Gibbs was the youngest of four children of Russian Jewish immigrant parents.Her father died when she was six months old, and she spent her first seven years in an orphanage in Worcester, separated from her other siblings.
She revealed a natural talent for singing at a very young age, and was given the lead in the orphanage's yearly variety show. She was reunited with her mother (who had visited her once every other month) when the latter found employment as a midwife. However, her job often forced her to leave her daughter alone for weeks at a time with only a Philco radio for company.
Gibbs began her professional career at the age of thirteen, and was singing in Boston's Raymor Ballroom the following year. She cut her first record with the Hudson-DeLange Orchestra in 1936 (aged 16 or 17). "You don't really know loneliness unless you do a year or two with a one-night band, Gibbs said of her life on the big band circuit. sing until about 2 a.m. Get in a bus and drive 400 miles. Stop in the night for the greasy hamburger. Arrive in a town. Try to sleep. Get up and eat." (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, May 12, 1994.)
She soon found steady work on popular radio shows including Your Hit Parade, Melody Puzzles and The Tim And Irene Show. Gibbs freelanced in the late 1930s and 1940s singing with the bands of Frankie Trumbauer, Hal Kemp, Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw. It was with Shaw's band (then billed as Fredda Gibson) that she scored her first hit, Absent Minded Moon (1942).
In 1943, she changed her name to Georgia Gibbs and began appearing on the popular Camel Caravan radio program, hosted by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore (it was Moore who bestowed the famous nickname "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs" upon her). The nickname is a playful reference to her diminutive stature of barely over 5 feet. She was a regular performer on this show until 1947.
Gibbs signed with Majestic Records in 1946, and while she recorded many great records she would have to wait until 1950 for her first hit single, If I Knew You Were Coming, I'd Have Baked A Cake (on the Coral label). During this period she also was the featured singer on tours with comedians Danny Kaye and Sid Caesar. Miss Gibbs had a natural talent for comedy as well, and worked well in support of the immensely popular Kaye. But success as a singer continued to elude her. As noted in a 1952 Time article:
"Georgia," they kept telling her, "you gotta get a sound." Musical soothsayers were trying to get Songstress Georgia Gibbs into line with the latest fashion. Perhaps, they thought, she should sing mechanized duets with herself (like Patti Page), or she might try an echo chamber background (like Peggy Lee). But gimmicks were not Georgia Gibbs's cup of tea. She had a big, old-fashioned voice, a good ear, a vivacious personality, and she knew how to sing from the shoulder. She would stick with plain Georgia Gibbs.
And she eventually had success "sticking with plain Georgia Gibbs". Possessed of a versatile voice, she cut a long list of great records in every category from torch songs to rock-and-roll, to jazz, swing, old fashioned ballads and cha-chas. Her most successful record was Kiss Of Fire which reached the #1 position on the pop music charts in 1952. Kiss of Fire was adapted from the Argentinian tango El Choclo and the lyrics, arrangement and delivery communicate passion on a Wagnerian scale. It immediately became one of the defining songs of the era.
Sultry and throbbing, with a touch of vibrato, Georgia Gibbs' voice is best showcased on romantic ballads and torch songs like Melancholy Baby, I'll Be Seeing You, Autumn Leaves and You Keep Coming Back Like A Song. Yet she could be equally thrilling belting out a red hot jazz numbers like Red Hot Mama and A-Razz-A-Ma-Tazz, or jiving with tunes like Ol Man Mose and Shoo Shoo Baby. Her Swingin' With Her Nibbs album (1956) demonstrated her natural affinity for improvisation as well.
Gibbs continued to be a frequent visitor to the charts throughout the first half of the decade (with over 40 charted songs), and was briefly successful doing rock 'n' roll songs as well. She appeared on many television shows throughout the decade, including the legendary Ed Sullivan show, and hosted one of her own, Georgia Gibbs And Her Million Record Show. She cut her final album, Call Me (1966) and rarely performed after that.
She spent many years being best known for her cover versions of Etta James' The Wallflower (recorded by Gibbs with modified lyrics under the title Dance With Me Henry) and of LaVern Baker's Tweedle Dee (which created some ado due to Ms. Baker's vociferous complaints) and for her novelty number The Hula Hoop Song, which was her last hit, in 1958.
Georgia Gibbs died of leukemia on December 9, 2006, aged 87, at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
If I Had You
Georgia Gibbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could be glad all of the while
I could change the grey skies to blues
If I had you
I could leave the old days behind
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
I could start my life all a new
If I had you
Sail the mighty ocean wide
I could cross the burning desert
If I had you by my side
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
Humble or poor, rich or renowned
There is nothing I couldn't do
If I had you
I could show the world how to smile
I could be glad all of the while
I could change the grey skies to blues
If I had you
I could leave the old days behind
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
I could start my life all a new
If I had you
I could climb the snow capped mountains
Sail the mighty ocean wide
I could cross the burning desert
If I had you by my side
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
Humble or poor, rich or renowned
There is nothing I couldn't do
The lyrics of Georgia Gibbs's song "If I Had You" convey a message of hope and possibility. The singer imagines a life full of adventure and joy, all made possible by the presence of their loved one. The lyrics imply that the singer's life is currently lacking in these things, but with the right person by their side, anything is possible. The words "I could show the world how to smile" suggest that the singer feels a sense of responsibility to spread positivity and happiness. They believe that their loved one could help them achieve this goal, and in turn, they could inspire others to do the same.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer is willing to let go of their past and start fresh. They declare that they could leave behind their old life and friends if necessary, to pursue a new and better life with their loved one. The line "I could be a king, dear, uncrowned" indicates that the singer is not concerned with status or material possessions; they believe that their loved one is all they need to feel successful and content in life.
Overall, the lyrics of "If I Had You" are a romantic and hopeful tribute to the power of love. The singer imagines a life full of adventure and possibility made possible by the presence of their loved one. The song suggests that with the right person by our side, we can overcome any obstacle and achieve our dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I could show the world how to smile
I would have the ability to spread happiness and positivity to everyone around me.
I could be glad all of the while
I could maintain a constant state of joy and contentment.
I could change the grey skies to blues
I could turn difficult or unpleasant situations into positive ones with the power of love and companionship.
If I had you
I could leave the old days behind
I could move on from past experiences that may have held me back and start fresh with a new outlook on life.
Leave all my pals, I'd never mind
I wouldn't mind leaving behind my old life and friends if it meant having you by my side.
I could start my life all a new
I could begin a new phase of my life without any regrets or attachments to the past.
If I had you
I could climb the snow capped mountains
I could conquer any challenge or obstacle, no matter how daunting or difficult.
Sail the mighty ocean wide
I could explore new horizons and embark on great adventures, buoyed by the strength of our love.
I could cross the burning desert
I could endure and overcome difficult or trying circumstances, no matter the cost.
If I had you by my side
I could be a king, dear, uncrowned
I could have all the power and riches in the world, but it would pale in comparison to the greatness of our love.
Humble or poor, rich or renowned
No matter my circumstances or social standing, I would still be the happiest and most fulfilled person in the world with you by my side.
There is nothing I couldn't do
With the power of our love and companionship, I could accomplish anything and everything that I set my mind to.
If I had you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GORDON MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sireceh
"I'll Always Be In Love With You" (Bud Green, Herman Ruby, Sam Stept) is left out from the title. A nice surprise though.