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)
My old Kentucky home
Kate Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day;
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy, and bright,
By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
[Chorus]
Weep no more, my lady,
Oh weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.
They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
On the bench by that old cabin door;
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
With sorrow where all was delight;
The time has come when the people have to part,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
[Chorus]
The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the people may go;
A few more days and the trouble all will end
In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
No matter, 'twill never be light,
A few more days till we totter on the road,
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
[Chorus]
In Kate Smith's song "My Old Kentucky Home," the lyrics depict a scene in rural Kentucky during summertime. The sun is shining bright and birds sing melodiously all day long. The corn is ripe and the meadows are in bloom, a symbol of prosperity and joy. The young folks happily dance and roll on the floor of their little cabin, enjoying their carefree life. However, the tone shifts in the second verse of the song when hard times arrive at their doorstep. The people's hearts are heavy with sorrow and they can no longer sing and dance with the same energy as before. They are forced to part ways and face their troubles, leaving behind their old Kentucky home.
The chorus suggests that despite the goodbyes and hardships, there is hope for a better future. The singer urges the lady not to weep anymore and instead sing one song for their old Kentucky home. The final verse speaks of the inevitability of hard work and struggle in life, but emphasizes that their troubles will eventually come to an end. The people will move on from their current situation, and hopefully find a better life elsewhere.
Overall, "My Old Kentucky Home" is a bittersweet tribute to the beauty of rural Kentucky and the hardships that its people faced.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
The bright sun shines down on the state of Kentucky, bringing warmth and light to the people and their homes.
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
It is summertime, and the people of Kentucky are happy and carefree.
The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
The corn has grown tall and is ready for harvest, while the meadows are full of blooming flowers and plants.
While the birds make music all the day;
The birds sing beautiful songs throughout the day, filling the air with sweet melodies.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
The young people of Kentucky enjoy themselves by dancing and having fun on the floors of their small cabins.
All merry, all happy, and bright,
Everyone is joyful and full of happiness, enjoying their lives to the fullest.
By'n by hard times comes a-knocking at the door,
Eventually, difficult times will arrive unexpectedly and disrupt the peace and happiness of life in Kentucky.
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
In the face of hardship and adversity, it may be time to bid farewell to the old Kentucky home that once represented happiness, joy, and freedom.
Weep no more, my lady,
Do not shed any more tears, my dear, for there is hope in the future.
Oh weep no more today!
Don't despair or cry today, for there is still happiness to be found.
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
In honor of the old Kentucky home, we will sing a tribute to the memories and joys that it represented.
For the old Kentucky home far away.
Although we may be far away from our old Kentucky home, the memories and love for it remain in our hearts.
They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon,
People no longer hunt for opossum and raccoons to survive, and instead live more settled lives in Kentucky's meadows, hills and shores.
On meadow, the hill and the shore,
People have settled throughout the state of Kentucky, living and working on meadows, hills and shores.
They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon,
People no longer sing songs under the moonlight as they once did in Kentucky, symbolizing a more peaceful and less stressful life in the past.
On the bench by that old cabin door;
In the past, people used to sit on benches outside their cabins, enjoying the peacefulness of Kentucky's countryside.
The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart,
Time may pass quickly and the memories of the past can leave a heavy impact on one's heart or soul.
With sorrow where all was delight;
What was once happiness and joy in Kentucky, has now become tinged with sorrow and sadness.
The time has come when the people have to part,
It has come time for the people of Kentucky to separate, move on, and say farewell to the past.
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
As people move on from Kentucky, it may be time to say goodbye to the old Kentucky home, symbolizing the end of an era.
The head must bow and the back will have to bend,
Life can be difficult and full of challenges, requiring people to bend and take challenges head-on.
Wherever the people may go;
No matter where one goes in life, there will always be challenges to face and obstacles to overcome.
A few more days and the trouble all will end
Although times may be difficult and traumatic, there comes a point where struggles and suffering come to an end.
In the field where sugar-canes may grow;
Even though times may be challenging now, in the future, there may be hope in finding success and prosperity farming crops like sugar-canes.
A few more days for to tote the weary load,
Even though times are tough, people must continue to bear the burden of their struggles for just a little bit longer.
No matter, 'twill never be light,
Though times may be tough and the burden may be heavy, there is still hope for the future, and eventually things will become better.
A few more days till we totter on the road,
There are only a few difficult days left until people will be able to begin a new journey, leaving behind the pain and suffering of the past.
Then my old Kentucky home, good night!
Once people are ready to move on from Kentucky and seek a new journey, it may be time to say farewell to the old Kentucky home, symbolizing the end of an era.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALF CLAUSEN, STEPHEN C. FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pyrelynx6237
So uh about the gay part.. Uhh yeah that has had a new meaning for a while now.
@cathyfrost1992
No - it now, unfortunately has two meanings. One means happy and one I won't go into.
@petercates6706
@@cathyfrost1992 a very good reply !
@vivienwhy3453
"the hope are all gay" means the hope are happy because gay also means happy