Day's film career began during the latter part of the Classical Hollywood Film era with the 1948 film Romance on the High Seas, and its success sparked her twenty-year career as a motion picture actress. She starred in a series of successful films, including musicals, comedies, and dramas. She played the title role in Calamity Jane (1953), and starred in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) with James Stewart. Her most successful films were the bedroom comedies she made co-starring Rock Hudson and James Garner, such as Pillow Talk (1959) and Move Over, Darling (1963), respectively. She also co-starred in films with such leading men as Clark Gable, Cary Grant, David Niven, and Rod Taylor. After her final film in 1968, she went on to star in the CBS sitcom The Doris Day Show (1968–1973).
Day was usually one of the top ten singers between 1951 and 1966. As an actress, she became the biggest female film star in the early 1960s, and ranked sixth among the box office performers by 2012. In 2011, she released her 29th studio album, My Heart, which became a UK Top 10 album featuring new material. Among her awards, Day has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Legend Award from the Society of Singers. In 1960, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and in 1989 was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures. In 2004, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush followed in 2011 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's Career Achievement Award. She was one of the last surviving stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Her death was announced by her charity, the Doris Day Animal Foundation, on Monday 13th May 2019.
Discography
chart hits
Year Title Chart Positions
US CB UK
1945 "Sentimental Journey" (w/ Les Brown) 1 — —
"My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" (w/ Les Brown) 1 — —
"'Tain't Me" (w/ Les Brown) 10 — —
"Till the End of Time" (w/ Les Brown) 3 — —
"Aren't You Glad You're You?" (w/ Les Brown) 11 — —
"Come to Baby Do" (w/ Les Brown) / 13 — —
1946 "You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)" (w/ Les Brown) 4 — —
"Day by Day" (w/ Les Brown) 15 — —
"I Got the Sun in the Mornin' (and the Moon at Night)" (w/ Les Brown) 10 — —
"The Whole World Is Singing My Song" (w/ Les Brown) 6 — —
1947 "The Christmas Song" (w/ Les Brown) 12 — —
"Sooner or Later" (w/ Les Brown) 13 — —
"Papa, Won't You Dance With Me" 21 — —
1948 "Thoughtless" (w/ Modernaires) 24 — —
"Love Somebody" (w/ Buddy Clark) / 1 — —
"Confess" (w/ Buddy Clark) 16 — —
"Put 'em in a Box, Tie 'em with a Ribbon, and Throw 'em in the Deep Blue Sea" / 27 — —
"It's Magic" 2 — —
"My Darling, My Darling" (w/ Buddy Clark) 7 — —
1949 "Powder Your Face with Sunshine" (w/ Buddy Clark) 16 — —
"Again" 2 — —
"Everywhere You Go" 22 — —
"Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk" (w/ Frank Sinatra) 17 — —
"Now That I Need You" 20 — —
"Canadian Capers" 15 — —
"Bluebird on Your Windowsill" 19 — —
1950 "Quicksilver" 20 — —
"I Said My Pajamas (and Put on My Prayers)" 21 — —
"Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think)" 24 — —
"Hoop-Dee-Doo" 17 — —
"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" 9 — —
"I Didn't Slip, I Wasn't Pushed, I Fell" 19 — —
"A Bushel and a Peck" 16 — —
1951 "It's a Lovely Day Today" 30 — —
"Would I Love You (Love You, Love You)" 10 — —
"Shanghai" 7 — —
"Domino" 21 — —
1952 "A Guy Is a Guy" 1 — —
"Sugarbush" (w/ Frankie Laine) 7 12 8
"When I Fall in Love" 20 — —
"No Two People" (w/ Donald O'Connor) 25 — —
"My Love and Devotion" — 31 10
"The Cherries" — 39 —
"A Full Time Job" (w/ Johnnie Ray) / 20 21 11
"Ma Says, Pa Says" (w/ Johnnie Ray) 23 28 12
1953 "Mister Tap Toe" 10 11 —
"When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)" 29 — —
"Candy Lips" (w/ Johnnie Ray) / 17 18 —
"Let's Walk That-a-Way" (w/ Johnnie Ray) — 31 4
"Kiss Me Again, Stranger" / 30 — —
"A Purple Cow" 25 — —
"Choo Choo Train (Ch-Ch-Foo) 20 — —
1954 "Secret Love" 1 1 1
"The Black Hills of Dakota" — — 7
"Lost in Loveliness" — 25 —
"I Speak to the Stars" 16 17 —
"Someone Else's Roses" — 32 —
"If I Give My Heart to You" / 3 2 4
"Anyone Can Fall in Love" 27 41 —
"Ready, Willing, and Able" / — 31 7
"Hold Me in Your Arms" — 39 —
1955 "Foolishly Yours" — 25 —
"Love Me Or Leave Me" — — 20
"I'll Never Stop Loving You" 13 14 17
"Ooh Bang Jiggily Jang" 83 — —
1956 "Let It Ring" 51 — —
"Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" 2 3 1
"Julie" / 64 40 —
"Love in a Home" 79 — —
"The Party's Over" 63 47 —
1957 "Twelve O'Clock Tonight" 68 — —
1958 "Teacher's Pet" 56 36 —
"A Very Precious Love" — — 16
"Everybody Loves a Lover" 6 6 25
"Tunnel of Love" 43 53 —
1959 "Love Me in the Daytime" 100 51 —
1960 "Any Way the Wind Blows" 50 109 —
"Please Don't Eat the Daisies" 102 102 —
"A Perfect Understanding" 111 — —
1962 "Lover Come Back" 98 — —
1964 "Move Over Darling" — — 8
"Send Me No Flowers" 135 — —
1967 "Sorry" * — — —
* "Sorry" made the US AC charts at #19.
