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"
Someone to Watch over Me
Doris Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could always be good
Someone who'll watch over me
Although he may not be the man some
To my heart he carries the key
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me
These lyrics speak of a person who is searching for someone to protect and care for them. The singer longs for this person to come into their life and hopes that they will be the kind of person who will watch over them. The singer compares themselves to a little lamb lost in the wood, vulnerable and in need of guidance. They know that they could always be good if they had the right person looking out for them.
The singer also acknowledges that the person they are looking for might not be conventionally attractive, but that doesn't matter to them. They just need someone who will hold the key to their heart and protect them. The singer pleads with the person they are addressing to hurry and follow their lead because they are in desperate need of someone to watch over them.
The lyrics of Someone To Watch Over Me have been covered by many great jazz and pop artists over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, and Sting. The song was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1926 musical Oh, Kay! In the original show, the song was sung by the character of Anne, who was played by Gertrude Lawrence.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I have a fervent desire to see a particular person
I hope that he turns out to be
I am full of hope that the person I see will meet my expectations
Someone who'll watch over me
I need someone to protect and care for me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I am vulnerable and lost, like a helpless lamb in the forest
I know I could always be good
I understand that being well-behaved and compliant could help me receive the protection I need
Someone who'll watch over me
I desire a mentor or guardian who will take care of me
Although he may not be the man some
Even if he is not the handsome man that many women desire
Girls think of as handsome
The type of man that most women find physically attractive
To my heart he carries the key
He holds the key to unlock and access my heart
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
I request that someone please urge him to hurry up and come see me
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
I need him to follow my guidance and direction so I can feel secure
Someone to watch over me
I need someone to watch over me and ensure that I remain safe and secure
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Susan
There's a saying old,
says that love is blind
Still we're often told,
seek and ye shall find
So I'm going to seek a certain lad
I've had in mind
Looking everywhere,
haven't found him yet
He's the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this
lost lamb?
There's a somebody I'm longin' to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could always be good
To one who'll watch over me
Although he may not be
The man some girls think of as handsome
To my heart, he carries the key
Won't you tell him please to put on
some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me——
Jeffrey Salter
The music of this era was peerless. The arrangements, the
performers, the music & lyrics will
never come together in this way again. I loved the music of my generation which came later but I
recognize and revere these classics which are truly masterpieces.
Alisha Elizabeth
What a beautiful voice!! I've always loved her since seeing White Christmas. I wish young adults like me could sing like this today!
Patricia Carpenter
Everyone time I hear this song, I start crying...it brings back so many memories. Ms. Clooney was one of my favorite singers back in day along with Doris Day, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee and some many others. I really miss this kind of music.❤🙌
Mel Hamburg
I was born entirely to late. I fell in love with her the moment I seen her in White Christmas. I have just about every song she sang. That voice is so angelic and she sings with such ease. Today’s singers just don’t have that charm and charisma of the singers from yester year.
P bunny Mckenzie
Mel Hamburg ,cold you just imagine going to house for Christmas and singing songs for the holidays.what great lady .i love here song good night we’re ever you are listen to before I go to bed .give it a listen.you be blessed.😇😉
voicegirl555
Happy Birthday George Gershwin! This is a beautiful song. They don't write songs like this anymore and we are the poorer for it.
PL Dilliner
Nice.. heavenly. Her voice unforgettably unique. Great quality. I truly miss those old time performers. The big band era. A beautiful wonderful time to grow up in.🌺
Frank Cullen
Attention, American Idol contestants: Listen and take notes. You're hearing the voice of one of the greatest singers ever.
Tameria Jones
Yes American idol please take note Rosemary Clooney is the best singer.
𝓞𝓻𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓸 𝓒𝓻𝓾𝔃
I’ve seen her face before but didn’t hear her voice until I stumbled into her biopic on YouTube. Her voice is out of this world.