Helen O'Connell joined the Jimmy Dorsey band in 1939 and achieved her best selling records in the early forties with "Green Eyes", "Amapola", and "Tangerine". In each of these Latin-influenced numbers, Bob Eberly crooned the song which Helen then reprised in an up-tempo arrangement. Helen won the 1940 Metronome magazine poll for best female vocalist. She was one of the first "girls" on NBC's The Today Show, and at one point had her own television show.
Helen retired from show business upon her first marriage in 1943. Helen had four daughters and eight grandchildren. When the first marriage failed, she embarked on a solo career in 1951, achieving some chart success and becoming a regular television performer. Helen has married a total of four times.
She co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants with Bob Barker from 1972 to 1980.
In her last marriage, she was married to arranger/conductor/composer Frank De Vol when she died in San Diego, California from a battle with hepatitis C resulting in primary liver cancer (hepatoma).
I Got It Bad
Helen O'connell Lyrics
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Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
The lyrics of Helen O'connell's song "I Got It Bad" detail the singer's turbulent relationship with a man she is both infatuated with and unhappy with. Despite being advised to "save [her] tears", the singer cannot help but be consumed by her emotions towards the man, confessing that she is "so mad about him" and "can't live without him". The man never treats her as well as she feels she deserves, exemplified by the line "never treats me sweet and gentle/the way he should". The singer's heart is "so sentimental" that she cannot help but be affected by the man's treatment of her, and she admits that although "I've got it bad/And that ain't good", she cannot bring herself to leave him.
The lyrics also touch on the couple's rituals, such as drinking gin and praying together. However, the singer can't shake the feeling that the man doesn't love her as much as she loves him, and this unrequited love is the root of her troubles. The song's lyrics are poignant and capture the complexities of a relationship with an uneven balance of power and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Though folks with good intentions
Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
Despite the wise advice of friends and family to move on, I am so deeply in love with him it's impossible to let go.
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
He doesn't treat me with the tenderness and care that I deserve, but I can't help but desire him despite his shortcomings.
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good
My heart is ruled by my intense emotions towards him, even though my mind tells me it's not logical to feel this way.
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
In the moments when we are together, catching up over drinks or having deep conversations, I forget all my doubts and reservations about our relationship.
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Despite my intense feelings for him, it's clear that he doesn't feel the same, leaving me with a heartache that I can't shake off.
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
At the end of the day, I know that my love for him is causing me more pain than happiness, but it's a feeling that's impossible to shake off.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind