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.
Way Way Down
Georgia Gibbs Lyrics
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Now she seems quite out of place, like a fallen star
Draped around my kitchen sink , Happy as can be
I just have to stop and think, Why she fell for me.
I'm not much to look at, nothing to see
Just glad I'm livin' and lucky to be
I got a woman crazy for me
I can't save a dollar, ain't worth a cent
She doesn't holler she'd live in a tent
I got a woman crazy for me
She's funny that way.
Tho' she loves to work and slave for me ev'ry day
She'd be so much better off if I went away.
But why should I leave her, why should I go
She'd be unhappy without me I know
I got a woman crazy for me
She's funny that way.
She should have the very best, Anyone can see
Still she's diff'rent from the rest, satisfied with me.
While I worry plan and scheme, Over what to do
Can't help feeling it's a dream, Too good to be true.
Never had nothin'; no one to care
That's why I seem to have more than my share,
I got a woman, crazy for me,
She's funny that way.
When I hurt her feelings, once in a while,
Her only answer is one little smile,
I got a woman crazy for me.
She's funny that way.
I can see no other way and no better plan,
End it all and let her go to some better man;
But I'm only human, coward at best
I'm more than certain she'd follow me west,
I got a woman crazy for me,
She's funny that way.
In this song, the singer reflects on his relationship with a woman who is clearly besotted with him despite his many flaws. He marvels at the fact that she once lived a life of luxury but is now content to be with him and do his domestic chores. He recognizes that he's not much to look at and is poor, but for some reason, she loves him anyway. Even when he hurts her feelings, she responds with a smile rather than anger. Despite acknowledging that he's not a great catch, the singer can't help but feel that he's lucky to have this woman in his life.
This song speaks to the power of love and the ways in which it can transcend social and economic differences. The singer's partner is clearly from a very different background than he is; she used to ride in a Rolls Royce and wear silks and lace, while he can't save a dollar and is lucky to be alive. Nevertheless, she loves him for who he is, flaws and all. At the same time, the song also hints at some darker themes, such as the singer's belief that he's not worthy of this woman's love and his fear that she would follow him even if he left her or did something foolish.
Line by Line Meaning
Once she dressed in silks and lace, Owned a Rolls Royce car
She used to live a luxurious lifestyle with expensive clothes and a high-end car.
Now she seems quite out of place, like a fallen star
However, now she feels out of place and disconnected from that lifestyle, like someone who fell from grace.
Draped around my kitchen sink , Happy as can be
Despite that, she is content being in their humble home and being with her partner, as seen by her happily lounging around the kitchen sink.
I just have to stop and think, Why she fell for me.
The artist is amazed and grateful that this person is in a relationship with them and wonders how they got so lucky.
I'm not much to look at, nothing to see
The artist doesn't see themselves as attractive or impressive in any way.
Just glad I'm livin' and lucky to be
Despite that, they are grateful for the gift of life and the happiness that their partner brings them.
I got a woman crazy for me
The singer's partner is deeply in love with them.
She doesn't holler she'd live in a tent
Their partner isn't materialistic and is willing to live in subpar conditions as long as they are together.
Tho' she loves to work and slave for me ev'ry day
Their partner is willing to work hard and take care of them on a daily basis.
She'd be so much better off if I went away.
However, the artist believes that their partner would be better off without them.
But why should I leave her, why should I go
Despite that, the singer doesn't want to leave their partner.
I got a woman crazy for me
Their partner's love for them is still the main motivation for staying together.
Still she's diff'rent from the rest, satisfied with me.
Their partner is different from others and is content with their current relationship, which amazes the singer.
Can't help feeling it's a dream, Too good to be true.
The singer can't shake the feeling that their happiness is surreal and might not last forever.
I got a woman, crazy for me
Their partner's love is truly something remarkable to the singer.
Her only answer is one little smile
Even when the artist upsets their partner, they always forgive them with a smile.
End it all and let her go to some better man;
The artist considers ending the relationship so their partner can find someone better than they are.
I'm more than certain she'd follow me west,
However, they know that their partner would follow them wherever they go, revealing the strength and depth of their love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NEIL MORET, RICHARD WHITING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind