Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz vocalist with a vocal range spanning three octaves (D♭3 to D♭6). Often referred to as the “First Lady of Song” and the “Queen of Jazz,” she was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.
Fitzgerald was a notable interpreter of the Great American Songbook. Over the course of her 60-year recording career, she sold 40 million copies of her 70-plus albums, won 14 Grammy Awards and received during her career many other major awards and honors.
Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia, the daughter of William Fitzgerald and Temperance “Tempie” Fitzgerald. Her parents were unmarried, and they had separated within a year of her birth.
She made her singing debut at 17 on November 21, 1934, at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. She pulled in a weekly audience at the Apollo and won the opportunity to compete in one of the earliest of its famous “Amateur Nights”. She had originally intended to go on stage and dance, but, intimidated by the Edwards Sisters, a local dance duo, she opted to sing instead in the style of Connee Boswell. She sang Boswell’s “Judy” and “The Object of My Affection,” a song recorded by the Boswell Sisters, and won the first prize of US$25.00.
In January 1935, Fitzgerald won the chance to perform for a week with the Tiny Bradshaw band at the Harlem Opera House. She met drummer and band leader Chick Webb there. Webb had already hired singer Charlie Linton to work with the band and was, The New York Times later wrote, “reluctant to sign her…because she was gawky and unkempt, a diamond in the rough.” Webb offered her the opportunity to test with his band when they played a dance at Yale University. She began singing regularly with Webb’s Orchestra through 1935 at Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom. Fitzgerald recorded several hit songs with them, including “Love and Kisses” and “(If You Can’t Sing It) You’ll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)”. But it was her 1938 version of the nursery rhyme, “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”, a song she co-wrote, that brought her wide public acclaim.
Chick Webb died on June 16, 1939, and his band was renamed Ella and her Famous Orchestra with Ella taking on the role of nominal band leader. Fitzgerald recorded nearly 150 songs with the orchestra before it broke up in 1942, “the majority of them novelties and disposable pop fluff”. In 1942, Fitzgerald left the band to begin a solo career.
The Dipsy Doodle
Chick Webb & His Orchestra feat. Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics
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The Dipsy Doodle will get in your hair
And if it gets you, it couldn't be worse
The things you say will come out in reverse
Like "You love I and me love you"
That's the way the Dipsy Doodle works
The Dipsy Doodle's easy to find
You never know it until it's too late
And then you're in such a terrible state
Like "The moon jumped over the cow, hey diddle"
That's the way the Dipsy Doodle works
Whenever you think you're crazy
You're just a victim of the Dipsy Doodle
Ah, but it's not your mind that's hazy
It's your tongue that's at fault, not your noodle
You better listen and try to be good
And try to do all the things that you should
The Dipsy Doodle will get you some day
You'll think you're crazy, the things that you'll say
Like "Rhythm got I and hot am I"
That's the way the Dipsy Doodle works
If it gets you, you'll be singin' it
And we'll bet you, you'll be swingin' it
The Dipsy Doodle's the thing to beware
The Dipsy Doodle will get in your hair
And if it gets you, it couldn't be worse
Everything you say will come out in reverse
"You love I and me love you"
That is just the way the Dipsy Doodle works
Whenever you think you're crazy
You're the victim of the Dipsy Doodle
But it's not your mind that's hazy
It's your tongue that's at fault, not your noodle
You better listen and try to be good
And try to do all the things that you should
The Dipsy Doodle will get you some day
And you'll think you're crazy, the things you'll say
"Violets are red, roses are blue"
Roses, roses, roses, all around you
You'll never know it until too late
And then you're in such a terrible state
If you wanna do the Doodle, do the Dipsy Doodle
Doo, doo, doo, do the Dipsy Doodle
Doo, doo, doo, do the Dipsy Doodle
Doo, doo, doo, do the Dipsy Doodle
Do the Dipsy Doodle now
The Dipsy Doodle is a warning against the effects of drinking and getting intoxicated. Chick Webb delivers this cautionary tale in a playful and bouncy melody. The song describes the experience of a person who has taken one too many drinks and the unfortunate consequences that come with it. The chorus hints at the confusion and disorientation that one may feel when intoxicated, where even the simplest of sentences are misconstructed, and words come out in reverse. The song reflects on how the human body and tongue behave when drunk, and how one's ability to communicate coherently is compromised. The song offers some advice on how to avoid this situation by encouraging listeners to behave responsibly, and warning them that they too may fall victim to the Dipsy Doodle if they do not.
Line by Line Meaning
The Dipsy Doodle's the thing to beware
You must be careful of the Dipsy Doodle
The Dipsy Doodle will get in your hair
It will bother and confuse you
And if it gets you, it couldn't be worse
If it confuses you, it will be terrible
The things you say will come out in reverse
You will say things backwards
Like "You love I and me love you"
You might say "Me love you and you love me" instead
That's the way the Dipsy Doodle works
That's how the Dipsy Doodle affects you
The Dipsy Doodle's easy to find
You can't always tell when it's affecting you
You know it's always in back of your mind
It's always lurking in your thoughts
You never know it until it's too late
You won't know until you've said something strange out loud
And then you're in such a terrible state
You'll feel embarrassed and confused
Like "The moon jumped over the cow, hey diddle"
You might say something odd like that
Whenever you think you're crazy
Whenever you feel confused
You're just a victim of the Dipsy Doodle
The Dipsy Doodle is causing your confusion
Ah, but it's not your mind that's hazy
You're not actually crazy
It's your tongue that's at fault, not your noodle
It's just the way you're speaking that's the problem
You better listen and try to be good
Pay attention and try to speak correctly
And try to do all the things that you should
Act in a reasonable and responsible manner
The Dipsy Doodle will get you some day
You will be affected by the Dipsy Doodle eventually
You'll think you're crazy, the things that you'll say
You'll say strange things and think you're losing your mind
Like "Rhythm got I and hot am I"
You might say something like "I'm hot and I've got rhythm"
If it gets you, you'll be singin' it
You'll keep saying the strange things without realizing it
And we'll bet you, you'll be swingin' it
You'll find yourself moving to the Dipsy Doodle rhythm
That is just the way the Dipsy Doodle works
That's how the Dipsy Doodle affects you
If you wanna do the Doodle, do the Dipsy Doodle
If you want to experience the Dipsy Doodle, go ahead and try it
Doo, doo, doo, do the Dipsy Doodle
Enjoy the rhythm of the Dipsy Doodle
Do the Dipsy Doodle now
Start dancing to the Dipsy Doodle right away
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Larry Clinton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind