She was born in Hungary to professional musician parents who toured worldwide. Educated in Switzerland, she studied piano before joining her parents on tour as The Three Hugos. When World War II was declared, the family left England with the Boswell Circus. She married, and as Eve Boswell became a popular singing star in South Africa.
In 1949, she was heard by bandleader Geraldo (Gerald Bright), who persuaded her to return to the United Kingdom as a singer in his band, which was widely heard on BBC Radio. Boswell parted with Geraldo in 1952, and launched a solo career. Her first hit record came that year with "Sugar Bush", partly sung in Afrikaans. She appeared in the Royal Variety Performance and toured widely with comedian Derek Roy, before getting her own radio show in 1954.
Her major chart hit came with "Pickin' a Chicken", a South African tune with new words, which rose to No 9 on the UK Singles Chart at the start of 1956. Her first LP, Sugar and Spice, on which she sang 10 songs in nine different languages, followed later in the year. A continuous programme of radio work and tours followed, leading to more than one mental breakdown.
She faded from public view as public tastes for pop music changed through the late 1950s and 1960s, eventually returning to live in South Africa.
Heatwave
Eve Boswell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising
She certainly can can-can
She started a heatwave by letting her seat wave
In such a way that the customers say
That she certainly can can-can
Gee,gee! Her anatomy makes the mercury rise to 93
That thermometer proves that she certainly can
(What's your name honey? Pablo), certainly can
(Chico, Miguelito, Pablo, Chico, Miguelito) oh, can-can
Pablo, it's saying here in the weather report
It's saying a fairly warm air is moving in from (Where?) Jamaica
Moderately high air pressure will cover the NE and (where else?)
The Deep South, Small danger of (what?) Fruit frost!
Hot and humid nights can be expected
Vincent 95, Guadeloupe 97, Santo Domingo 99, Pardon me? 105?
We're having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave
The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising
I certainly can can-can
I started this heatwave in such a way
That the customers say that I certainly can can-can
The man who need makes the mercury rise to 93
We're having a heatwave, a tropical, a tropical heatwave
The way that I move, that thermometer grooves
She certainly certainly certainly can
I certainly, certainly, certainly can can-can
The lyrics to Eve Boswell's song Heatwave are an homage to the sensuality and spontaneity of a hot summer night. The song describes how the temperature is rising due to a tropical heatwave, and how the singer and other characters depicted in the lyrics - such as the woman who "can-can" and the "man who need" - are all experiencing the heat in different ways. There's a sense of joyful abandon in the lyrics, as if the heatwave is a catalyst for people to let go of their inhibitions and enjoy life to the fullest.
One of the most interesting aspects of the lyrics is how they play with sound and rhythm. The repetition of the phrase "certainly can" creates a playful, almost tongue-in-cheek effect, as if the singer is winking at the audience and acknowledging the song's own campy, over-the-top quality. The use of onomatopoeia, such as "gee-gee" to evoke the sound of a horse neighing, adds to the sense of whimsy and fun. There's also a nod to the popular music of the time, with references to Latin American countries such as Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and Santo Domingo, which was a common trope in many songs of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! We're having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave
The weather is really hot and humid, like a tropical climate
The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising
It's getting hotter, which is not unexpected
She certainly can can-can
She's a great dancer and can do the can-can dance
She started a heatwave by letting her seat wave
She moved her body in a way that got everyone excited and made them feel hot
In such a way that the customers say
The people watching her were so impressed that they couldn't help but comment on it
That she certainly can can-can
They were all amazed by her dancing skills
Gee,gee! Her anatomy makes the mercury rise to 93
Her body is so attractive and sexy that it's making everyone feel even hotter
Having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave, the way that she moves
The combination of the hot weather and her sexy dance moves is making everyone feel really hot and sweaty
That thermometer proves that she certainly can
The thermometer is showing how hot it is, which is further proof of how good she is at dancing
(What's your name honey? Pablo), certainly can
He's impressed by her and acknowledges how good she is at dancing, even calling her by name
(Chico, Miguelito, Pablo, Chico, Miguelito) oh, can-can
He's excited by her dancing and can't stop talking about it and calling out for more can-can
Pablo, it's saying here in the weather report
He's looking at the weather report and relaying the information to someone named Pablo
It's saying a fairly warm air is moving in from (Where?) Jamaica
The weather is hot because warm air is coming from Jamaica
Moderately high air pressure will cover the NE and (where else?) The Deep South
The air pressure is also high, which is contributing to the hot weather in the Northeast and the Deep South
Small danger of (what?) Fruit frost!
There's a low chance of fruit being damaged by frost, which shows how hot it is because frost usually happens in cold weather
Hot and humid nights can be expected
It's not only hot during the day, but also at night and it's very humid
Vincent 95, Guadeloupe 97, Santo Domingo 99, Pardon me? 105?
He's reporting the temperatures in different places, which are all very hot, including one place that's as hot as 105 degrees
I started this heatwave in such a way
She's saying that it was her dancing that got everyone feeling hot and excited
That the customers say that I certainly can can-can
The people watching her were so impressed by her dancing that they couldn't help but comment on how good she was
We're having a heatwave, a tropical, a tropical heatwave
It's really hot and humid, like a tropical climate
The way that I move, that thermometer grooves
Her dance moves are so good that they're having an effect on the thermometer, which further proves how hot it is
She certainly certainly certainly can
She's so good at dancing that she deserves to be praised multiple times
I certainly, certainly, certainly can can-can
She's saying that she's also really good at dancing and deserves to be recognized for it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gareth Dawkins
Thank you for posting, great version of this song with super arrangement from I think Tony Osborne