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
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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?
Eartha Kitt's song "Brother Can You Spare A Dime" is a poignant reminder of the economic hardship that many Americans faced during the Great Depression. The lyrics describe a man who once believed in the American Dream and worked hard to build a better future, but has now fallen on hard times and is in desperate need of help. The man acknowledges his past contributions to society - building railroads, towers and serving in the military - but is now struggling to make ends meet and begs for assistance.
One interpretation of the song is that it highlights the failure of the American Dream - a promise of prosperity and success that was not always attainable, even for those who worked hard and made significant contributions to their country. The repeated question of "brother can you spare a dime?" emphasizes a sense of community and shared responsibility, a call to help those who have fallen on hard times.
Another interpretation is that the song is a criticism of the government's response to the Great Depression. Despite the man's past service to the country, he is now left to fend for himself with no assistance from the government. The line "why should I be standing in line just waiting for bread?" suggests a frustration with the government's reliance on charity rather than providing more substantial aid to citizens in need.
Overall, "Brother Can You Spare A Dime" is a powerful commentary on the economic struggles of the time, and a reminder of the importance of compassion and community support during times of crisis.
Line by Line Meaning
They used to tell me I was building a dream
People used to tell me I was working hard for a better future.
And so I followed the mob
I went along with everyone else, trusting that they knew best.
When their was earth to plow or guns to bear
Whenever there was difficult work to be done, I was always ready and willing to do it.
I was always their right on the job
I was always there to help out when needed.
With peace and glory ahead
I was promised a better future, filled with happiness and success.
Why should I be standing in line
Why should I be waiting in a queue for basic necessities?
Just waiting for bread?
Just waiting for food to survive?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run
I worked hard and built a successful railroad from scratch.
Made it race against time
I made it fast and efficient to meet the demands of the people.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done
I built this railroad with my own two hands, but now the work is finished.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Can you please help me out with some money?
Once I built a tower up to the sun
I worked hard and built a tall skyscraper reaching for the sky.
Brick and rivet and lime
Using bricks, rivets, and lime to construct the tower.
Once I built a tower, now it's done
I put all my effort into building this tower, but now it's finished.
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell
I used to look really great in my military uniform.
Full of that Yankee-Doodly-dum
We were full of pride and patriotism for our country.
Half a million boots went sloggin' through Hell
So many soldiers went through a difficult, painful experience in the war.
And I was the kid with the drum
I was the young musician, but I still did my part for the war effort.
It was 'Al' all the time
They always called me 'Al' back then.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal
Hey, we used to be great friends. Don't forget about me now that I'm struggling.
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?
Can you please give me a little bit of money to help me out?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., NEXT DECADE ENTERTAINMENT,INC., SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: E. Y. HARBURG, JAY GORNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind