Raitt was born in Santa Ana, California. He got his start in theatre as a high school student at Fullerton High School in Fullerton, California. While there, he played in several drama productions in the Plummer Auditorium. Raitt sang in the chorus of "Desert Song." A few years before he died, Raitt once again came back to the Plummer to see a rehearsal, visit students and recollect his beginnings. He is on the school's "Hall of Fame" for his accomplishments.
He is best known for his stage roles in the musicals Carousel, Oklahoma!, The Pajama Game, Carnival in Flanders, Three Wishes for Jamie, and A Joyful Noise, in which he set the standard for virile, handsome, strong-voiced leading men during the golden age of the Broadway musical. His only leading film role was in the 1957 movie version of The Pajama Game opposite Doris Day.
On television, he was seen many times on the Bell Telephone Hour. A clip of a television performance of Raitt singing the final section of the song "Soliloquy" from Carousel is included in the documentary film Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There. In 1957, also for television, he and Mary Martin re-created their starring roles in the national touring version of Annie Get Your Gun.
In addition, Raitt made several studio cast recordings of Broadway musicals, including Oklahoma! (as Curly), and Show Boat (as Gaylord Ravenal).
In 1945, John Raitt was one of the recipients of the first Theatre World Award for his debut performance in Carousel. In 1965, he starred in the twentieth-anniversary production of the show at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
In 1981, he found out that his high school sweetheart was widowed. Having recently divorced from his second wife, he phoned her. "Having played Zorba, I believe in grabbing at life," he recalled. "So I called her and this sweet voice answered. 'I'm free now,' I told her, 'and I'm coming to dinner.' They married.
He died on February 20, 2005, at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, from complications due to pneumonia, aged 88. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre.
He was the father of singer Bonnie Raitt, and former father-in-law of Michael O'Keefe. He was the grandfather of Bay Raitt, the creator of Gollum's face for the The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
Hey There
John Raitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love never made a fool of you
You used to be too wise
Hey there, you on that high flying cloud
Though she won't throw a crumb to you
You think some day she'll come to you
Her with her nose in the air
She has dancing on a string
Break it and she won't care
Won't take this advice
I hand you like a brother
Or are you not seeing things too clear
Are you too much in love to hear
Is it all going in one ear
And out the other
Better forget her
Her with her nose in the air
She has you dancing on a string
Break it and she won't care
Won't you take this advice
I hand you like a brother
Or are you not seeing things too clear
Are you too much in love to hear
Is it all going in one ear and out the other
The lyrics of John Raitt's Hey There convey a sense of unrequited love, where the singer is advising the person he is addressing to forget about a woman who has no interest in him. The opening lines, "Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes, love never made a fool of you, you used to be too wise," indicate that the person to whom the song is addressed used to be more sensible and clear-headed before he fell in love with this woman. The song implies that the woman is not interested in the man, as she "won't throw a crumb to" him, but he still holds on to the hope that she will eventually come around.
The lyrics advise the person to break free from the hold that the woman has over him, indicated by the line "She has you dancing on a string, break it, and she won't care." The repetition of the lines, "Better forget her, her with her nose in the air," is a sign of the urgency with which the singer wants the person to move on. The final lines of the song, "Are you too much in love to hear, is it all going in one ear and out the other," indicate that the person is not ready to listen to the advice offered, because he is too caught up in his feelings for the woman.
Overall, John Raitt's Hey There is a poignant reminder of the intensity of unrequited love and the difficulty of moving on from someone who does not share our feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes
You are enchanted by her beauty and radiance.
Love never made a fool of you
You have been wise to avoid foolishness in the name of love.
You used to be too wise
You were once too smart to succumb to love’s charms.
Hey there, you on that high flying cloud
You are soaring in happiness and hopefulness.
Though she won't throw a crumb to you
She is not interested in you at all.
You think some day she'll come to you
You cling to hope in the face of evidence to the contrary.
Better forget her
It is in your best interest to let go of her completely.
Her with her nose in the air
She is haughty and unapproachable.
She has dancing on a string
She has you wrapped around her finger.
Break it and she won't care
She will not be affected if you break free from her hold.
Won't take this advice
You do not want to listen to counsel given to you.
I hand you like a brother
I offer you advice as if you were my own sibling.
Or are you not seeing things too clear
Are you unable to see the situation for what it truly is?
Are you too much in love to hear
Is your love deafening you to reason?
Is it all going in one ear
Are you not truly absorbing the advice?
And out the other
Is the advice not truly landing with you?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORG CHRISTIAN DOLIVO, GREG FIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Judith Ann Angel
Unbelievable voice and interpretation of the song as it was meant to be sung by the composer & lyricist. Unbelievable stage presence & handsome as can be. Had the pleasure of seeing him on Broadway many times. God Bless you and thank you. No other musical performer can come close.
.
Steve Hinnenkamp
I doubt the song will ever be sung better than it is here. John Raitt is so natural, unaffected, his vulnerability matched by his extraordinary macho baritone voice, we know his character is trying to talk himself out of love.
There is dramatic tension achieved by the creators and Mr. Raitt delivers beyond without giving in to it.
Nothing more touching than a good man wrestling with love.
Joe Colletti
I love his tone here, and the open space he creates on those vowels. I'm no John Raitt, but I try to imitate it. Everyone else notice this was done in one long take? No room for error
Thomas Caldwell
God, I wish I was a tenor. I love this song. And, I love John Raitt. I saw him in a Kenley Players production of Camelot. He played Lancelot. I loved his performance. But, for some reason, he didn't feel his performance was up to his standards. So, at the end of the show he came out and addressed the crowd and apologized and asked if he could try to make it up to us by singing a few songs. It was more like 5 or 6 and the audience loved it. He got a standing ovation. In all my years in theatre on or off the stage, I have never seen nor even heard of such a thing. I can tell you though, it was magical. Since then, I was and am a lifelong fan.
Krzyszczynski
Great story, Thomas. That man had real class.
Chuck Henry
my mom has a similar story. what a humble and classy guy. they don't make many like him.
Erszi Dombi Hansen
One if the best musicals of all time! They don't make them like they used to!
Claudia Ferguson
Such a beautuful tenor voice! I looked him up and what do ya know? Bonnie Raitt's Dad!
Noelle Driscoll
I love John Raitt -One of the best of his generation.
Miss Mellie
Fantastic performance! Forgot how great he was.