Playhouse, Harlem’s most famous jazz club, where she was the intermission pianist. But it was while working in Brooklyn that she came to the attention of Decca’s Milt Gabler. Her five year association with Decca yielded twelve LPs.
The musicians she sang with include Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr, Dave Brubeck, and Louis Armstrong. She was married once (and briefly), to drummer Kenny Clarke.
McRae died on the 10th November 1994.
A Fine Romance
Carmen McRae Lyrics
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A fine romance, my friend this is
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won't nestle
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
I might as well play bridge
With my old maid aunt
This is a fine romance
A fine romance, my good fellow
You take romance, I'll take jello
You're calmer than the seals
In the arctic ocean
At least they flap their fins
To express emotion
A fine romance with no quarrels
With no insults and all morals
I've never mussed the crease
In your blue serge pants
I never get the chance
This is a fine romance
In the song "A Fine Romance", Carmen McRae is singing about a romantic relationship without any passion, excitement or enthusiasm. The first verse sets the tone by saying that the romance is "fine" but lacks the vital ingredient - kisses. McRae then tries to turn up the heat by comparing their relationship with "hot tomatoes", but her partner is "cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes". The second verse continues in the same vein, highlighting the lack of physical intimacy by saying that her partner won't "nestle" or "wrestle" with her. She compares her relationship to playing bridge with her old maid aunt, which suggests that it is dull and unremarkable. Both verses combine to create a sense of apathy and disappointment towards the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
A fine romance, with no kisses
A romance without any signs of affection
A fine romance, my friend this is
This is a high-quality romance, my friend
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
We should be passionate and intense like hot tomatoes
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
But you are very unemotional, like yesterday's cold mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won't nestle
You won't cuddle in this great romance
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
You won't engage in playful disagreement or debate in this great romance
I might as well play bridge
I might as well engage in a card game
With my old maid aunt
With my unmarried aunt
I haven't got a chance
I don't stand a chance in this romance
A fine romance, my good fellow
This is indeed a high-quality romance, my friend
You take romance, I'll take jello
You can take charge of romance while I indulge in something more tangible like jello
You're calmer than the seals
You are calmer than the seals in the Arctic Ocean
In the arctic ocean
A frozen water body in the north of the earth
At least they flap their fins
At least they show some expression of emotions by flapping their fins
To express emotion
To indicate their emotional state
A fine romance with no quarrels
A great romance without any arguments or conflicts
With no insults and all morals
Without any offensive remarks, but with all ethical considerations
I've never mussed the crease
I have never wrinkled the crease
In your blue serge pants
In your pants made of blue woven fabric
I never get the chance
I have never had the opportunity
This is a fine romance
All in all, this is a great romance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: JEROME KERN, DOROTHY FIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind