Born in Oakdale, New York on Long Island, Monheit began singing professionally while attending Connetquot High School. At 17, she began studying at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City under the tutelage of Peter Eldridge. At the age of 20, as a senior, she won the first runner-up prize at the 1998 Thelonious Monk Institute Vocal Competition. In 1999, she received her Bachelor's degree in music.
Monheit's voice has been compared to that of Ella Fitzgerald, whom she lists as one of her influences. Songs she has recorded range from jazz standards to MGM/RKO musicals of the 1930s-1950s and Brazilian rhythms such as "Começar de novo".
Monheit released her debut album, Never Never Land in October 2000 and it became an instant success. This was followed shortly by her second album, Come Dream With Me (May 2001) and her third, In The Sun (October 2002).
Her fourth album, Live at the Rainbow Room, was released in December 2003. A similarly-titled DVD was released to complement the CD.
Her fifth album, Taking a Chance on Love, was released in September 2004. It debuted at the #1 spot on Billboard's traditional jazz chart and entered Billboard's top 100 pop chart the first week it was released. The album included the song Over the Rainbow, which had been included in her previous release recorded at the Rainbow Room, and also in the soundtrack for the film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
The Taking a Chance on Love DVD was released in March 2005 and contains performances from the Brecon Jazz Festival in Wales, UK. Monheit released her sixth album, The Season, in October 2005. Her first holiday-themed album, it debuted in the top 10 on Billboard's jazz chart. Monheit told jazzreview.com that it was inspired by Ella Fitzgerald's holiday album, Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas.
The singer recently signed a recording contract with Concord Records. Her most recent album, Surrender, debuted at #1 on Billboard's jazz chart.
Twisted
Jane Monheit Lyrics
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The way he described it he said 'd be better dead than alive
I didn't listen to his jive
I knew all along that he was all wrong
And I knew that he thought I was crazy but I'm not, oh no
My analyst told me that I was right out of my head
He said I need treatment but I'm not that easily led
When out of his sight to be out of my mind
And he said I was nuts
No more ifs or ands or buts,oh no
They say as a child I appeared a little bit wild with all my crazy ideas
But I knew what was happening
I knew I was a genius
What's so strange when you know that you're a wizard at three
I knew that this was meant to be
Well they say little children are supposed to sleep tight
That's why I drank a fifth of vodka one night
My parents got frantic,didn't know what to do
But I saw some crazy scenes before I came to
Now do you think I was crazy
I may have been only three but I was swinging
They all laughed at A. Graham Bell
They all laughed at Edison and Einstein
Now why should I feel sorry if they just
Couldn't understand the reason and the logic that went on in my head
I had a brain it was insane
So I just let them laugh at me when I refused to ride
On all those double decker buses
All because there was no driver on the top
My analyst told me that I was right out of my head
The way he described it he said I'd be better dead than alive
I didn't listen to his jive
I knew all along that he was all wrong
And I knew that he thought
I was crazy but I'm not oh no
My analyst told me that I was right out of my head
But I said dear doctor I think that it's you instead
Because I have a thing that's unique and new
It proves that I'll have the last laugh on you
'Cause instead of one head
I got two
And you know two heads are better than one
The lyrics of Jane Monheit's song "Twisted" reveal the struggles of a person who is often misunderstood and considered as crazy by others. The first stanza suggests that the singer has consulted with an analyst who advised that he/she would be better off dead than alive because of their mental state. However, the singer refuses to listen to the advice because he/she knows that the analyst is wrong. In the second stanza, the singer asserts that he/she knows he/she is not crazy and refuses to be easily led to treatment.
The third stanza further reveals the singer's childhood struggles, where he/she was considered wild and had crazy ideas. However, the singer is confident that he/she is a genius, and a wizard at three. The fourth stanza, however, suggests that the singer has had a troubled childhood, drinking alcohol at an early age and seeing crazy scenes. However, the singer does not think that this makes him/her crazy.
The last stanza asserts that the singer has a unique perspective, despite being considered crazy by others. He/she asserts that he/she has two heads, which are better than one. The song's lyrics suggest that the singer's unique thinking may be misunderstood by others, but he/she knows that he/she is not crazy.
Line by Line Meaning
My analyst told me that I was right out of my head
The psychologist told me that I had lost my sanity.
The way he described it he said 'd be better dead than alive
He said it would be best if I was dead instead of insane.
I didn't listen to his jive
I didn't follow his advice.
I knew all along that he was all wrong
I knew that he was wrong all the time.
And I knew that he thought I was crazy but I'm not, oh no
I knew that he thought I was insane, but I am not.
But I said dear doctor I think that it's you instead
I said to my doctor that it is actually him who is crazy.
Because I have a thing that's unique and new
I have an exceptional and unusual thing that nobody else has.
It proves that I'll have the last laugh on you
It shows that I will have the final victory over him.
'Cause instead of one head I got two
Because I am smarter than him as I have two heads (meaning I am better in thinking).
And you know two heads are better than one
As two heads can think better than one brainwave.
They all laughed at A. Graham Bell
People ridiculed Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone.
They all laughed at Edison and Einstein
People ridiculed Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein for their inventions and theories.
Now why should I feel sorry if they just
Why should I regret it when they
Couldn't understand the reason and the logic that went on in my head
Could not comprehend the reasoning and logical thinking of my mind.
I had a brain it was insane
My mind was crazy and full of novel ideas.
So I just let them laugh at me when I refused to ride
I allowed them to laugh at me, as I denied boarding onto
On all those double decker buses
Those buses with two levels or floors.
All because there was no driver on the top
Because there was no one driving from the top floor.
They say as a child I appeared a little bit wild with all my crazy ideas
They say as a kid, I looked a bit eccentric with all my wild thoughts.
But I knew what was happening
However, I was aware of what was really going on.
I knew I was a genius
I always knew that I was a highly intelligent person.
What's so strange when you know that you're a wizard at three
What's unusual about being a genius at three years old.
I knew that this was meant to be
I knew that this was my destiny.
Well they say little children are supposed to sleep tight
They say that young kids should sleep soundly.
That's why I drank a fifth of vodka one night
That is why I drunk so much vodka one night.
My parents got frantic,didn't know what to do
My folks became nervous, didn't know what action to take.
But I saw some crazy scenes before I came to
I witnessed some weird events before I passed out.
Now do you think I was crazy
Do you think I was out of my mind?
I may have been only three but I was swinging
I was just three years old, but I was having fun.
He said I need treatment but I'm not that easily led
He said I needed medical attention, but I was not that gullible.
He said I am the type that is most inclined
He told me that I am the kind of person who is more likely
When out of his sight to be out of my mind
To be insane when he is not present.
And he said I was nuts
And he declared that I was crazy.
No more ifs or ands or buts,oh no
No more excuses, I was insane according to him.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHIL SHOENFELT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind