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 CafΓ© 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.
Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell (Whoβs Got De Ding Dong
Eartha Kitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Now, nobody can get married
Whoβ²s got the ding dong who's got the bell
Whoβ²s got the ding dong who's got the bell
Somebody know but nobody tell
We got sarsaparilla soda on the ice
We got shoes and rice and free advice
We got a bridal suite in Honeymoon Hotel
But what good is that without a wedding bell
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Now, nobody can get married
Who's got the ding dong whoβ²s got the bell
Whoβ²s got the ding dong who's got the bell
Somebody know but nobody tell
Cause somebody bad stole de wedding bell
All day the people look at the steeple
But they donβ²t see the bell
We got very fine detective, Shiller Gun
And he's sure to question every man
So in the marketplace where people buy and sell
Heβ²s sure to arrest the one who sells the bell
Who's got the ding dong whoβ²s got the bell
Who's got the ding dong who's got the bell
Somebody know but nobody tell
Cause somebody bad stole de wedding bell
We got solos by the island singing band
We got lots of sun and lots of sand
We got loverβ²s moon we got a wishing well
And oh how I wish we had a wedding bell
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Now, nobody can get married
Whoβ²s got the ding dong who's got the bell
Whoβ²s got the ding dong who's got the bell
Somebody know but nobody tell
Cause somebody bad stole de wedding bell
The song "Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell" by Eartha Kitt speaks about the frustration and disappointment caused by the theft of a wedding bell. The repeated lines emphasize the impact of this theft, as it prevents anyone from getting married.
The lyrics play with the idea of the wedding bell as a symbol of marriage and celebration. The question "Who's got the ding dong who's got the bell" implies that someone now possesses the bell, but nobody is willing to reveal their identity. The "somebody bad" refers to the thief who stole the bell.
The following verse suggests that in preparation for the wedding, various things are in place like sarsaparilla soda, shoes and rice, and a bridal suite. However, despite these arrangements, the absence of the wedding bell dampens the joyous occasion. The line "But what good is that without a wedding bell" emphasizes the significance of the bell in completing the sense of celebration and union.
The lyrics also introduce a detective named Shiller Gun who is determined to apprehend the thief. The mention of the marketplace and people buying and selling suggests that the detective will interrogate everyone to find the one who sold the bell. This further portrays the frustration and desire for justice to be served.
The song also mentions other elements of a wedding celebration, such as solos by the island singing band, a lover's moon, and a wishing well. These elements highlight the beauty and romance that surround the idea of a wedding, but again, the absence of the wedding bell remains a lingering disappointment.
Overall, "Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell" is a playful yet poignant song describing the sense of loss and frustration caused by the theft of the bell, symbolizing the inability to celebrate and unite through marriage.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody bad stole de wedding bell
An unknown person has unlawfully taken the wedding bell
Now, nobody can get married
As a result, no one is able to have a wedding ceremony
Whoβs got the ding dong who's got the bell
Who currently possesses the bell that is rung at weddings
Somebody know but nobody tell
There are individuals who are aware of the culprit, but they choose not to disclose the information
Cause somebody bad stole de wedding bell
Because an immoral person has taken the wedding bell
We got sarsaparilla soda on the ice
We have chilled beverages made from sarsaparilla extract
We got shoes and rice and free advice
We have footwear, rice for traditional wedding rituals, and wisdom freely offered
We got a bridal suite in Honeymoon Hotel
We have an exclusive room for newlyweds in a hotel designed for honeymooners
But what good is that without a wedding bell
However, these amenities hold little value without the presence of a wedding bell
All day the people look at the steeple
Throughout the day, individuals gaze at the church tower
But they donβ²t see the bell
Unfortunately, the bell is not visible to them
We got very fine detective, Shiller Gun
We have an exceptional detective named Shiller Gun
And he's sure to question every man
He will undoubtedly interrogate every man he encounters
So in the marketplace where people buy and sell
Therefore, in the location where goods and services are exchanged
Heβ²s sure to arrest the one who sells the bell
He is certain to apprehend the individual who is responsible for selling the bell
We got solos by the island singing band
We have solo performances by the musical group from the island
We got lots of sun and lots of sand
We have abundant sunshine and a surplus of sand
We got loverβ²s moon we got a wishing well
We have a moon that is ideal for lovers and a well where wishes are made
And oh how I wish we had a wedding bell
However, I strongly desire for us to have a wedding bell
Writer(s): Bob Hilliard, David Mann
Contributed by Chloe F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.