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)
Tears On My Pillow
Kate Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They seem so happy and gay
Though they sing and they swing as they sway
Somehow I can't feel that way
For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes
'Cause the boy/girl in my arms isn't you
Dancing with somebody new
Trying to smile once in a while
But I find it so hard to do
For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes
'Cause the boy/girl in my arms isn't you
While the throng's in the spell of a song
My thoughts keep drifting to you
While each pair seems to share their affair
They're making me blue
For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes
'Cause the boy/girl in my arms isn't you
Dancing with somebody new
When it's you that my heart's calling to
Trying to smile once in a while
But I find it so hard to do
For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes
'Cause the boy/girl in my arms isn't you
The lyrics to Kate Smith's song Tears On My Pillow convey a sense of heartbreak and loss. The singer is watching others dance and have fun, but they can't seem to join in because they are consumed with thoughts of a lost love. The contrast between the joyful atmosphere of the dance and the singer's sadness creates a poignant image that is relatable to anyone who has experienced the pain of unrequited love.
The song uses metaphors to describe the singer's emotions. Dancing is a symbol of joy and happiness, yet it is paired with the image of tears. The music and dance may be a temporary distraction from the pain of lost love, but the singer cannot fully enjoy it because they are always thinking about the one they have lost. The line "For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes" is especially powerful because it captures the paradoxical feeling of trying to smile on the outside while feeling heartbroken on the inside.
The last line "'Cause the boy/girl in my arms isn't you" reveals the source of the singer's pain. They are dancing with someone new, but they are still pining for their lost love. The lyrics emphasize the contrast between the public performance of dancing with someone else and the private experience of longing for someone who isn't there. This juxtaposition creates a sense of deep sadness and vulnerability that is at the heart of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Those who dance and romance while they dance
People who are dancing and romancing appear to be happy and carefree
They seem so happy and gay
They appear to be joyful and lighthearted
Though they sing and they swing as they sway
Even as they dance and express themselves, their happiness is apparent
Somehow I can't feel that way
Despite everything, I do not feel that same happiness
For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes
I may be dancing, but I am also crying
'Cause the boy/girl in my arms isn't you
I am not with the person I really want to be with
Dancing with somebody new
I am dancing with someone else, but not the one I really want
When it's you that my heart's calling to
My heart is yearning for you, and nobody else will do
Trying to smile once in a while
I am attempting to be happy, even in the face of sadness
But I find it so hard to do
Despite my efforts, it is difficult to truly smile
While the throng's in the spell of a song
While others are caught up in the magic of the music
My thoughts keep drifting to you
My thoughts keep going back to the one I really want to be with
While each pair seems to share their affair
As I observe other couples dancing together
They're making me blue
I become sad and melancholy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe Burke, Al Dubin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind