Bewitched
Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics


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After one whole quart of brandy
Like a daisy, I'm awake
With no bromo-seltzer handy
I don't even shake

Men are not a new sensation
I've done pretty well I think
But this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink

I'm wild again, beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep
When love came and told me, I shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

Lost my heart, but what of it
He is cold I agree
He can laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me

I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And long, for the day when I'll cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

He's a fool and don't I know it
But a fool can have his charms
I'm in love and don't I show it
Like a babe in arms

Love's the same old sad sensation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink

I've sinned a lot, I'm mean a lot
But I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

I'll sing to him, each spring to him
And worship the trousers that cling to him
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

When he talks, he is seeking
Words to get, off his chest
Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best

Vexed again, perplexed again
Thank god, I can be oversexed again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

Wise at last, my eyes at last,
Are cutting you down to your size at last
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more

Burned a lot, but learned a lot
And now you are broke, so you earned a lot
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more

Couldn't eat, was dispeptic
Life was so hard to bear
Now my heart's antiseptic
Since you moved out of there

Romance, finis. your chance, finis.




Those ants that invaded my pants, finis.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to “Bewitched” talk about a woman who has fallen head over heels in love with a charming man who has got her feeling like a child again. Although the man is a fool who can make her feel vexed and perplexed, she can’t help but be beguiled by him. Throughout the song, she speaks about her infatuation with this man that has put her on the blink, making her act like she is sweet seventeen again. At the end of the song, she realizes that she was burned by this half-pint imitation, hence she has learned from it, moving on and no longer feeling bewildered.


The song is about falling in love and the vulnerabilities involved in that state, which Ella Fitzgerald interpreted brilliantly. Her voice perfectly captures the feeling of being young and in love with someone, and the sense of longing and being beguiled. The lyrics are humorous, playful, and tender all at once. The end of the song is a punchline of sorts, as the singer triumphantly declares that she is wise, burned, and has learned from this experience, and doesn't feel bewildered anymore.


Line by Line Meaning

After one whole quart of brandy
I got hammered last night and drank an entire quart of brandy


Like a daisy, I'm awake
Surprisingly, despite the massive amount of alcohol I consumed, I woke up feeling happy and refreshed


With no bromo-seltzer handy
Unfortunately, I don't have any bromo-seltzer on hand to help with my hangover


I don't even shake
But for some reason, I'm not experiencing any shakes or tremors


Men are not a new sensation
I've been around the block and have dealt with men before


I've done pretty well I think
I've had some successes and failures in my attempts to navigate the dating world


But this half-pint imitation
But this latest guy I'm involved with is not quite up to par; he's a bit of a disappointment


Put me on the blink
And he's really throwing me for a loop


I'm wild again, beguiled again
Despite his shortcomings, I'm still feeling a spark of passion and intrigue for him


A simpering, whimpering child again
But at the same time, I can't help but feeling a little foolish and immature for letting this guy affect me so much


Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I
So all in all, I'm feeling a jumble of emotions and am not quite sure how to proceed or what to make of my current situation


Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep
Since getting involved with him, I've had trouble sleeping


When love came and told me, I shouldn't sleep
But oddly enough, when I'm around him, I get the impression that I'm not supposed to sleep or rest


Lost my heart, but what of it
I've fallen for him despite his flaws


He is cold I agree
But objectively, I know that he's not the warmest or most caring guy out there


He can laugh, but I love it
One of his few good qualities is that he has a great sense of humor


Although the laugh's on me
But unfortunately, he likes to use his humor to make fun of me or put me down


I'll sing to him, each spring to him
Despite all his negative qualities, I still find myself trying to woo him and show my affection in various ways


And long, for the day when I'll cling to him
I dream of the day when we can finally be together and I can feel close to him


He's a fool and don't I know it
I'm well aware that he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but for some reason I still feel drawn to him


But a fool can have his charms
I have to admit that his lack of intelligence does have a certain appeal


I'm in love and don't I show it
It's clear to everyone around me that I'm head over heels for this guy


Like a babe in arms
And in many ways, I feel as helpless and vulnerable as a young child


Love's the same old sad sensation
Despite all the happy moments, being in love is still a rollercoaster of highs and lows that can leave you feeling down and blue


Lately I've not slept a wink
And lately, my infatuation with this guy has been keeping me up at night


Since this half-pint imitation
As I mentioned before, he's not exactly the perfect specimen of a man


Put me on the blink
And he has a way of messing with my head and making me feel confused and discombobulated


I've sinned a lot, I'm mean a lot
Despite my generally good intentions, I've made some mistakes along the way and haven't always treated him or others as well as I should


But I'm like sweet seventeen a lot
But at my core, I still have that youthful, innocent side to me that longs for romance and passion


Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I
So my emotions are still all over the place, and I'm not sure if I'm coming or going


And worship the trousers that cling to him
But despite everything else, I can't help but feel an intense physical desire for him and his body


When he talks, he is seeking
When we have conversations, I get the sense that he's always trying to get something off of his chest or express himself in some way


Words to get, off his chest
He seems to have a lot of thoughts and feelings that he needs to share with someone


Horizontally speaking, he's at his very best
And when we're intimate, he really knows how to please me physically


Vexed again, perplexed again
Despite all this, I'm still feeling vexed and confused about our situation


Thank god, I can be oversexed again
But at least in the physical realm, I can take comfort in the fact that I still have my desires and passions to keep me going


Wise at last, my eyes at last,
Finally, after all this time, I'm starting to see things more clearly and make better decisions for myself


Are cutting you down to your size at last
And as a result, I'm realizing that he's not as great as I once thought he was; he has plenty of flaws and I'm not afraid to call him out on them


Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more
So overall, I'm feeling more in control of my emotions and ready to move on from this confusing, tumultuous chapter of my life


Burned a lot, but learned a lot
I may have had a lot of negative experiences in the past, but at least I can say that I've learned a thing or two about love and relationships


And now you are broke, so you earned a lot
And despite all the pain and heartbreak, I can take comfort in the fact that I've emerged from this experience a stronger, wiser person


Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more
So goodbye to all the confusion, heartache, and craziness...I'm finally ready to move on with my life and leave this guy behind


Couldn't eat, was dispeptic
When we were still together, my love life was so tumultuous and rocky that I had trouble eating or digesting food properly


Life was so hard to bear
Simply put, things were really tough during that time period


Now my heart's antiseptic
But after all the pain and turmoil, I'm finally starting to heal and feel better about myself and my life


Since you moved out of there
And the main reason for that is because I no longer have this guy in my life, making things more difficult than they need to be


Romance, finis. your chance, finis.
So it seems like our romantic connection has officially come to an end, and I don't see us getting back together anytime soon


Those ants that invaded my pants, finis.
And all those passionate, wild feelings that used to consume me are finally starting to calm down and dissipate


Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - no more
So goodbye to all the drama and craziness...I'm moving on to bigger and better things




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@tuxguys

From 1956, from the second of Miss Ella's "Songbooks," following the "Cole Porter Songbook," and preceding the "Duke Ellington Songbook."
Although the entire LP is arranged and conducted by Buddy Bregman, a few of the cuts feature small-group accompaniment, as does this one:
Paul Smith (pano), Barney Kessel (guitar), Joe Mondragon (bass), Alvin Stoller (drums).
Taking Miss Ella's own Instrumental and Musical perfection as a given, please give all props to those backing her up, flawlessly, as they execute one of the best rhythm section arrangements ever written.
And the song itself?
First verse/Chorus:
She's head-over-heels by a new infatuation... He practically walks on water, and she hangs on his every word.
Second verse/Chorus:
She's much more grounded in reality now... but the sex is incredible, so she's willing to put up with any shortcomings of his, of which she has now become aware.
Third Chorus:
She's had enough.
If there has ever been a more urbane lyric, honestly describing the stages of most love affairs, set to more elegant Music, I have yet to hear it.
And if there has ever been a more perfect performance of of this tune...
...then it has never been put on record.



@t.s.t.4085

After one whole quart of brandy, like a daisy, I'm awake:)
With no Bromo-Seltzer handy, I don't even shake.
Men are not a new sensation:)
I've done pretty well, I think.....
But this half pint imitation, put me on the blink (brink?).
I'm wild again, beguiled again, a simpering, whimpering child again.....
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered, am I.....

Couldn't sleep, and wouldn't sleep......
When love came and told me, I shouldn't sleep.
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered, am I...



All comments from YouTube:

@assateaguecottage8378

This is the most beautiful song ever written and sung

@irenerosenberg3609

The best jazz vocal performance of all time!

@tuxguys

From 1956, from the second of Miss Ella's "Songbooks," following the "Cole Porter Songbook," and preceding the "Duke Ellington Songbook."
Although the entire LP is arranged and conducted by Buddy Bregman, a few of the cuts feature small-group accompaniment, as does this one:
Paul Smith (pano), Barney Kessel (guitar), Joe Mondragon (bass), Alvin Stoller (drums).
Taking Miss Ella's own Instrumental and Musical perfection as a given, please give all props to those backing her up, flawlessly, as they execute one of the best rhythm section arrangements ever written.
And the song itself?
First verse/Chorus:
She's head-over-heels by a new infatuation... He practically walks on water, and she hangs on his every word.
Second verse/Chorus:
She's much more grounded in reality now... but the sex is incredible, so she's willing to put up with any shortcomings of his, of which she has now become aware.
Third Chorus:
She's had enough.
If there has ever been a more urbane lyric, honestly describing the stages of most love affairs, set to more elegant Music, I have yet to hear it.
And if there has ever been a more perfect performance of of this tune...
...then it has never been put on record.

@khenali25u8

What I wouldn't give to go back in time and see her perform in concert. I was born around the time she died. I love you Ella!!! I hope your spirit knows that

@bernardyap2337

Probably the most beautiful voice I have ever heard

@Cimmerian415

Agreed.

@Susan-cw1lc

@helaina400

Larry Harts lyrics are phenomenal and Ella singing them is perfection

@mariateresamars

💚💙

@musicrocksoffical

We love you Ella. Dearly missed. ❤️❤️❤️

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