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"
I Want to Be Happy
Doris Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to work out life's happy plan
Doing unto others as I'd like to have them doing unto me
When I find a very lonely soul
Soon be-kinda-comes my only goal
I feel so much better when I tell them my philosophy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
Life's really worth living
When we are mirth giving
Why can't I give some to you
When skies are gray and you say you are blue
I'll send the sun smiling through
I want to be happy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
When skies are gray and you say you are blue
I'll send the sun smiling through
I want to be happy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
The song "I Want to Be Happy" by Doris Day is a cheerful and uplifting tune that expresses the desire to spread happiness to others in order to achieve happiness oneself. The lyrics speak to the universal need for human connection and the importance of kindness and empathy in our everyday interactions. When the singer encounters a lonely person, their immediate goal becomes to lift that person's spirits and share their own philosophy of kindness and reciprocity. The message of the song is clear: true happiness is not achieved by seeking it out for oneself, but rather by bringing joy and positivity into the lives of others.
Beyond its lyrical themes, the song is musically notable for its catchy melody and upbeat tempo. The opening verse, with its simple guitar and piano accompaniment, sets the tone for the rest of the song, which features lively horns and Day's signature bright, clear vocals. The chorus is especially memorable, with its repetition of the phrase "I want to be happy" underscoring the song's central message.
Interestingly, "I Want to Be Happy" was not originally written for Day, but rather for the Broadway musical "No, No, Nanette" in 1925. It has since become a jazz standard and has been covered by numerous artists in a variety of styles. The song's enduring popularity is a testament to its timeless message of positivity and kindness.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a very ordinary man
I'm just an average person
Trying to work out life's happy plan
Trying to figure out how to lead a happy life
Doing unto others as I'd like to have them doing unto me
Treating others as I would want to be treated
When I find a very lonely soul
When I come across someone who is lonely
Soon be-kinda-comes my only goal
My main objective becomes to help them not feel lonely anymore
I feel so much better when I tell them my philosophy
I feel happier when I am able to share my perspective on life with them
I want to be happy
I desire happiness in my life
But I won't be happy
However, I know that I can't truly be happy
Till I make you happy too.
Unless I can also help bring happiness to others, specifically you.
Life's really worth living
Life has great value
When we are mirth giving
When we are expressing joy and laughter
Why can't I give some to you
Why can't I bring some of that joy to you?
When skies are gray and you say you are blue
When things seem difficult and you are feeling sad
I'll send the sun smiling through
I will try to bring happiness and brightness to your day
Till I make you happy too.
I won't be content until I have helped you feel happier as well.
I want to be happy
I continue to desire happiness in my own life
But I won't be happy
But I recognize that my own happiness is linked to others' happiness.
Till I make you happy too.
And therefore I won't feel truly happy unless I am also able to help you find happiness.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IRVING CAESAR, VINCENT YOUMANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kristen
I want to be happy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
Life's really worth living
When you are mirth giving
Why can't I give some to you?
When skies are gray
And you say you are blue
I'll send the sun smiling through
I wanna be happy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
I want to be happy...worth living
When we are mirth giving
Why can't I give some to you?
When skies...blue
I'll send that sun smilin' through.
I want to be happy...happy too.
Dayniac4324
Thanks Issy - another Doris fix for you ! Glad you enjoyed --- thank you for the support. Hugs -- Toni
Daylin Skye
Ah Toni! Another beautiful Doris Day song I hadn't heard yet. And I love that photo of her and Marty. (Just the hopeless romantic in me that believes the love they shared was true...) Love the end photo. Wonderful! Thank you for sharing from your Doris library.
Grumpyoldmantrash
Can't ever get enough of Dorris Day, thanks Issy for the share.
Richard Wigeland
Doris Day was amazing! What a beautiful spirit!❤
UkuleleLadee
Aww I love this song!! Doris Day is so great!! I wish, more than anything, I had lived back then<3
willy350z
She's got awesome voice!!!5*****Thanks for sharing this song!!!
quackfctry
my childhood (in 80s, czech republic) was full of doris day and her songs - my father had an old LP with her songs, everything on the cover was written in russian, i didnt understand a word - written or sung, but I loved it and when I knew some english I spent hours singing all her songs :-)
Dayniac4324
Doris always makes me feel happy .... she has that way about her ! So happy you enjoyed !!
Dayniac4324
She really had the perfect smile. And she brought so much happiness to us - perfect song for her. Thanks ... so happy you enjoyed !
Larry Salgado
Expone muy bien la melodía,su timbre de voz muy sensual. Preciosa mujer,ricos arreglos musicales.......gracias