Anderson was born in Gilroy, California. With a sweet clear singing voice, she was a popular attraction with Ellington's band. Her performance of "Stormy Weather" in the short film Bundle of Blues (1933) was eclipsed by the later and far better known version sung by Lena Horne in Horne's movie also entitled Stormy Weather (1943).
Over Ellington's long career as bandleader, his indifference toward vocalists changed with the hiring of Anderson, who generally considered the best vocalist he ever employed.
She also appeared as a singer in the Marx Brothers movie A Day at the Races (1937) and the same year in Hit Parade of 1937 (as Ivy Anderson).
Other Ellington songs featuring Anderson's include "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got That Swing)", "My Old Flame", "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street", "Mood Indigo", "Rocks in My Bed" and "I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good".
She developed chronic asthma, which forced her to retire from touring in August 1942. She ran a chicken restaurant (Ivie's Chicken Shack) and continued singing in nightclubs on the west coast, but deteriorating health limited her engagements and led to her untimely death in Los Angeles, California.
Stormy Weather
Ivie Anderson Lyrics
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Since my gal and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time
Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather
Just can't get my poor old self together
I'm weary all the time, the time
So weary all the time
When she went away the blues walked in and they met me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more
Can't go on, everything I had is gone, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time
(When she went away the blues walked in and they met me
If she stays away, that old rocking chair's will get me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more)
Can't go on, everything I had is gone, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time, the time
Keeps raining all the time
Ivie Anderson's "Stormy Weather" is a bluesy lament to the singer's lost love. The opening lines set the tone - "Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather / Since my gal and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time." This is a classic metaphorical representation of heartbreak, where the sky is permanently grey, and it's raining all the time in the singer's life. This is then further reinforced with the line, "Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather." The singer can't get over their heartbreak, and they are "weary all the time."
The second verse continues this metaphor of the weather reflecting the singer's emotional state, with "When she went away the blues walked in and they met me / If she stays away, that old rocking chair's gonna get me / All I do is pray the Lord above will let me / Walk in the sun once more." This verse perfectly illustrates the loneliness and depression that come with a broken heart. The singer feels like they are going to be consumed by their sadness, represented by the old rocking chair that is waiting for them.
Overall, "Stormy Weather" is a powerful song that captures the feeling of heartbreak and loneliness. It depicts the weather reflecting the emotional turmoil of the singer, and it shows the deep depression that comes with losing love.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather
I don't understand why the sky is so dark and gloomy - it's stormy weather.
Since my gal and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time
Ever since my girl left me, it seems like it's been raining every day.
Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather
My life feels empty and hopeless, and everywhere I look there's nothing but sadness and despair - it's stormy weather.
Just can't get my poor old self together
I can't seem to pull myself out of this funk and get my life back on track.
I'm weary all the time, the time
I'm exhausted and drained, all the time.
When she went away the blues walked in and they met me
As soon as my girl left me, I fell into a deep depression and the blues came in to fill the void she left behind.
If she stays away, that old rocking chair's gonna get me
If my girl doesn't come back, I'll be so lonely and bored that I'll end up spending all my time in an old rocking chair, doing nothing.
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
All I can do is pray that God will help me and bring my girl back to me.
Walk in the sun once more
I just want to feel happy and whole again, like I used to - to walk in the sun once more.
Can't go on, everything I had is gone, stormy weather
I feel like I can't keep going - everything I had in life is gone, and it's just stormy weather everywhere I go.
Keeps raining all the time
It seems like no matter what, the rain won't stop falling - it keeps raining all the time.
(When she went away the blues walked in and they met me
As soon as my girl left me, I fell into a deep depression and the blues came in to fill the void she left behind.
If she stays away, that old rocking chair's will get me
If my girl doesn't come back, I'll be so lonely and bored that I'll end up spending all my time in an old rocking chair, doing nothing.
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
All I can do is pray that God will help me and bring my girl back to me.
Walk in the sun once more)
I just want to feel happy and whole again, like I used to - to walk in the sun once more.
Can't go on, everything I had is gone, stormy weather
I feel like I can't keep going - everything I had in life is gone, and it's just stormy weather everywhere I go.
Since my gal and I ain't together
Ever since my girl left me, things have been difficult.
Keeps raining all the time, the time
No matter what, it seems like it's always raining - all the time.
Keeps raining all the time
No matter what, it seems like it's always raining - it keeps raining all the time.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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