Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!
Ella Fitzgerald/Nelson Riddle's Orchestra Lyrics
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I cook the kippers, laugh at his oldest jokes
Yet here I anchor, I might have had a banker
Boy! what love has done to me
His nature`s funny, quarrelsome half the time
And as for money, he hasn`t got a dime
And here`s the joker, I might have had a broker
When a guy looks my way
Does he get emphatic, say he gets dramatic?
I just want to fly `way
But if I left him I`d be all at sea
I`m just a slavery, life is a funny thing
He`s got the gravy, I got a wedding ring
And still I love him, there`s nobody above him
Boy! what love has done to me
His brains are minus,
Never a thought in sight
And yet his highness
Lectures me day and night;
Oh where was my sense
To sign that wedding license?
Boy! What love has done to me!
My life he`s wrecking, bet you could find him now
Out somewhere necking somebody else`s frau
You get to know life when married to a low life
Boy! what love has done to me
I can`t hold my head up
The butcher, the baker, oh no he`s a faker
Brother I am fed up
But if I left him he`d be up a tree
Where will it wind up, I don`t know where I`m at
I make my mind up, I oughta leave him flat
But I have grown so, I love that dirty so-and-so
Boy! what love has done to me
The song "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me" by Ella Fitzgerald and Nelson Riddle's Orchestra paints a picture of a person who is deeply in love with someone who may not be worth their affection. The lyrics speak to the singer's unwavering devotion to a man who is not wealthy, clever, or even kind. They describe the singer's subservience, catering to their partner's every whim, even when it is to their detriment. The chorus repeats the phrase "Boy! What love has done to me," indicating that the singer recognizes how irrational their love is, but cannot help feeling this way.
The verses provide small insights into the relationship's dynamic that may contribute to the singer's frustration. The singer mentions how they might have had a different life, free of the burden that their current partner represents. They describe how other men look at them with interest, but they are too attached to leave. The line "Where was my sense to sign that wedding license?" speaks to the weight of the commitment the singer has made to this person.
Despite all this, the chorus remains the same - "Boy! What love has done to me." The repetition of this line throughout the song emphasizes how the singer has lost themselves in their love for this person.
Line by Line Meaning
I fetch his slippers, fill up the pipe he smokes
I do everything for him, no matter how small, because I love him so much.
I cook the kippers, laugh at his oldest jokes
I try to make him happy in every way possible, including laughing at his jokes that aren't even funny.
Yet here I anchor, I might have had a banker
I feel trapped in this relationship even though I could have had someone with more financial stability.
Boy! what love has done to me
My love for him has made me blind to the negative aspects of this relationship.
His nature`s funny, quarrelsome half the time
His personality is odd and he argues with me often.
And as for money, he hasn`t got a dime
He doesn't have any money, which makes things difficult for us.
And here`s the joker, I might have had a broker
I could have had someone with more financial stability, but I ended up with him.
When a guy looks my way
When another man shows interest in me,
Does he get emphatic, say he gets dramatic?
Does he become jealous and overreact, causing drama?
I just want to fly `way
I sometimes wish to escape from this relationship.
But if I left him I`d be all at sea
If I were to leave him, I would be lost and unsure of where to go next.
I`m just a slavery, life is a funny thing
I feel like his servant and life can be strange sometimes.
He`s got the gravy, I got a wedding ring
He benefits the most from this relationship, while I am stuck with just a wedding ring.
And still I love him, there`s nobody above him
Regardless of all the negative aspects, I still love him more than anyone else.
His brains are minus,
He's not very smart or thoughtful.
Never a thought in sight
He never thinks things through or considers the consequences.
And yet his highness
Despite his shortcomings, he acts like he is above everyone else.
Lectures me day and night;
He talks down to me and lectures me all the time, even though he doesn't have much to say.
Oh where was my sense
I question how I ever ended up with him in the first place.
To sign that wedding license?
Why did I ever agree to marry him?
My life he`s wrecking, bet you could find him now
He's probably causing chaos somewhere right now, even if it's with someone else.
Out somewhere necking somebody else`s frau
He's probably cheating on me with another woman.
You get to know life when married to a low life
Being married to someone like him makes you realize what life is really like.
Boy! what love has done to me
My love for him has made me blind to the negative aspects of this relationship.
I can`t hold my head up
I am so ashamed of my situation and how my life has turned out.
The butcher, the baker, oh no he`s a faker
Everyone else around us is successful with their careers, while he pretends to be someone he's not.
Brother I am fed up
I am so tired of this and can't take it anymore.
But if I left him he`d be up a tree
If I were to leave him, he would be in a very difficult situation.
Where will it wind up, I don`t know where I`m at
I do not know what will happen with this relationship and feel lost.
I make my mind up, I oughta leave him flat
I've thought about leaving him and ending things for good.
But I have grown so, I love that dirty so-and-so
Despite all the negative aspects, I have become too attached to him and still love him.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind