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 Cafรฉ 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.
Just an Old-Fashioned Girl
Eartha Kitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind.
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire.
I want an old fashioned car, a cerise Cadillac,
Long enough to put a bowling alley in the back.
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
I'll stay weaving at my loom,
Be no trouble to my groom,
If he'll keep the piles of money mounting.
In our cottage there will be
A soundproof nursery
Not to wake the baby while I'm counting.
I like the old fashioned flowers, violets are for me -
Have them made in diamonds by the man at Tiffany.
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire.
I'm just a pilgrim at heart, oh so pure and genteel.
Watch me in Las Vegas while I'm at the spinning wheel!
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire.
I'll ask for such simple things when my birthday occurs:
Two apartment buildings that are labeled 'Hers' and 'Hers'.
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire.
I like Chopin and Bizet
And the songs of yesterday,
String quartets and Polynesian carols.
But the music that excels
Is the sound of oil wells
As they slurp, slurp, slurp into the barrels.
Our little home will be quaint as an old parasol,
And instead of carpets I'll have money wall to wall.
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
In Eartha Kitt's Just An Old Fashioned Girl, the singer describes herself as someone who values traditional things when it comes to love, marriage, and material possessions. She is portrayed as an old-fashioned girl with an old-fashioned mind, who believes in simplicity rather than extravagance. As opposed to newer, more sophisticated women of her time, she yearns for an old-fashioned man who is wealthy and can provide her with an old-fashioned household, complete with a white picket fence and a car big enough to fit a bowling alley in the back. She suggests that her main duty as a wife would be to weave at her loom and ensure that the family's money keeps growing while she counts it in a soundproof nursery.
As she sings about her preferences, she shares her love for violets, Chopin, and Bizet's music, besides string quartets and Polynesian carols. She takes pleasure in the sound of oil wells, slurping oil into the barrels, suggesting that she loves the sound of money. The song is representative of a time when people were interested in settling down and looking for someone with whom they could build a life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
I'm not someone who is forward-thinking. I prefer old-fashioned ways.
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind.
I'm not fancy, just a simple and kind woman.
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence / And an old fashioned millionaire.
I desire a traditional house with a white picket fence and an old-fashioned wealthy man as my husband.
I want an old fashioned car, a cerise Cadillac, / Long enough to put a bowling alley in the back.
I crave a classic car, a cherry red Cadillac, spacious enough to fit a bowling alley in the rear.
I'll stay weaving at my loom, / Be no trouble to my groom, / If he'll keep the piles of money mounting.
I'll be content with weaving at home if my husband is financially successful.
In our cottage there will be / A soundproof nursery / Not to wake the baby while I'm counting.
The baby's room will be soundproof so that my counting doesn't disturb the baby's sleep.
I like the old fashioned flowers, violets are for me - / Have them made in diamonds by the man at Tiffany.
My favorite flowers are violets, but I'd rather have them made of diamonds from the jeweler Tiffany.
I'm just a pilgrim at heart, oh so pure and genteel. / Watch me in Las Vegas while I'm at the spinning wheel!
Despite my desire for an old-fashioned life, I'm still drawn to adventure and excitement, like gambling in Las Vegas.
I'll ask for such simple things when my birthday occurs: / Two apartment buildings that are labeled 'Hers' and 'Hers'.
For my birthday, I'll request something simple, like two apartment buildings labeled 'Hers' and 'Hers'.
I like Chopin and Bizet / And the songs of yesterday, / String quartets and Polynesian carols.
I enjoy classical music, such as Chopin and Bizet, as well as string quartets and Polynesian carols.
But the music that excels / Is the sound of oil wells / As they slurp, slurp, slurp into the barrels.
While I appreciate other types of music, the sound of oil wells pumping oil is music to my ears because it represents wealth.
Our little home will be quaint as an old parasol, / And instead of carpets I'll have money wall to wall.
Our home will be charming like an old parasol, but instead of carpets, our floors will be covered in money.
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence / And an old fashioned millionaire.
I desire an old-fashioned home with a white picket fence and a wealthy man who embodies traditional values.
Writer(s): Doris Fisher
Contributed by Sebastian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hannah Jessup
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the plain and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'd like a plain simple car, a cerise Cadillac
Long enough to have a bowling alley in the back
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'll stay weaving at my loom
Be no trouble to my groom
If he'll keep the piles of money mounting
In our cottage there will be
A soundproof nursery
Not to wake the baby while I'm counting
I like the old fashioned flowers, violets are for me
Have them made in diamonds by the man at Tiffany
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'm just a pilgrim at heart, oh so pure and genteel
Catch me in Las Vegas while I'm at the spinning wheel!
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'll ask for such simple things when my birthday occurs
Two apartment buildings that are labeled "Hers and Hers"
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I like Chopin and Bizet
And the songs of yesterday
String quartets and Polynesian carols
But the music that excels
Is the sound of oil wells
As they slurp, slurp, slurp into the barrels
My little home will be quaint as an old parasol
And instead of carpets I'll have money wall to wall
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
Robert Billing
Her voice control is fantastic. When she switches from being "sweet" to talking about money the overtones click on as if she'd pressed a switch. That's real skill.
Zoe Cox
Della Reece
adonai yah
It's not rocket science ๐
meau
adonai yah kind of is though, not that youโd know I guess
adonai yah
@meau how dare you even speak to me in such a sarcastic and condescending way.
Karen A T
@adonai yah Wot, are you the Queen of England?
Such beautiful singing takes talent and effort.
Nehemiah Roberts
I never heard a voice like this. What very unique control on the way she pitches her voice and that vibrato is crazy quick
Napoleon Dynamite
I adored this lass in the 1950s when I was ten years old. I wrote a short essay on her struggle when she was younger and racially abused. My words were read out in class and my teacher, the late Clarice Harding, gave me top marks.
{Jackson Family }
I love how she pokes fun..so sarcastically brillant.
Hannah Jessup
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the plain and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'd like a plain simple car, a cerise Cadillac
Long enough to have a bowling alley in the back
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'll stay weaving at my loom
Be no trouble to my groom
If he'll keep the piles of money mounting
In our cottage there will be
A soundproof nursery
Not to wake the baby while I'm counting
I like the old fashioned flowers, violets are for me
Have them made in diamonds by the man at Tiffany
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'm just a pilgrim at heart, oh so pure and genteel
Catch me in Las Vegas while I'm at the spinning wheel!
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I'll ask for such simple things when my birthday occurs
Two apartment buildings that are labeled "Hers and Hers"
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire
I like Chopin and Bizet
And the songs of yesterday
String quartets and Polynesian carols
But the music that excels
Is the sound of oil wells
As they slurp, slurp, slurp into the barrels
My little home will be quaint as an old parasol
And instead of carpets I'll have money wall to wall
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And an old fashioned millionaire