The title is a Biblical quotation, both from Luke 4:5-8 referring to the Temptation of Jesus by Satan and from Matthew 16:23, spoken by Jesus to Peter.
Get Thee Behind Me Satan
Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would be to capture me
But you had such persistence,
You wore down my resistance
I fell, and it was swell
You're my big and brave and handsome romeo
How I won you, I shall never, never know
It's not that you're attractive
But, oh, my heart grew active
When you came into view
I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie
All the day and night-time,
Hear me sigh
I never had the least notion
That I could fall with so much emotion
Could you coo?
Could you care
For a cunning cottage we could share?
The world will pardon my mush
'cause I've got a crush, my baby, on you
Could you coo?
Could you care
For a cunning cottage we could share?
The world will pardon my mush
'cause I've got a crush, my baby, on you
Yes, I've got a crush, my baby, on you
In the song "Get Thee Behind Me Satan," Ella Fitzgerald employs religious language to describe her lover's power over her. She personifies temptation and sin by singling out Satan. The line "How glad the many millions of Timothy's and Williams would be to capture me" suggests that there are many other men vying for her affections but that her lover has been persistent and successful in winning her over.
The lyric "It's not that you're attractive, but oh my heart grew active when you came into view" continues this theme of the overwhelming power of attraction. It suggests that her lover's charm and personality have won her over despite not being conventionally attractive. The line "I never had the least notion that I could fall with so much emotion" suggests that this is a surprising and unexpected feeling for Ella Fitzgerald, as though she didn't think she was capable of falling in love so deeply.
The final part of the song suggests that Ella is willing to give herself up completely to her lover, asking if he could coo and care for a cottage they could share. This goes beyond mere infatuation and suggests that she is willing to commit herself to him entirely. The final line of the song, "Yes, I've got a crush, my baby, on you," repeated twice, emphasizes her complete devotion to her lover.
Line by Line Meaning
How glad the many millions of timothy's and Williams
There are many other people who are happy and content without me.
Would be to capture me
They would love to have me in their lives.
But you had such persistence,
But you didn't give up on pursuing me.
You wore down my resistance
You eventually convinced me to give in to your advances.
I fell, and it was swell
I gave in to your advances, and it felt great.
You're my big and brave and handsome romeo
You are my ideal partner, strong and handsome like Romeo from Shakespeare's play.
How I won you, I shall never, never know
I still can't believe that you chose me as your partner.
It's not that you're attractive
Your looks were not the only thing that drew me to you.
But, oh, my heart grew active
I felt my heart come to life when I saw you.
When you came into view
When you entered my life.
I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie
I have developed strong feelings of attraction towards you.
All the day and night-time,
I think about you all the time, every day and night.
Hear me sigh
I sigh with pleasure when I think of you.
I never had the least notion
I never expected to feel this way about anyone.
That I could fall with so much emotion
That I could feel such intense emotions for someone else.
Could you coo?
Could you speak softly and gently, like a dove?
Could you care
Do you have feelings for me?
For a cunning cottage we could share?
Would you like to live together in a small, cozy home?
The world will pardon my mush
Other people might find my feelings too sentimental or emotional, but that doesn't matter to me.
'cause I've got a crush, my baby, on you
Because I am deeply attracted to you.
Yes, I've got a crush, my baby, on you
I am still in love with you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
zggong
Best voice, possibly best musical soul of all time
fred flintstone
@vittoriostoraro not unless someone pays me...a LOT...like i get to own the company so that i can close it down...they don't even sing in English...get thee behind me opera...
vittoriostoraro
She was astonishing. However no one person is “the best”, clearly you don’t listen to opera.
Prometheus
aretha franklin
Muddy Plugger
Outer Range brought me here , a very talented young lady ....magic
Anne Godwin
Me, four! I've never watched such a SSSLLLOOOOOWWWWW movie/series/video. I want to know what's going on but don't know if I can stand watching much more without increasing the playback speed. Love this music and all the music in OR.
fred flintstone
@terrymurray530 me three...i know/have a LOT of ella's music...never heard this one before...
Leo Eilts
@terrymurray530 yup, me too. I produce a weekly internet radio show and am going to include this one.
terrymurray530
Me too
C R
Same