Irene's older brother, Roy Kral, was a successful musician when Irene started singing professionally as a teenager. She sung with bands on tours led by Woody Herman and Chubby Jackson, former Herman bass player.
Irene joined Maynard Ferguson's band in the late 1950s and sang with groups led by Stan Kenton and Shelly Manne.
Irene then started a solo career until her death at 46 years of age. She was a ballad singer who stated that Carmen McRae was one of her inspirations.
Irene was made more famous posthumously when Clint Eastwood used her recordings in his 1995 movie, The Bridges of Madison County.
(from Wikipedia)
Little Bitty Boy
Irene Kral Lyrics
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You go a wondering, wandering
Stumbling, tumbling, round! round!
When will you find
What's on the tip of your mind?
Why are you blind
To all you ever were
Never were, really are, nearly are?
Will you ever be done traveling
Always unraveling you, you?
Running away could lead you further astray
And as for fishing in streams for pieces of dreams
Those pieces will never fit
What is the sense of it?
Little boy blue, don't let your little sheep roam
It's time ,come blow your horn, meet the morn
Look and see, can you be far from home?
The lyrics to Irene Kral's "Little Bitty Boy" is a lamentation to a lost little boy on a search for his true identity. The song speaks of a boy's restlessness in finding meaning and purpose in his life, as he continues to wander aimlessly, stumbling and tumbling around without direction. It poses a series of questions to the little boy, questioning his blindness to what he was, never was, really is or nearly is. The song advocates for the little boy to stop running away in search of himself, as it could only lead him further astray. Furthermore, the song warns the little boy about the futility of fishing in streams for broken dreams, as those pieces do not fit anywhere.
In the second stanza, the song addresses the boy's false persona, asking if he will ever be done traveling and breaking himself down. It questions his habit of unraveling, always looking for something, never finding it. The song suggests that running away does not help, as it could lead him even further astray. It then asks the little boy to blow his horn and meets the morning, urging him to look and see if he isn't far from home.
Line by Line Meaning
Little boy lost in search of little boy found
A young child is lost, seeking his true identity
You go a wondering, wandering
He aimlessly walks and explores the world
Stumbling, tumbling, round! round!
He is unsure of his path, falling down and getting up again
When will you find
The child wonders when he will discover his true self
What's on the tip of your mind?
He is curious about the thoughts that are hidden deep inside him
Why are you blind
He questions why he cannot see the truth about himself
To all you ever were
The child is ignorant of his past self and its significance
Never were, really are, nearly are?
He's unsure if he ever was or will be his true self
Little boy false in search of little boy true
He is looking for his true self, but he is not being authentic
Will you ever be done traveling
The child wonders if he will ever find his true self or if he will spend his life searching
Always unraveling you, you?
He feels that he is constantly discovering a new part of himself
Running away could lead you further astray
He learns that avoiding his problems might create even more confusion and emotional turmoil
And as for fishing in streams for pieces of dreams
He realizes that chasing fragments of a future life is fruitless
Those pieces will never fit
His collected dreams will never fully satisfy him as a whole
What is the sense of it?
He questions the point of aimlessly pursuing his future self
Little boy blue, don't let your little sheep roam
He is warned not to let his thoughts and actions wander too far as it may lead him astray
It's time, come blow your horn, meet the morn
He is encouraged to wake up and face the day with a clear mind, ready to find his true self
Look and see, can you be far from home?
The child is asked to examine his environment and understand that he is always connected to his true self
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN BERGMAN, MARILYN BERGMAN, MICHEL LEGRAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind