With a vocal range spanning three octaves, she was noted for her purity of tone, phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. She is widely considered to have been one of the supreme interpreters of the Great American Songbook.
The Ink Spots were a rather popular vocal group that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm & blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop. They gained much acceptance in the community.
Little Small Town Girl
Ella Fitzgerald & the Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the big town dreams
Why don′t you stay where you are?
Little small town girl
With the big town schemes
You needn't reach for the stars
That you′re looking for
You'll find in the arms of the boy next door
Little small town girl
All your big town dreams
Will come true in your own hometown
Little small town girl
With the big town dreams
Why don't you stay where you are?
Little small town girl
With the big town schemes
You needn′t reach for the stars
Each little dream
That you′re looking for
You'll find in the arms of the boy next door
Little small town girl
All your big town dreams
Will come true in your own hometown
The lyrics to Ella Fitzgerald & the Ink Spots’s song Little Small Town Girl speaks to a young woman who desires to leave her small town and go to the big city in pursuit of her dreams. However, the song suggests that she should reconsider her decision and stay in the comfort of her hometown. The phrase “little small town girl with the big town dreams” communicates a sense of ambition and eagerness for the young woman’s future. Yet, the song urges her not to look too far beyond her current situation, as her happiness and fulfillment can be found in her own backyard.
The lyrics suggest that this woman need not look further than the boy next door, who likely represents stability and familiarity. “Each little dream that you're looking for/ You'll find in the arms of the boy next door” alludes to the idea that the boy next door can offer the same fulfillment and happiness as the big city or anything beyond the small town. Thus, the song emphasizes contentment in one's surroundings and embracing the present rather than chasing after a distant and perhaps unrealistic future.
Line by Line Meaning
Little small town girl
This refers to a girl who grew up in a small town
With the big town dreams
Despite growing up in a small town, she aspires to big things in life
Why don't you stay where you are?
The song questions why she would want to leave her home town
Little small town girl
This phrase is repeated to emphasize her upbringing
With the big town schemes
She has ambitions to achieve success in a larger city
You needn't reach for the stars
The song reassures her that she doesn't need to aim for something so grand and that she can still be happy with smaller goals
Each little dream
Even the smallest aspirations
That you're looking for
That she is reaching for
You'll find in the arms of the boy next door
She doesn't need to go far to find love and happiness, it can be found in someone who is already around her
Little small town girl
Repetition for emphasis
All your big town dreams
The song acknowledges her ambition, but reminds her that it can still be achieved from her own small town
Will come true in your own hometown
She doesn't need to leave to achieve her dreams, they can come true right where she is
Writer(s): Heather Lynn Morgan, Ross Copperman
Contributed by Amelia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TValeckT
Amazing duet
Oldies channel
Interesting! Ella Fitzgerald and The Ink Spots made enough collabarations to comprise a compilation! (Wonder if anyones done that yet?)