Albums
10" LP
You're My Thrill (1949)
Young Man with a Horn (1950, soundtrack with Harry James)
Tea for Two (1950, soundtrack)
Lullaby of Broadway (1951, soundtrack)
On Moonlight Bay (1951, soundtrack)
I'll See You in My Dreams (1951, soundtrack)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953, soundtrack)
Calamity Jane (1953, soundtrack)
Young at Heart (1954, soundtrack with Frank Sinatra)
12" LPs
Love Me or Leave Me (1955, soundtrack)
Day Dreams (1955, expanded re-issue of You're My Thrill)
Day By Day (1956)
The Pajama Game (1957, soundtrack)
Day by Night (1957)
Hooray for Hollywood (2 volumes, 1958)
Cuttin' Capers (1959)
What Every Girl Should Know (1960)
Show Time (1960)
Listen to Day (1960)
Bright and Shiny (1961)
I Have Dreamed (1961)
Duet (with André Previn, 1962)
You'll Never Walk Alone (1962)
Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962, soundtrack with film cast)
Annie Get Your Gun (1963, with Robert Goulet)
Love Him (1963)
The Doris Day Christmas Album (1964)
With a Smile and a Song (1964)
Latin for Lovers (1965)
Doris Day's Sentimental Journey (1965)
The Love Album (recorded in 1967, released in 1994)
My Heart (2011)
Singles
Hit records:
(with Les Brown's Band of Renown)
"Sentimental Journey"
5,000,000+ sales
"My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time"
1,000,000+ sales
(As a solo performer)
"It's Magic"
1,000,000+ sales
"Again"
"Love Somebody" (duet with Buddy Clark)
1,000,000+ sales
"Confess" (duet with Buddy Clark) (also done by Patti Page)
"Bewitched"
1,000,000+ sales
"Shanghai"
"Sugarbush" (duet with Frankie Laine)
1,000,000+ sales
"Mister Tap Toe"
"Secret Love"
1,000,000+ sales
"If I Give My Heart to You" (also done by Denise Lor)
"I'll Never Stop Loving You"
1,000,000+ sales
"Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" ("Que Sera, Sera")
1,000,000+ sales
"Everybody Loves a Lover"
"Move Over Darling"
A Guy Is Guy
Doris Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He followed me down the street like I knew he would
Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
So listen and I'll tell you what this fella did to me
I walked to my house like a good girl should
He followed me to my house like I knew he would
Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
I never saw the boy before
So nothin' could be sillier
At closer range his face was strange
But his manner was familiar
So I walked up the stairs like a good girl should
He followed me up the stairs like I knew he would
Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
So listen and I'll tell you what this fella did to me
I stepped to my door like a good girl should
He stopped at my door like I knew he would
Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
So listen while I tell you what this fella did to me
He asked me for a good night kiss
I said, it's still good day
I would have told him more except
His lips got in the way
So I talked to my ma like a good girl should
And Ma talked to Pa like I knew she would
And they all agreed on a married life for me
The guy is my guy wherever he may be
So I walked down the aisle like a good girl should
He followed me down the aisle like I knew he would
Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
And now you've heard the story of what someone did to me
And that's what he did to me
The lyrics to Doris Day's "Guy Is A Guy" tell the story of a young woman who is followed by a man she doesn't know. She walks down the street, and the man follows her. She walks to her house, and the man follows her there too. Despite his strange appearance, she continues to walk up the stairs, where the man makes a move on her by asking for a goodnight kiss. She rejects him, but they end up getting married later on.
