Born Denise Eileen Garrett in Memphis, Tennessee, she grew up in Flint, Michigan. Her father, Matthew Garrett, was a jazz trumpeter and teacher at Manassas High School, and through his playing, Denise was exposed to jazz early on. At the age of sixteen, she was a member of a rock and rhythm'n'blues trio, singing in clubs in Michigan. At 18, she studied at Michigan State University before she went to the University of Illinois. With their jazz band, she toured the Soviet Union in 1969. The next year, she met trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, and after their marriage, they moved to New York City, where Cecil played in Horace Silver's band.
In 1971, Dee Dee Bridgewater joined the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra as the lead vocalist. The next years marked the beginning of her jazz career, and she performed with many of the great jazz musicians of the time, such as Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Max Roach, and others. In 1974, her first own album, entitled Afro Blue, appeared, and she also performed on Broadway in the musical The Wiz. For her role as Glinda the Good Witch she won a Tony Award in 1975 as "best-featured actress", and the musical also won the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
She subsequently appeared in several other stage productions. After touring France in 1984 with the musical Sophisticated Ladies, she moved to Paris in 1986. The same year saw her in Lady Day as Billie Holliday, for which role she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she returned from the world of musical to jazz. She performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1990, and four years later, she finally collaborated with Horace Silver, whom she had admired for a long time, and released the album Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver. Her 1997 tribute album Dear Ella won her the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, and the 1998 album Live at Yoshi's was also worth a Grammy nomination. She has also explored on This is New the songs of Kurt Weill, and, on her latest album J'ai Deux Amours, the French Classics.
Dee Dee Bridgewater is the first American to be inducted to the Haut Conseil de la Francophonie. She has received the Award of Arts and Letters in France.
Dee Dee Bridgewater is mother to three children, Tulani Bridgewater (from her marriage to Cecil Bridgewater), China Moses (from her marriage to theater, film and television director Gilbert Moses) and Gabriel Durand (from her current marriage to French concert promoter Jean-Marie Durand).
HOUND DOG
Dee Dee Bridgewater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
You told me you was high class
But I could see through that
But I could see through that
And daddy I know
You ain't no real cool cat
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You're just an old hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
You made me feel so blue
You made me weep and moan
You made me feel so blue
Well you made me weep and moan
'Cause you ain't looking for a woman
All you're lookin' for is a home
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
Dee Dee Bridgewater's version of "Hound Dog" is a jazzy interpretation of the original rock and roll classic by Big Mama Thornton. The lyrics speak to a woman who has been disappointed by a man who she thought was high class, but ended up just being a "hound dog" who was looking for a home. The song is a powerful statement on the difference between appearances and reality, and how easily people can be deceived by those who do not have their best interests in mind.
Bridgewater's smooth vocals add a layer of sophistication to the song, highlighting the pain and frustration that the singer is feeling. The lyrics' repeated refrain of "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" emphasizes the betrayal and disappointment felt by the singer as she realizes that the man she trusted is not who he claimed to be. The line "been snoopin' 'round my door" suggests that the man has been intruding on the singer's personal space and has worn out his welcome.
Overall, "Hound Dog" is a timeless piece of music that speaks to the human experience of being taken advantage of by those who we believed in. Dee Dee Bridgewater's rendition of the song adds a layer of sophistication and depth to the lyrics, making it a standout piece in her discography.
Line by Line Meaning
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
You are not a respectable person and behave like a dog.
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You have been wandering around my surroundings without my permission.
You're just an old hound dog
You are an outdated person who engages in unproductive activities.
You can wag your tail
You can try to be friendly and pleasing.
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
But I am not going to give you what you want anymore.
You made me feel so blue
Your actions have caused me to feel upset and sad.
Well you made me weep and moan
Your behavior has caused me to cry and complain.
'Cause you ain't looking for a woman
Because you are not interested in having a relationship with a woman who is your equal.
All you're lookin' for is a home
All you want is a place to live without any emotional attachment.
Writer(s): Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.