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Constance Foore "Connee" Boswe… Read Full Bio ↴From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 - October 11, 1976) was an American female vocalist born in Kansas City, Missouri but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With her sisters, Martha and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell, she performed in the 1930s as The Boswell Sisters and became a highly influential singing group during this period via recordings and radio. Connee herself is widely considered one of the greatest jazz female vocalists and was a major influence on Ella Fitzgerald who said, "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with it....I tried so hard to sound just like her."[1]
In 1936, Connee's sisters retired and Connee continued on as a solo artist (having also recorded solos during her years with the group).
The Boswells came to be well known locally while still in their early teens, making appearances in New Orleans theaters and radio. They made their first recordings for Victor Records in 1925, which included "Cryin' Blues" where Connee is featured singing in the style of her early influence, the African American singer Mamie Smith. The Boswell Sisters became stage professionals that year when they were tapped to fill in for an act at New Orleans' Orpheum Theatre. They received an invitation to come to Chicago and perform in 1928 and honed their act on the Western Vaudeville Circuit. When their tour ended they traveled to San Francisco. The hotel that had been recommended had a less than savory reputation, and the man at the desk suggested that these three young ladies might be better off in another hotel. That man, Harry Leedy, would later become their manager on a handshake and become a permanent part of Connee's life.
The Boswell Sisters travelled to Los Angeles where they performed on local radio and "side-miked" for the soundies, including the 1930 production "Under Montana Skies." did not attain national attention, however, until they moved to New York City in 1930 and started making national radio broadcasts. After a few recordings with Okeh Records, they made numerous recordings for Brunswick Records from 1931-1935. In 1935, the sisters had a #1 hit with "The Object of My Affection", the biggest of twenty top 20 records they would enjoy.
In 1936, the group signed to Decca Records and after just three releases called it quits (the last recording was February 12, 1936). Connee Boswell continued to have a successful solo career as a singer for Decca.
All through her career with The Boswell Sisters, and well into the 1940s, her name was spelt "Connie". She later changed the spelling to Connee, reputedly because it made it easier to sign autographs.
Connee Boswell was also an arranger (the legendary Boswell Sisters harmony arrangements are hers) and a composer.
Connee sang from a wheelchair - or seated position - during her entire career, due to either a childhood bout with polio or a childhood accident (sources differ). The general public was not aware of her condition although Boswell herself did not keep this secret. During World War II, she tried to get involved with the U.S.O. tours but was not given permission to travel overseas. The "powers that be" apparently thought it might not be a morale-booster to have a "cripple" perform for the troops.
Connee Boswell was a favorite duet partner of Bing Crosby and they frequently sang together on radio as well as recording several hit records as a duo in the 1930s and 1940's. Boswell, Crosby, and Eddie Cantor recorded a version of Alexander's Ragtime Band that was a #1 hit in 1938.In 1939, Crosby and Boswell had three hit duet records that each climbed into the top 12 on Billboard; "An Apple For The Teacher" climbed all the way to #2.
Connee Boswell also had several dozen solo hits, including "Moonlight Moon" in 1942. Boswell's career slackened in the 1950s but she still recorded occasionally and would be featured on a number of television broadcasts including a regular stint on the 1959 series "Pete Kelly's Blues".
Connee Boswell died at age 68 in 1976. A number of her recordings are now available on CD, both as a soloist and part of the Boswell Sisters.

Little Man You've Had a Busy Day
Connee Boswell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Evenin' breezes sighin', moon is in the sky
Little man, it's time for bed
Daddy's little hero is tired and wants to cry
Now, come along and rest your weary head

Little man, you're cryin', I know why you're blue
Someone took your kiddy-car away
You better go to sleep now

Little man, you've had a busy day

Johnny won your marbles, tell you what we'll do
Dad'll get you new ones right away
Better go to sleep now
Little man, you've had a busy day

You've been playin' soldier, the battle has been won
The enemy is out of sight
Come along there soldier, put away your gun
The war is over for tonight

Time to stop your schemin', time your day was through
Can't you hear the bugle softly say

Time you should be dreamin'
Little man, you've had a busy day

Overall Meaning

The song "Little Man You" by Connee Boswell is a comforting lullaby that speaks to the struggles and joys of childhood. The song starts with the setting of the evening and the moon in the sky, creating a peaceful and calm atmosphere. The lyrics refer to the little man, who is the child of the singer, and how he is tired and wants to cry. The child's father is referred to as the "daddy's little hero."

The lyrics go on to explain that the child is crying because someone took his kiddy-car away, but the father promises to get him a new one right away. The song has a nostalgic feeling as it represents the time when something as simple as a kiddy-car could make a child cry so much. The lyrics also refer to the child's day as "busy," which is relatable because every little task or activity can seem like a big deal to a child.

Line by Line Meaning

Evenin' breezes sighin', moon is in the sky
The sun has set, the wind is blowing gently, and the moon is visible

Little man, it's time for bed
It's time for the little boy to go to sleep

Daddy's little hero is tired and wants to cry
The father's young son is exhausted from exertion and may be upset

Now, come along and rest your weary head
Come to bed and lay your tired head down to rest

Little man, you're cryin', I know why you're blue
The little boy is upset and crying, and the singer understands why

Someone took your kiddy-car away
Someone has taken the boy's toy car away from him

You better go to sleep now
It's advisable that the boy goes to sleep now

Little man, you've had a busy day
The boy has had an eventful day and is likely tired

Johnny won your marbles, tell you what we'll do
Johnny has won the boy's marbles, and the father has a plan to replace them

Dad'll get you new ones right away
The father will get new marbles for the boy immediately

Better go to sleep now
It's recommended that the boy goes to sleep now

Little man, you've had a busy day
The boy has had a full day of activity

You've been playin' soldier, the battle has been won
The boy has been playing at being a soldier and has emerged triumphant

The enemy is out of sight
The pretend enemy is no longer visible or involved in the game

Come along there soldier, put away your gun
It's time for the boy to stop playing soldier and put his toy gun away

The war is over for tonight
The pretend war is finished for the evening

Time to stop your schemin', time your day was through
It's time for the boy to stop planning and dreaming and accept that the day is over

Can't you hear the bugle softly say
Imaginary bugle music is playing, signaling the end of the pretend war

Time you should be dreamin'
It's bedtime and the boy should be asleep and dreaming

Little man, you've had a busy day
The boy has had a full and active day

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MABEL WAYNE, MAURICE SIGLER, AL HOFFMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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