Born over a fish and chip shop owned by her grandmother in Molesworth Street, Rochdale, Lancashire, she made her first stage appearance as a child in 1905. Her two sisters, Edith and Betty, and brother, Tommy, all went on to appear on stage, but Gracie was the most successful. Her professional debut in variety took place at the Rochdale Hippodrome theatre in 1910 and she soon gave up her job in the local cotton mill.
She met comedian Archie Pitt and they began working together. Pitt would come to serve as her manager and the two married in 1923. Their first revue in 1915 was called Yes I think so and the two continued to tour Britain together until 1922 in the revue Mr Tower of London.
Her most famous song, which became her theme, "Sally," was worked into the title of her first cinema film, Sally in Our Alley (1931), which was a major box office hit. She went on to make several films initially in Britain and later in the United States (for which she was paid a record fee of US$200,000 for four films), despite never performing without a live audience.
Ironically, the final few lines of the song 'Sally' were written by her husband's mistress, and Gracie sang this song at nearly every performance she made from 1931 onwards.
I Took My Harp to a Party
Gracie Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Christmas is comin' again
But that never thrills me, the thought of it chills me
I tell you it fills me with pain
It makes me remember a Christmas gone by
When I was extremely upset
A night in December, an evening that I
Would very much rather forget
The others were jolly and 'earty but I wasn't feelin' so g**
They might have said play us a tune we can sing
But somehow I don't think they noticed the thing
I took me harp to a party but nobody asked me to play
So I took the darned thing away
They asked Mrs Morgan to play her mouth-organ
And somebody else did a dance
They Let Mrs Carter perform a sonata
But I wasn't given a chance
A north country person called Sandy Mcpherson
Played bagpipes and took off his coat
While both the Miss Fawcetts bust out of their corsets
In trying to take a top note
But I took me harp to a party, nobody asked me to play
The others were jolly and 'earty but I wasn't feelin' so g**
I felt so ashamed at not strikin' a note
That I tried to hide the thing under me coat
I took me harp to a party but nobody asked me to play
So I took the darned thing away
They sang Home Sweet Home and The Banks of Loch Lomond
And All the King's Horses, then Trees
While nephews and nieces kept playin' their pieces
And spreadin' their jam on the keys
A daughter called Lena, played her concertina
We all played ridiculous games
'Til old Mr Dyer, set his whiskers on fire
And a fire engine played on the flames
But I took me harp to a party but nobody asked me to play
So I took the darned thing away!-acap
The song "I Took My Harp to a Party" by Gracie Fields describes the disappointment and embarrassment the singer faced at a Christmas party when she brought her harp but was not asked to play. The lyrics are filled with sarcasm, as the singer reveals that everyone else was given a chance to showcase their talents – from Mrs. Morgan's mouth-organ to Sandy McPherson's bagpipes to Lena's concertina – except for her. The singer even goes as far as trying to hide her harp under her coat, feeling ashamed at not being asked to play. The song is ultimately a commentary on the way society tends to overlook certain talents, and the painful feeling of being left out.
One interesting fact about "I Took My Harp to a Party" is that it was written by Noel Gay, one of the most successful English songwriters of the 1930s. Gay was a prolific writer of musical theatre and film scores, and was particularly known for his collaborations with Gracie Fields. The song was first recorded by Fields in 1934, and became a huge hit in the UK, reaching number one on the charts. It has since become one of her signature songs, and is often considered a classic of British music hall.
Another interesting fact is that the song was inspired by a real-life event. According to legend, Fields attended a party where she brought her harp, but was not asked to play. The experience left her feeling embarrassed and forgotten, and it inspired her to write the song.
"I Took My Harp to a Party" has been covered by many other artists over the years, including Vera Lynn, Dorothy Provine, and Alma Cogan. It has also been featured in numerous films and TV shows, including episodes of Doctor Who and Midsomer Murders.
