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.
Lazy Afternoon
Eartha Kitt Lyrics
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And the beetle bugs are zoomin'
And the tulip trees are bloomin'
And there's not another human in view
But us two.
It's a lazy afternoon
And the farmer leaves his reapin'
And the speckled trout stop leapin' up stream
As we dream.
A fat pink cloud hangs over the hill
Unfoldin' like a rose
If you hold my hand and sit real still
You can hear the grass as it grows.
It's a hazy afternoon
And I know a place that's quiet, 'cept for daisies running riot
And there's no one passing by it to see
Come spend this lazy afternoon with me
Eartha Kitt's Lazy Afternoon is a delightful ode to the simple pleasures of life, the beauty of nature and a deserted countryside. It tells the story of a couple who are secluded from the rest of the world on a lazy afternoon, enjoying each other's company and observing the simple things around them. From the zooming beetle bugs to the blooming tulip trees, the cows sleeping in the meadow, and the speckled trout that stop leaping as they dream, this song perfectly captures the essence of a quiet and tranquil day.
The imagery in the song is gorgeous and vivid, evoking a serene togetherness between the singer and her partner. They are so still that they can hear the grass grow and the peace is so profound that there is not even another human in view. The lyrics create a picture of a lush and tranquil countryside, with a pink cloud hanging over the hill and daisies running riot, making the perfect setting for a romantic and lazy afternoon.
Throughout the song, we can also sense a playful and inviting tone from the singer, inviting her partner to spend this day with her. She paints a picture of a quiet and remote place where they can be at peace and not have to worry about being seen or disturbed. Eartha Kitt's voice is smooth and welcoming, making this lazy afternoon seem even more inviting.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a lazy afternoon
It's a slow, relaxed day where there's nothing much happening.
And the beetle bugs are zoomin'
The small insects are moving quickly, probably as a result of the warm weather.
And the tulip trees are bloomin'
The tulip trees are in full bloom, and this adds to the colorful and lively atmosphere of the day.
And there's not another human in view
There is no one else around except for the two people who are together in this moment.
But us two.
The singer and the person she's addressing are the only ones around in this peaceful setting.
And the farmer leaves his reapin'
The farmer has stopped working for the day and has left his fields empty.
In the meadow cows are sleepin'
The cows in the nearby meadow are taking a nap, probably enjoying the peace and warmth of the day.
And the speckled trout stop leapin' up stream
The fish in the nearby stream are no longer jumping around, suggesting that the water is calm and still.
As we dream.
The lack of activity around them is making the singer and the person she's addressing feel relaxed and dreamy.
A fat pink cloud hangs over the hill
The sky has a large cloud that looks like a big, pink flower hanging over the horizon.
Unfoldin' like a rose
The cloud is slowly moving and changing shape, just like a rose petal might unfurl as it blooms.
If you hold my hand and sit real still
The singer is inviting the other person to relax with her and feel the peace of the moment together.
You can hear the grass as it grows.
The surroundings are so quiet that if they listen carefully, they might even hear the sound of grass growing.
It's a hazy afternoon
The day is somewhat cloudy or misty, which adds to the dreamy atmosphere.
And I know a place that's quiet, 'cept for daisies running riot
The singer has found a special spot that's usually quiet, except for the daisies that are growing there in great numbers.
And there's no one passing by, it to see
This spot is far off the beaten path, so there's no one to disturb them or see them enjoying the moment together.
Come spend this lazy afternoon with me
The singer is inviting the other person to stay with her and enjoy the peaceful moment, sharing the dreamy atmosphere and the beautiful surroundings.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Latouche, Jerome Moross
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind