Kay Starr was successful in every field of music she tried, jazz, country and pop. But her roots were in jazz, Billie Holiday, considered by many the greatest jazz singer of all time, called Starr "the only white woman who could sing the blues."
She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz".
Kay Starr was born on a reservation in Dougherty, Oklahoma. Her father, Harry, was a full-blooded Iroquois Indian; her mother, Annie, was of mixed Irish and American Indian heritage. When her father got a job installing water sprinkler systems, the family moved to Dallas, Texas.
While her father worked for the Automatic Sprinkler Company, her mother raised chickens, and Kay used to sing to the chickens in the coop. As a result of the fact that her aunt, Nora, was impressed by her singing, she began to sing at the age of seven on a Dallas radio station, WRR, first in a talent competition where she finished third one week and won every week thereafter, then with her own weekly fifteen minute show. She sang pop and "hillbilly" songs with a piano accompaniment. By the age of ten, she was making $3 a night, a lot of money in the Depression days.
As a result of her father's changing jobs, her family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and she continued performing on the radio, singing "Western swing music," still mostly a mix of country and pop. It was while she was on the Memphis radio station WMPS that, as a result of misspellings in her fan mail, she and her parents decided to give her the name "Kay Starr". At the age of fifteen, she was chosen to sing with the Joe Venuti orchestra. Venuti had a contract to play in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis which called for his band to feature a girl singer, which he did not have; Venuti's road manager heard her on the radio, and suggested her to Venuti. Because she was still in junior high school, her parents insisted that Venuti take her home no later than midnight.
Although she had brief stints in 1939 with Bob Crosby and Glenn Miller (who hired her in July of that year when his regular singer, Marion Hutton, was sick), she spent most of her next few years with Venuti, until he dissolved his band in 1942. It was, however, with Miller that she cut her first record: "Baby Me"/"Love with a Capital You." It was not a great success, in part because the band played in a key more appropriate for Marion Hutton, which was less suited for Kay's vocal range.
Ain't Nobody's Business
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then you get another for Monday
Ain't nobody's business but my own
You say you're always home alone
How come I can't get you on the phone
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but my own
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but my own
All night long your playin' poker
Tell me what's the name of that joker
Ain't nobody's business but my own
I come over, say "Here I am!"
Then I hear the back door slam
Well, that ain't nobody's business but my own
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but my own
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but my own
You tell me you're in bed by seven
But your light's on past eleven
Well, that ain't nobody's business but my own
Now you ain't so smart and you ain't good lookin'
How come you got so much cookin'
Ain't nobody's business but my own
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but my own
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but my own
And you wear the prettiest ties and collars
Whereabouts do you get those dollars
Ain't nobody's business but my own
You always talk about settlin' down
When I bring a ring, you're not around
Well, I'll be there the next time that you call
Well let's not fuss and let's not fight
I'm sick and tired of sayin' "Goodnight"
Well, let's make up and hold each other tight
We both know we're birds of a feather
Let's go into business together
We can start a business of our own
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but our own
Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business but our own
The song "Ain't Nobody's Business but My Own" is about a woman who is involved with a man who is not interested in a monogamous relationship. The lyrics suggest that he has other women in his life, but it is not anyone else's business. The woman in the song is aware of this situation and is accepting of it, but occasionally feels jealous and frustrated about his behavior.
The song is about the idea of privacy and self-determination in relationships. It is a commentary on the societal norms that dictate romantic relationships and the pressures placed on individuals to conform to them. The song encourages people to live their lives as they see fit, regardless of societal expectations or conventions.
Line by Line Meaning
You got a gal you love on Sunday
You have a girlfriend you love on Sunday
Then you get another for Monday
Then you get another girlfriend for Monday
Ain't nobody's business but my own
It's my personal business and nobody else's concern
You say you're always home alone
You claim that you're always home alone
How come I can't get you on the phone
Why can't I reach you on the phone?
Well, that ain't nobody's business but my own
That is my personal matter and not for anyone else to question
All night long your playin' poker
You're playing poker all night long
Tell me what's the name of that joker
Tell me the name of the person who is joining you
Now you ain't so smart and you ain't good lookin'
You're not particularly smart or attractive
How come you got so much cookin'
How come you're so successful?
And you wear the prettiest ties and collars
You wear very attractive clothing
Whereabouts do you get those dollars
Where do you get the money to buy those things?
You always talk about settlin' down
You always mention settling down with someone
When I bring a ring, you're not around
When I offer to commit, you're not there
Well, I'll be there the next time that you call
I'll be there when you call me next time
Well let's not fuss and let's not fight
Let's avoid arguing
I'm sick and tired of sayin' "Goodnight"
I'm tired of ending the night with a goodbye
Well, let's make up and hold each other tight
Let's reconcile and hug each other tightly
We both know we're birds of a feather
We have a lot in common
Let's go into business together
Let's start a business together
We can start a business of our own
Our business will be nobody else's concern
Nobody's business but our own
It's our personal matter and nobody else's concern
Lyrics © KISS MUSIC CO
Written by: I TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Dixon
1. [Starr] You got a gal; you love her Sunday,
Then you get another for Monday.
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
You say you're always home alone.
How come I can't get you on the phone?
[Starr] Well, that ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
CHORUS: [Both] Nobody's bus'ness, nobody's bus'ness,
Nobody's bus'ness but my own.
Nobody's bus'ness, nobody's bus'ness,
Nobody's bus'ness but my own.
2. [Starr] All night long you're playin' poker.
Tell me: what's the name o' that joker?
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
I come over and say: "Here I am,"
Then I hear the back door slam.
[Starr] That ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own. CHORUS
3. [Ford] You tell me you're in bed by seven,
But your lights are on past 'leven.
[Starr] That ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
Now you ain't so smart and you ain't good lookin'.
How come you got so much cookin'?
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own. CHORUS
4. [Starr] You wear the prettiest ties and collars.
Where 'bouts do you get those dollars?
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
You always talk about settlin' down.
When I bring a ring, you're not around.
[Starr] Well, I'll be there the next time that you call.
5. [Starr] Well let's not fuss and let's not fight.
[Ford] I'm sick an' tired o' sayin' goodnight.
[Starr] Well, let's make up and hold each other tight.
[Both] We both know we're birds of a feather.
Let's go into bus'ness together.
We can start a bus'ness of our own. CHORUS [using "our own"]
James Suntres
Great music is timeless and touches all cultures.
Jean Payne
This was one of my mother's favorite songs when I was about 8 years old. That was 70 years
Sweet memories.
gao.
Rebecca Terry
Dancing to this song in a show! Thanks for making it :-)
Matt LeGroulx
Yup, AND Jimmy Bryant! One of their earliest records together, possibly the first along with I'll Never Be Free.
Chris Zangara
Doug Hill I'm reading that book as we speak. Bryant just did the session with his new Fender. This record features the guitar much more than I'll Never be Free. Apparently the producer cut much of his performance in favor of the steel guitar. Great book for guitarists and non-guitarists alike. (He says with his trusty Fender and Les Paul by his side. It's ok, they get along very well. I give them equal amounts of love)
.
Jim Dixon
1. [Starr] You got a gal; you love her Sunday,
Then you get another for Monday.
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
You say you're always home alone.
How come I can't get you on the phone?
[Starr] Well, that ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
CHORUS: [Both] Nobody's bus'ness, nobody's bus'ness,
Nobody's bus'ness but my own.
Nobody's bus'ness, nobody's bus'ness,
Nobody's bus'ness but my own.
2. [Starr] All night long you're playin' poker.
Tell me: what's the name o' that joker?
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
I come over and say: "Here I am,"
Then I hear the back door slam.
[Starr] That ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own. CHORUS
3. [Ford] You tell me you're in bed by seven,
But your lights are on past 'leven.
[Starr] That ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
Now you ain't so smart and you ain't good lookin'.
How come you got so much cookin'?
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own. CHORUS
4. [Starr] You wear the prettiest ties and collars.
Where 'bouts do you get those dollars?
[Ford] Ain't nobody's bus'ness but my own.
You always talk about settlin' down.
When I bring a ring, you're not around.
[Starr] Well, I'll be there the next time that you call.
5. [Starr] Well let's not fuss and let's not fight.
[Ford] I'm sick an' tired o' sayin' goodnight.
[Starr] Well, let's make up and hold each other tight.
[Both] We both know we're birds of a feather.
Let's go into bus'ness together.
We can start a bus'ness of our own. CHORUS [using "our own"]
Thicc Mothman
My dad has this song on his iPod and it’s one of my favorites
TheCodedaddy
my daughter and i do this song its a fun and great song thank you for posting it
Eddie Cesc
Great
Denver Connected
here in 2020 still rockin