Line by Line Meaning
Christmas is comin', Christmas is comin'
The holiday season is approaching
Christmas is comin' again
The holiday season is an annual event
But that never thrills me, the thought of it chills me
The upcoming holiday season does not excite the singer, but rather makes them uneasy
I tell you it fills me with pain
The holiday season causes emotional distress for the artist
It makes me remember a Christmas gone by
The artist is reminded of a past Christmas
When I was extremely upset
The singer was very upset during the past Christmas
A night in December, an evening that I
The upsetting past Christmas occurred on a December evening
Would very much rather forget
The artist wishes to forget the upsetting past Christmas
For I took me harp to a party but nobody asked me to play
The artist brought a harp to a party, but was not given an opportunity to play it
The others were jolly and 'earty but I wasn't feelin' so g**
The other party-goers were joyful but the artist was not
They might have said play us a tune we can sing
The singer suggests that someone could have requested a song from them
But somehow I don't think they noticed the thing
The artist feels that their harp was ignored
So I took the darned thing away
The singer removed their harp from the party
They asked Mrs Morgan to play her mouth-organ
Another party-goer was asked to play their musical instrument
And somebody else did a dance
Another party-goer performed a dance
They Let Mrs Carter perform a sonata
Another party-goer was allowed to perform a musical piece
But I wasn't given a chance
The artist was not given an opportunity to perform their harp
A north country person called Sandy Mcpherson
A Scottish person named Sandy McPherson attended the party
Played bagpipes and took off his coat
Sandy McPherson played bagpipes and removed his coat
While both the Miss Fawcetts bust out of their corsets
Two women named Miss Fawcett attempted to hit a high note, causing their corsets to break
In trying to take a top note
The women were attempting to reach a high vocal note
I felt so ashamed at not strikin' a note
The artist felt embarrassed for not being able to play their harp
That I tried to hide the thing under me coat
The singer attempted to conceal their harp under their coat
They sang Home Sweet Home and The Banks of Loch Lomond
The party-goers sang two songs
And All the King's Horses, then Trees
The party-goers sang two more songs
While nephews and nieces kept playin' their pieces
Children at the party played their own musical pieces
And spreadin' their jam on the keys
The children accidentally got jam on the piano keys
A daughter called Lena, played her concertina
A girl named Lena played her concertina
We all played ridiculous games
The party-goers played silly games
'Til old Mr Dyer, set his whiskers on fire
An older man named Mr. Dyer accidentally caught his facial hair on fire
And a fire engine played on the flames
A fire engine was needed to extinguish the flames on Mr. Dyer's face
So I took the darned thing away
The artist removed their harp from the party, feeling ignored and embarrassed
Contributed by Xavier W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Joe Dredd
on In My Little Bottom Drawer
Gracie Fields's song, "In My Little Bottom Drawer," is a humorous take on the life of a spinster who is all prepared for married life. The lyrics describe a woman who has spent years alone, preparing for her future marriage by hoarding various items that she believes will be necessary. She has saved up a bridal gown, an eiderdown, ribbons, bows, and other odds and ends that are all packed up in her little bottom drawer. She has also bought items for her future children, including a baby's cot, a flower pot, and a bassinet.
The woman's preparations extend beyond her home and family, as she has also bought a set of Priestley's works and a case of eggs from Turks. She has answered every advertisement in the Matrimonial Times and is eager to start her life with her future husband. The lyrics are full of humor, but they also reflect the pressure that society places on women to get married and start a family. The woman in the song has internalized this pressure and feels like she must be fully prepared for every aspect of married life.
Overall, "In My Little Bottom Drawer" is a lighthearted song about a woman who has been waiting so long to meet a man that her continued years as a spinster have allowed her to continue adding to her trousseau beyond practicality and reason.
Joe Dredd
on Wish Me Luck (As You Wave Me Goodbye)
Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye is sung from the point of view of a soldier farewelling his girlfriend (or wife) as he leaves for the front. The song was intended to encourage women not to make the men feel sadness and grief as they left home (which would depress morale in the trenches) but to give them cheery goodbyes instead.