Born in tiny North, South Carolina to Mamie Kitt, who was of Cherokee and African-American descent, and an American father (surname Kitt) of German and Dutch descent, she was raised by her maternal aunt Anna Mae Riley, whom she believed was her mother up until after Riley's death, when she was sent to live in New York City with her real mother.
Kitt began her career as a member of the Katherine Dunham Company and made her film debut with them in Casbah (1948). A talented singer with a distinctive voice, her hits include Let's Do It, C'est Si Bon (It's So Good), Just an Old Fashioned Girl, Monotonous, Love for Sale, I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch, Uska Dara, Mink, Schmink, Under the Bridges of Paris, and arguably her most recognizable hit, the sexily sung Christmas song Santa Baby. She sang quite a few songs in French, a language she picked up during her years performing in Europe, but she never lost her American accent, which made her French songs sound rather amusing to native French speakers. She dabbled in other languages as well, which she demonstrated in many of the live recordings of her cabaret performances.
In 1950, Orson Welles gave her her first starring role, as Helen of Troy in his staging of Dr. Faustus. A few years later, she was cast in the revue New Faces of 1952, introducing "Monotonous", "C'est Si Bon" and "Santa Baby", three songs with which she continues to be identified. During her run, 20th Century Fox filmed a version of the play. Welles and Kitt allegedly had a torrid affair during her run in Shinbone Alley, which earned her the nickname by Welles as "the most exciting woman in the world". In 1958, Kitt made her feature film debut opposite Sidney Poitier in The Mark of the Hawk. Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, Kitt would work on and off in film, television and on nightclub stages. In the late 1960s television series Batman, she played Catwoman after Julie Newmar left the role. This was the role for which she would best be remembered, owing to her purring feline drawl.
In 1968, however, Kitt encountered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon that reportedly made First Lady Lady Bird Johnson weep uncontrollably. Professionally exiled from the U.S., she devoted her energies to overseas performances before returning to New York in a triumphant turn in the Broadway spectacle Timbuktu! (a version of the perennial Kismet set in Africa) in 1978. In the musical, one song gives a 'recipe' for mahoun, a preparation of cannabis, in which her sultry purring rendition of the refrain "constantly stirring with a long wooden spoon" was distinctive.
In 1984, she returned to hit music with a dance song, Where Is My Man; the first certified Gold record of her career. Kitt found new audiences in nightclubs across the country, including a whole new generation of gay male fans, and she responded by frequently giving benefit performances in support of HIV/AIDS organizations.
In 2000, Kitt again returned to Broadway in the short but notable run of the revival of the 1920s-themed, The Wild Party, opposite Mandy Patinkin and Toni Collette. In 2003, she replaced Chita Rivera in Nine. In recent years she had also appeared as the Wicked Witch in the North American national touring company of The Wizard of Oz.
One of her more unusual roles was as Kaa the python in a 1994 BBC Radio adaptation of The Jungle Book. Kitt lent her distinctive voice to the role of Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove and also did other voiceover work such as the voice of Queen Vexus on the animated TV series My Life as a Teenage Robot. She continued her role as Yzma on the spin-off TV series of The Emperor's New Groove, The Emperor's New School.
In recent years, Kitt's annual appearances in New York made her a fixture of the Manhattan cabaret scene. She took the stage at venues such as the Ballroom and, more recently, the Café Carlyle to explore and define her highly stylized image, alternating between signature songs (such as "Old Fashioned Millionaire"), which emphasized a witty, mercenary world-weariness, and less familiar repertoire, much of which she performed with an unexpected ferocity and bite that presented her as a survivor with a seemingly bottomless reservoir of resilience - her version of Here's to Life, frequently used as a closing number, was a sterling example of the latter. This side of her later performances is reflected in at least one of her recordings, Thinking Jazz, which preserves a series of performances with a small jazz combo that took place in the early 1990s in Germany, and which includes both standards (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes) and numbers (such as Something May Go Wrong) that seem more specifically tailored to her talents; one version of the CD includes as bonus performances a fierce, angry Yesterdays and a live take of "C'est Si Bon" that good-humoredly satirizes her sex-kitten persona.