On the surface, the song may seem to perpetuate the idea that men are always pursuing women, and that women should be passive and compliant with this behavior. However, a closer examination of the lyrics reveals that the woman in the song is not just a passive object of desire. She purposefully walks down the street and up the stairs, knowing that the man is following her. She rejects his advances, but still ends up marrying him because her parents agreed.
The lyrics also highlight the idea that appearances can be deceiving. The woman initially thinks the man is familiar, but upon closer inspection realizes that he is a stranger. Nevertheless, she still considers his advances.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked down the street like a good girl should
I was walking down the street in a respectable manner.
He followed me down the street like I knew he would
He crept up behind me and started following me.
Because a guy is a guy wherever he may be
Men are the same no matter where you go.
So listen and I'll tell you what this fella did to me
I have a story to tell about what this guy did to me.
I never saw the boy before
I had never met this guy before.
So nothin' could be sillier
It seemed silly that he was following me when we had never met before.
At closer range his face was strange
When I got closer to him, I realized that I did not recognize his face.
But his manner was familiar
Despite not recognizing his face, there was something familiar about his general behavior.
So I walked up the stairs like a good girl should
I walked up the stairs to my house in a proper ladylike manner.
He followed me up the stairs like I knew he would
He continued to follow me as I went up to my house.
I stepped to my door like a good girl should
I stood at my door in a civilized and polite manner.
He stopped at my door like I knew he would
He came to a stop at my door, as if waiting for something.
He asked me for a good night kiss
He requested a kiss goodnight from me.
I said, it's still good day
I declined his kiss, stating that it was still daytime and not appropriate to kiss goodnight.
I would have told him more except
I had more to say to him, but there was a problem.
His lips got in the way
He did not give me a chance to say anything else, as he aggressively tried to kiss me anyways.
So I talked to my ma like a good girl should
I went to speak to my mother, as a proper young lady would.
And Ma talked to Pa like I knew she would
My mother told my father about the situation, as expected.
And they all agreed on a married life for me
After discussion, it was decided that I would marry this man.
The guy is my guy wherever he may be
I came to see him as being the man I would marry, no matter where we were or what we were doing.
So I walked down the aisle like a good girl should
I walked down the aisle for my wedding ceremony in a dignified and respectful manner.
He followed me down the aisle like I knew he would
He walked down the aisle behind me as expected, ready to become my husband.
And now you've heard the story of what someone did to me
That is what happened to me, the story of what someone did to me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cliffhammond474
@@forest_green I don't know where you were then, but certainly not where I was.
It was commonplace to go downtown AT NIGHT and alone and not feel in danger. The parks were full of kids playing and families enjoying themselves. The drive home in the "rush hour" on regular streets at 30 MPH was a little longer _ there might be 7 or 8 cars at each traffic light. People actually drove at or under the speed limit! And most unbelievable - were courteous!
School kids were clean and courteous, neatly dressed and clean, walked, rode bikes or took a city bus or streetcar to school and never felt in danger.
And never heard of a drive by shooting.
Movies were under 25 cents for kids, and parents did not fear what they were seeing.
Streets were clean, maintained and mowed.
83 year old city boy
@indraniganguli8073
Difficult to hear this song now. It sent shivers down my spine at the most inappropriate behaviour of the man. And the breezy " a guy is a guy" excuse.
@maestroCanuck
LOL
@alanbishop9737
One assumes you'd have constant tremors when listening to much of the current lyrical offerings !.
@wilc4036
You're joking right? Look up the lyrics to any Sexxy Red song lol
@wednesdaya.5780
As a wee lass who spoke more Chinese than English I sang this song a LOT without realizing any of the implications. Now I am thoroughly horrified (though admittedly slightly amused) at how much I still enjoy the song despite its themes
@ginabrockway2084
An upbeat song about marrying a guy who stalked and assaulted you. The 50’s were weird.
@donadavs
intentional misinterpretation
@jolexhopealfanta7658
Because people back then doesn't have a dirty way of thinking about life.
@s.a.adams-ford1216
At least in the 50s people were sane enough to realize "A GUY IS A GUY!"
@wampuscat1340
Try singing to people in the 1950s about a girl’s Only Fans account and serial promiscuity. They would be aghast.