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"
Love Me or Leave Me
Doris Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't stand uncertainly
Tell me now I've got to know
Whether you want me to stay or to go
Love me or leave me
Or let me be lonely
You won't believe me, I love you only
Then happy with someone else
You might find the night time
The right time for kissin'
But night time is my time
For just reminiscin'
Regrettin' instead of forgettin'
With somebody else
There'll be no one
Unless that someone is you
I intend to be independently blue
I want your love
But I don't want to borrow
To have it today to give it back tomorrow
For your love is my love
There's no love for nobody else
In Doris Day's Love Me or Leave Me, the lyrics describe the torment of emotional uncertainty and the need for resolution in a romantic relationship. The singer is desperate for clarity from her partner, as she cannot bear the ambiguity of their situation any longer. She pleads with her lover to make a decision: whether they want to stay and commit to their love, or to leave and end their relationship entirely. She expresses her fear of being left in limbo, as it is slowly destroying her.
The chorus of "Love me or leave me, or let me be lonely" reveals the dichotomy of the singer's desires. She would rather be alone than be with another person who is not her love. The second verse discusses the difference in attitudes towards nighttime between the couple. The singer prefers to reminisce at night, as it is a time for regret and reflection, rather than making new memories with someone else. The bridge of the song is particularly poignant, as it declares that no one else will do, and if her lover can't commit, she will choose to be "independently blue," rather than pursue a love that isn't true. The song's final line declares her love for her partner, and makes it clear that she won't love anyone else.
Overall, the lyrics of Love Me or Leave Me discuss the internal turmoil and agony of not knowing where one stands in a relationship. The singer is vulnerable and honest about her feelings, making the song an anthem for those experiencing the same uncertainty in their relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
This affair is killin' me
Being in this relationship is emotionally draining and exhausting me.
I can't stand uncertainly
I cannot handle the ambiguity of not knowing if you want to be with me or not.
Tell me now I've got to know
I need you to be honest with me right now and tell me how you really feel.
Whether you want me to stay or to go
I need to know if you want me to continue being in this relationship or if you want me to leave.
Love me or leave me
Make a choice between being fully committed to me or ending the relationship altogether.
Or let me be lonely
If you cannot fully commit to me, then I would rather be alone than be with someone who is not fully invested in me.
You won't believe me, I love you only
I know it may be hard to believe, but I only love you and no one else.
I'd rather be lonely
I would prefer to be by myself and not in a relationship if I cannot be with you.
Then happy with someone else
Having a relationship with someone else may bring happiness but it will not be true happiness without you.
You might find the night time
You may think that nighttime is the appropriate time for romantic activities.
The right time for kissin'
It is the perfect time for kissing and other romantic gestures.
But night time is my time
Nighttime is the time for me to reflect and look back on past memories.
For just reminiscin'
It is the time for me to remember the past and think about what could have been.
Regrettin' instead of forgettin'
At night, I tend to dwell on past regrets instead of moving on and forgetting them.
With somebody else
These regrets and memories would be with someone else if I cannot be with you.
There'll be no one
There will be no one else for me to love.
Unless that someone is you
Unless you are the one who chooses to be with me.
I intend to be independently blue
If you are not with me, I plan on being independent and not relying on anyone for happiness or love.
I want your love
I desire your love and affection.
But I don't want to borrow
However, I am not interested in a temporary or superficial love.
To have it today to give it back tomorrow
I do not want a love that is fleeting, where I have it one day and lose it the next.
For your love is my love
Your love is the only love that I crave and desire.
There's no love for nobody else
I do not have any love to give to anyone else, as all of my love is reserved for you.
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@benorn100
Three cheers to Ms Day stuning performance the best I have ever seen in a musical drama
@maritzaortiz1996
I never tire of this movie
@colindale3027
Cagney and Doris Wot a brilliant pair
@lemorab1
This is the best thing Doris Day ever did.
@TheBeast-LPTV
Saturday, 25 Nov 2023
Today I listen to this song for the first time because I was watching middle aged man telling story how he sell all of his record collections. And I saw this song was one of them. Lately I feel sonder feeling a lot and it's overwhelming. RIP to all soul
@colindale3027
Never be another Doris - RIP Lovely Girl.
@moriahjacobs6131
Cagney made this movie. Brought out the best in Day.
@cmbooks2000
Doris Day. A great singer. A fantastic actor
@barbaraleary8300
I loved Doris Day
She could really sing a song with mich heart. I will miss her very much
May she rest in peace with Hod
@bunnygibson9686
Doris Day is amazing from the heart!