Ethel Agnes Zimmerman was born in the third floor bedroom of her grandmother's house at 359 4th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. Growing up near Famous Players-Lasky's Astoria Studios, young Ethel often watched the silent movie stars drive by in their massive cars, and she dreamed of joining their ranks one day. Her powerful voice won attention when her family worshipped at Holy Redeemer Episcopal Church, and she began making local concert appearances. She also frequently attended vaudeville performances at The Palace Theater in Manhattan, watching great stars like Fanny Brice and Sophie Tucker.
Ethel's parents Edward (an accountant) and Agnes (a school teacher) understood Ethel's love of singing, but they did not see show business as a reliable career choice for a woman. They insisted that she get a solid education with thorough training in secretarial skills, so she would have something to fall back on if her dreams of stardom didn't pan out. After Ethel graduating William Cullen Bryant High School, she earned a respectable $28 a week as a stenographer for the owner of a local factory. She picked up extra money by singing at private parties and in night clubs. Ethel was so efficient that her indulgent boss (who only came in two days a week) overlooked her taking nap breaks at the office after late night performances. When Ethel's gigs multiplied, her parents accepted the inevitable and allowed her to give up the day job and sing full-time.
A Lot of Livin' to Do
Ethel Merman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I mean to kiss me a few!
Oh, those girls don't know what they're missin'
I've got a lot of livin' to do!
And there's wine all ready for tastin'
And there's cadillacs all shiny and new!
Got to move, 'cause time is a wastein'
There's music to play, places to go, people to see!
Everything for you and me!
Life's a ball, if only you know it!
And it's all just waiting for you!
You're alive, so go on and show it!
There's such a lot of livin' to do!
Such a lot of livin' to do!
What a lot of livin' to do!
Ethel Merman's "A Lot of Livin' To Do" is a song that advocates for the importance of living one's life to the fullest. The lyrics are focused on the excitement of youth, and the many adventures that life has to offer. Throughout the song Merman sings of the girls who are ripe for kissing and the wine ready for tasting, wanting to make the most of life before it's too late. The song encourages us to take advantage of our youth, to move, spend time with loved ones, and experience all life has to offer.
The lyrics of "A Lot of Livin' To Do" address the youthful desire to enjoy the pleasures of life. In this sense, the first verse implies that we should be kissing the girls who don't yet understand how much they are missing by not taking a chance. The second verse refers to the many vehicles available for us to use to chase our dreams, such as Cadillacs, which are synonymous with luxury, speed, and freedom. The chorus is a celebration of life, with its music, places to go, people to see and things to do. With so much to do in life, it encourages us to live it up and be grateful for the time that we have on this earth.
Line by Line Meaning
There are girls just ripe for some kissin'
There are many young women who I would like to kiss
And I mean to kiss me a few!
I plan on kissing a few of these young women
Oh, those girls don't know what they're missin'
These young women are oblivious to the pleasures they're missing out on
I've got a lot of livin' to do!
I have a lot of experiences to have and a lot of memories to make
And there's wine all ready for tastin'
There is a lot of wine waiting for me to taste
And there's cadillacs all shiny and new!
There are new and shiny Cadillacs awaiting me
Got to move, 'cause time is a wastein'
I need to get moving because time is running out
There's such a lot of livin' to do!
There are so many things to experience in life
There's music to play, places to go, people to see!
There is music to create, places to explore, and people to meet
Everything for you and me!
The world is full of endless opportunities for us
Life's a ball, if only you know it!
Life can be exciting and enjoyable if you know how to appreciate it
And it's all just waiting for you!
The world is open and ready for you to experience it
You're alive, so go on and show it!
Since you are alive, make the most of it and show the world what you are made of
Such a lot of livin' to do!
There are so many experiences we can have in life if we choose to embrace them
What a lot of livin' to do!
How much we can live and experience in this world is incredibly vast
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANK BJORN, JACK HARLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind