Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as the "F… Read Full Bio ↴Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz vocalist. With a vocal range spanning three octaves, she was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.

She is widely considered one of the supreme interpreters of the Great American Songbook. Over a recording career that lasted 59 years, she was the winner of 13 Grammy Awards and was awarded the National Medal of Art by Ronald Reagan and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H. W. Bush.

Misty
Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look at me
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
And I feel like I'm clingin' to a cloud
I can't understand
I get misty, just holding your hand

Walk my way
And a thousand violins begin to play

Or it might be the sound of your hello
That music I hear
I get misty whenever you're near

Don't you know that you're leading me on?
And it's just what I want you to do
Can't you see that I'm hopelessly lost?
That's why I'm following you

On my own
When I wander through this wonderland alone
Never knowing my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove
I'm too misty, and too much in love

Too misty

And too much
Too much in love

Overall Meaning

The song Misty, originally written by Erroll Garner, is a ballad that has become a jazz standard. The song is about a person's feelings of helplessness and mistiness when they are around the person they love. The first stanza compares the feeling of being helpless to a kitten stuck in a tree, and clinging to a cloud. The person cannot comprehend why they feel misty and lost when they hold hands with the person they love. The next stanza is a description of the person's reaction when the person they love walks towards them. It is as if a thousand violins are playing or the sound of their hello leaves the person feeling misty, alluding to the power of the person's presence.

Line by Line Meaning

Look at me
I am staring at you, hoping you will notice me.

I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
I feel vulnerable and exposed.

And I feel like I'm clingin' to a cloud
I am euphoric and seem to be floating on air.

I can't understand
I am confused by these feelings.

I get misty, just holding your hand
I become emotional and overwhelmed with love when I touch you.

Walk my way
Come towards me and be with me.

And a thousand violins begin to play
My love for you is so strong, it feels like a magical musical experience.

Or it might be the sound of your hello
Even a simple greeting from you makes me happy.

That music I hear
The way you make me feel sounds like a symphony in my head.

I get misty whenever you're near
When you're around me, I become emotional and overwhelmed.

Don't you know that you're leading me on?
Do you realize that you are making me fall for you?

And it's just what I want you to do
I am willing to let you continue playing with my emotions because being close to you is what I desire the most.

Can't you see that I'm hopelessly lost?
I am so deeply in love with you that I have lost all sense of direction without you.

That's why I'm following you
I am devoted and enamored with you, which is why I will do anything to be near you.

On my own
When I am alone.

When I wander through this wonderland alone
When I am alone, I feel as though life is a magical place.

Never knowing my right foot from my left
I feel lost and uncertain in life.

My hat from my glove
I am so preoccupied thinking of you that I cannot even manage to keep track of my possessions.

I'm too misty, and too much in love
My emotions have overwhelmed me, causing me to be lost in love and confused.

Too misty
I am clouded by my emotions.

And too much
My love is too intense and overbearing.

Too much in love
My love for you is all-consuming and too strong.

Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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