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.
Never On Sunday
Eartha Kitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A Monday, a Monday is very, very good
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday
A Tuesday, a Tuesday, in fact I wish you would
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday
A Thursday, a Friday and Saturday is best
But never, never on a Sunday
A Sunday, a Sunday, 'cause that's my day of rest
Most any day you can be my guest
Any day you say, but my day of rest
Just name the day that you like the best
Only stay away on my day of rest
Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day, a hot day
A wet day, which everyone you choose
Or try to kiss me on a gray day, a May day
A pay day, and see if I refuse
And if you make it on a bleak day
A freak day, a week day, why you can be my guest
But never, never on a Sunday
In Eartha Kitt's song "Never On Sunday," the lyrics express a woman's preference for being kissed on any day of the week except Sunday, on which she wishes to rest. The song speaks to the importance of taking a break, even from something as wonderful as kissing. The repetition of the days of the week in the first verse highlights the singer's openness to being kissed any day of the week, but the insistence on not being kissed on Sunday in the chorus shows the importance of having one's own time to rest and recharge.
The second verse of the song reveals the singer's willingness to entertain guests on any day of the week, except Sunday. This highlights the importance of having boundaries and setting aside time for oneself, even in friendships and relationships. The emphasis on the singer's "day of rest" shows the value of taking time for oneself, and how this can lead to greater productivity and happiness overall.
Overall, "Never On Sunday" celebrates the importance of balance in one's life and the value of taking time for oneself, even when it comes to joyful activities like kissing.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday
I am open to receiving your affection on any day of the week
A Monday, a Monday is very, very good
In fact, I don't mind Mondays for kissing
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday
I wouldn't mind a kiss on a Tuesday either
A Tuesday, a Tuesday, in fact I wish you would
I actually desire your kisses on Tuesdays
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday
Kisses on Wednesdays are also acceptable
A Thursday, a Friday and Saturday is best
I'll take your kisses any day from Thursday to Saturday
But never, never on a Sunday
I need my Sundays to rest and be alone, so kissing is off-limits
A Sunday, a Sunday, 'cause that's my day of rest
I cherish my Sundays for personal time and don't want any interruptions
Most any day you can be my guest
I welcome your visits and affection on many days
Any day you say, but my day of rest
Except for Sundays, which I need to keep for myself
Just name the day that you like the best
Let me know what day works best for you, aside from Sundays
Only stay away on my day of rest
Please respect my wishes and don't come around on Sundays
Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day, a hot day
I don't mind what the weather's like when you kiss me
A wet day, which everyone you choose
Even on rainy days, I don't mind kissing you
Or try to kiss me on a gray day, a May day
I'm open to kisses on any day, even if it's gloomy or in May
A pay day, and see if I refuse
Even if it's payday, I won't deny your kisses
And if you make it on a bleak day
Even on a sad or depressing day, I won't turn down your kisses
A freak day, a week day, why you can be my guest
Even on unexpected or regular weekdays, I'm happy to receive your visits
But never, never on a Sunday
Just please don't come over on Sundays
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Manos Hadjidakis, Billy Towne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Erzebet Tot Bagi
Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday
A Monday, a Monday is very, very good
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday
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A Tuesday, a Tuesday, in fact I wish you would
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday
A Thursday, a Friday and Saturday is best
But never, never on a Sunday
A Sunday, a Sunday, 'cause that's my day of rest
Most any day you can be my guest
Any day you say, but my day of rest
Just name the day that you like the best
Only stay away on my day of rest
Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day, a hot day
A wet day, which everyone you choose
Or try to kiss me on a gray day, a May day
A pay day, and see if I refuse
And if you make it on a bleak day
A freak day, a week day, why you can be my guest
But never, never on a Sunday
MsLOMusic
Her voice is like silk
Jul ofDenial
Oh what a beautiful song! I have never heard this one by Kitt. How fabulous! Thank you!
city zen
I remember seeing the movie NEVER ON SUNDAY at the drive-in in El Paso, Texas in 1960; Melina Mecouri sang this song in the movie. Eartha does it better, but no movie for her.
David Walsh
The unique voice of an all time great. What an amazing performer she was. We will never see the likes of her again.
Cornal Harrison
what a goddess
Ozzy Jookar
w0
HEKTOR
Very impressive song!
Larceny of life
what a classy elegant woman
reenester
Love the song , The video, and Eartha Of course !
Ts Tan
You will always be remembered. R.I.P Miss Kitt.