Personal life
Kitt was married to John William McDonald, an associate of a real-estate investment company, from 1960 to 1965. They had one child, a daughter, Kitt (b. 1962, married Charles Lawrence Shapiro); and two grandchildren, Jason and Rachel Shapiro.
Eartha Kitt died of colon cancer on Christmas Day, December 25, 2008.
Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
Eartha Kitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so I followed the mob
When their was earth to plow or guns to bear
I was always their right on the job
They used to tell me I was building a dream
With peace and glory ahead
Why should I be standing in line
Once I built a railroad, I made it run
Made it race against time
Once I built a railroad, now it's done
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower up to the sun
Brick and rivet and lime
Once I built a tower, now it's done
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell
Full of that Yankee-Doodly-dum
Half a million boots went sloggin' through Hell
And I was the kid with the drum
Say, don't you remember, they called me "Al"
It was "Al" all the time
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, ah gee we looked swell
Full of that Yankee-Doodly-dum
Half a million boots went sloggin' through Hell
And I was the kid with the drum
Oh, say, don't you remember, they called me "Al"
It was "Al" all the time
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal
Buddy, can you spare a dime?
The lyrics in Eartha Kitt's "Brother Can You Spare A Dime?" tell the tale of a man who was once a proud contributor to building America but has fallen on hard times. The song talks about the American Dream and how the man was once told he was building a dream – a world of peace and prosperity for all. He followed the rules of society and worked hard wherever he was needed, whether it was farming or fighting.
However, the man's dream was shattered, and he found himself begging for money just to survive. The song's poignant lyrics talk about his past achievements, such as building a railroad and a tower, and fighting in World War I, where he was "the kid with the drum." Despite his past successes, he finds himself living in poverty, waiting in breadlines for food.
The song speaks to the economic struggle of the time, the Great Depression, where many people found themselves out of work and unable to make ends meet. It shows how quickly the status of a person can change, and how society's promises of success and prosperity can be stripped away.
Line by Line Meaning
They used to tell me I was building a dream
People used to tell me that I was creating a bright future through my hard work and dedication
And so I followed the mob
I went along with what everyone else was doing
When there was earth to plow or guns to bear
I was always ready to do whatever needed to be done, whether it was physical labor or military service
I was always there right on the job
I was always willing to work hard and do my part
With peace and glory ahead
I believed that if I worked hard enough, I would be rewarded with a bright and peaceful future
Why should I be standing in line just waiting for bread?
I don't understand why, despite my hard work and dedication, I now find myself in a situation where I have to rely on others for basic necessities like food
Once I built a railroad, I made it run
I worked hard to build a railroad and made it successful
Made it race against time
I pushed the railroad to be the fastest and most efficient it could be
Now it's done, Brother, can you spare a dime?
Despite my hard work and success in building the railroad, I am now struggling to make ends meet and am asking for assistance
Once I built a tower up to the sun
I once achieved something great and impressive, reaching for the metaphorical 'sun'
Brick and rivet and lime
I used strong materials to build the tower
Now it's done, Brother, can you spare a dime?
Despite my success in building the tower, I am now in need of assistance
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell
I and my fellow soldiers looked impressive and sharp in our military uniforms
Full of that Yankee-Doodly-dum
We were full of enthusiasm and patriotism for our country
Half a million boots went sloggin' through Hell
We soldiers endured intense and difficult conditions during war
And I was the kid with the drum
I was the youngest and least experienced soldier in my unit, but I did my part by playing the drum during marches
Say, don't you remember, they called me "Al"
My name was Al and that's what everyone called me
It was "Al" all the time
My nickname was always Al
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal
I'm your friend and I'm asking for your help
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?
I'm asking for financial assistance from someone who I consider a friend
Lyrics © NEXT DECADE ENTERTAINMENT,INC.
Written by: E. Y. Harburg, Jay Gorney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind