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"
Let's Walk That a Way
Doris Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's walk a-that-a-way not a-this-a-way
That-a-way we can be alone
Take they're throwing our chance to kiss away
This-a-way only leads to home
Notice that we're coming to the crossroads
Should we turn to left or right?
But it's such a lovely night
[Chorus]
Well, don't you think the valley road is shorter?
We could save about a mile
And now and then the short road can be longer
If you linger for a while
[Chorus]
Can't you see the night is just beginning
And the moonlight weaves a spell
We can take the road among the daisies
You know daisies never tell
[Chorus]
I got an awful lot of tender words to whisper
Little ol' words like 'I love you'
Everything you say is so convincing
Yes, that's what we ought to do
[Chorus]
Leads to home
That-a-way only leads to home
Doris Day's song "Let's Walk That-a-Way" talks about two people at crossroads, trying to decide which path to take. As they walk and talk, they weigh the pros and cons of turning left or right, taking the valley road, or following the moonlit path. They know they have to go home eventually but want to seize the moment and be alone, away from the prying eyes of society.
The chorus suggests that they should take the path leading away from home to have a chance to kiss and be together. The other direction only leads back to where they started and will eventually put an end to their brief moment of connection. They are aware of the consequences of their actions, especially when they eventually have to face their mother or society.
The song speaks to the theme of fleeting moments, romantic entanglement and social pressures. The two people in the song are almost paralyzed by the weight of the decision they have to make. The moon, the night, and the daisies serve as symbols of their desire to follow their hearts and live in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's walk a-that-a-way not a-this-a-way
Let's take a different path and walk towards a secluded place where we can be alone
That-a-way we can be alone
Walking in that direction will lead us to a place where we can be alone
Take they're throwing our chance to kiss away
If we walk in this direction, we'll miss the chance to kiss each other
This-a-way only leads to home
Walking in this direction will only take us back home
Notice that we're coming to the crossroads
We have reached a point where we have to choose the direction to go in
Should we turn to left or right?
We have to decide whether we should go left or right
Mother is a-rockin' and a-waitin'
Our mother is waiting for us at home
But it's such a lovely night
The night is beautiful and perfect for a walk
Well, don't you think the valley road is shorter?
Do you think that the valley road is a shorter route?
We could save about a mile
We would be able to save some distance if we take the valley road
And now and then the short road can be longer
Sometimes, the shorter route may take longer if we stop on the way
If you linger for a while
If we take our time on the short road, it may take longer
Can't you see the night is just beginning
The night has just started and there's still plenty of time
And the moonlight weaves a spell
The moonlight creates a magical and romantic atmosphere
We can take the road among the daisies
We can take the scenic route among the daisies
You know daisies never tell
Daisies are good secret-keepers and won't tell anyone about what goes on between us
I got an awful lot of tender words to whisper
I have a lot of sweet and romantic things to say to you
Little ol' words like 'I love you'
I want to whisper sweet nothings like 'I love you'
Everything you say is so convincing
You're very persuasive and I'm convinced that we should take the other path
Yes, that's what we ought to do
Yes, we should take the other path as you suggested
Leads to home
Walking in this direction will take us back home
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BENJAMIN WEISMAN, FRED WISE, KAY TWOMEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tamhaswoods9056
Part of my gran's fabulous fifties vinyl collection. This has randomly been in my head all day for some reason :D
@alanfox7312
Doris Day and Johnny ray have music chemistry when they duet
@terrywright7470
Cutesy tune, and a great song where you can actually hear every word, unlike some of today`s "hits"
@retrothingz359
This was actually a great pairing of two voices
@jimandot
takes me back to the fifties before the advent of r/r with bill and the comets loved this and good video jimdot
@nostalgianeverland592
Although the rather shrill instrumental accompaniment and recording quality were less than optimal, this song is one of my favorites. Combination of a catchy sound and happy vibe by two vocal greats hits a home run. Also, love how it has a hillbilly / Li'l Abner twang. Fun song!
@peterbraun6761
Love 1 Logic 0
@henrybyrd5402
I remember this song from back then but don't remember the awful sound quality even though it was played on my parents old gramophone. What is this recording played on on?
@Bishbud
Daisies won't tell if someone eats them, hey Doris?
@retsofa
How can they be alone if they are together