Her musical career began in earnest when she was discovered in 1930 by Columbia Records vice president Ted Collins, who became her longtime partner and manager and who put her on the radio in 1931. She sang the controversial top twenty song of 1931, "That's Why Darkies Were Born". She starred in the 1932 movie Hello Everybody!, with co-stars Randolph Scott and Sally Blane, and in 1943 she sang "God Bless America" in the wartime picture This is the Army. Irving Berlin had written the song in 1938 for her, and it is considered "the second National Anthem" of the United States. Its popularity and constant airplay led Woody Guthrie to pen the original version of "This Land Is Your Land" in protest at the Berlin tune's unquestioning complacency.
Kate began making records in 1926; among her biggest hits were "River, Stay 'Way From My Door" (1931), "The Woodpecker Song" (1940), "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1941), "Rose O'Day" (1941), "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (1942), "There Goes That Song Again" (1944), "Seems Like Old Times" (1946), and "Now Is the Hour" (1947). Her theme song was "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain", the lyrics of which she helped write. She greeted audiences with "Hello, everybody!" and signed off with "Thanks for listenin'."
Her oversized figure made her the occasional butt of derision from fellow performers and managers. Despite the occasional ridicule, Smith was a major star of radio, usually backed by Jack Miller's Orchestra. She began in 1931 with her twice-a-week NBC series, Kate Smith Sings (which quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931-33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; The Kate Smith Matinee (1934-35); The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934-35); Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935-36), sponsored by A&P; and The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936-37).
For eight years (1937-45), The Kate Smith Hour was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater. The nationwide audience was introduced to comedy by the show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, while a series of sketches led to The Aldrich Family as a spin-off in 1940. She continued into the 1950s on the Mutual Broadcasting System, CBS, ABC and NBC, doing both music and talk shows.
An unusual part of her career began on December 11, 1969, when the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team played her rendition of "God Bless America" before the game. Philadelphia beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-3. The team would begin to play the song before home games every once in a while, and the perception developed that the team was more successful on these occasions, so the tradition grew.
Kate Smith, who never married, died of diabetes at the age of 79 in Raleigh, North Carolina, several years after converting to Roman Catholicism. (from Wikipedia)
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Kate Smith Lyrics
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Was like a melodious plea
Sweet moon song
That wasn't meant for me
Why is it always reminding me of
A love dream that never could be
Sweet moon song
It came gliding into my heart riding
on a moon beam from above
Sorrow ended and the whole world blended
In a rhapsody of love; then
I heard her singing to somebody else
What I thought was my melody
Sweet moon song
That wasn't meant for me
The song "Sweet Moon Song" by Kate Smith talks about a bittersweet encounter with love. The song starts by describing how the love interest entered the singer's life unexpectedly, almost like a beautiful plea. The moon is mentioned as the catalyst for these feelings, adding a sense of magic and wonder to the experience. However, the singer realizes that fate was never on her side and that the love she so badly wanted was never meant for her. The song then takes on a sadder tone as the singer describes how she hears her melody being sung by someone else, confirming that the love she wanted was never meant to be.
The lyrics of the song are poetically crafted to depict the intricacies of love and the pain that often comes with it. The moon is used as a symbol of hope and possibility, while the realization that the love was not meant for her serves as a cautionary tale of unrequited love. The song’s melancholic tone perfectly encapsulates the singer's feelings, and Kate Smith's tender voice adds to the beauty of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
It came from nowhere the night that we met
I had no expectations when we met
Was like a melodious plea
It was like a beautiful request
Sweet moon song
It felt like a romantic tune
That wasn't meant for me
But it wasn't meant for me
Why is it always reminding me of
Why does it keep reminding me about
A love dream that never could be
A dream of love that can never come true
It came gliding into my heart riding
It entered my heart smoothly and effortlessly
on a moon beam from above
as if carried by a beam of moonlight
Sorrow ended and the whole world blended
All my sorrows disappeared and the world became harmonious
In a rhapsody of love; then
In a beautiful and musical expression of love
I heard her singing to somebody else
But then, I overheard her singing to someone else
What I thought was my melody
The song I thought was meant for me
Sweet moon song
That romantic tune
That wasn't meant for me
That was not meant for me after all
Lyrics © DistroKid, Creazioni Artistiche Musicali CAM s.r.l., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, CTM Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marcello Ciorciolini, Nino Oliviero, Norman Newell, Riziero Ortolani
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jymster46
Oh, the beautiful voice of Kate Smith. I remember watching her TV show and her singing her theme song "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain". This is a lovely rendition of this great song. Thank you for posting it, Heather :))
Jim
TheSorrowfulFlower
@Jymster46 I thought it was a lovely version, too, Jim. I love this song, and think the lyrics are wonderful. Thanks so much for watching and for your wonderful comments. Have a marvelous week, my friend :))
maureen1938
BEAUTIFUL Heather. Thank you for posting this superb share.
TheSorrowfulFlower
+maureen1938 Thanks, Maureen, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and commenting :))
Phaedra Ovid
They were a wonderful on-screen couple... And Kate Smith was a vocal phenomenon! Great post!
TheSorrowfulFlower
+Phaedra Ovid I thought they were wonderful, too. You're right, she's a phenomenon! Thanks for watching and commenting :))
faith4094
Wonderful, Heather! Love this song....thought it should have won the Oscar that year. Kate Smith had such a wonderful, natural voice....no training.
TheSorrowfulFlower
+faith4094 I love this song, too, Darlene, and love Kate Smith's version. Amazing that she had no training!
Michaelbos
The Great Kate Smith.