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.
Changing Partners
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they called out "Change partners"
And you waltzed away from me
Now my arms feel so empty as I gaze around the floor
And I'll keep on changing partners
Till I hold you once more
Though we danced for one moment and too soon we had to part
So I'll keep changing partners till you're in my arms and then
Oh, my darlin' I will never change partners again
Though we danced for one moment and too soon we had to part
In that wonderful moment somethin' happened to my heart
So I'll keep changing partners till you're in my arms and then
Oh, my darlin' I will never change partners again
In Kay Starr's song "Changing Partners," the story is about two people dancing together in a waltz to a dreamy melody. Suddenly, the announcer calls out for the dancers to change partners, and the man must waltz away from his beloved partner. As she watches him dance away with someone else, she longs to hold him once more. The feeling is bittersweet as she reminisces about their time together and the connection they shared. She never wants to be separated from him again and vows to never change partners once he returns to her arms.
The deeper meaning behind the song speaks to a universal theme of yearning for a lost love. It captures the poignant moment when two people connect and must separate, but the memory of that encounter lingers. The singer is left with an empty feeling as she watches the man dance away, and she longs for him to return to her arms. The song speaks to the feeling of searching for love and the hope of finding that special someone that she never wants to let go of.
Line by Line Meaning
We were waltzin' together to a dreamy melody
We were dancing close to each other, lost in the rhythm of the music
When they called out "Change partners"
When the announcer compelled us to switch dance partners
And you waltzed away from me
And you left me alone to dance with someone else
Now my arms feel so empty as I gaze around the floor
I feel lonely and sad as I search for you among the dancers
And I'll keep on changing partners
I'll keep switching dance partners
Till I hold you once more
Until I dance with you again
Though we danced for one moment and too soon we had to part
Even though we danced briefly before we separated
In that wonderful moment somethin' happened to my heart
In that magical moment, my heart was moved by our dance
So I'll keep changing partners till you're in my arms and then
So I'll switch partners until I can hold you in my embrace
Oh, my darlin' I will never change partners again
Oh, my beloved, I promise to never dance with anyone else once I have you in my arms again
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOE DARION, LARRY COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alivia ks
We were waltzin' together to a dreamy melody
When they called out "Change partners"
And you waltzed away from me
Now my arms feel so empty as I gaze around the floor
And I'll keep on changing partners
Till I hold you once more
Though we danced for one moment and too soon we had to part
In that wonderful moment somethin' happened to my heart
So I'll keep changing partners till you're in my arms and then
Oh, my darlin' I will never change partners again
Though we danced for one moment and too soon we had to part
In that wonderful moment somethin' happened to my heart
So I'll keep changing partners till you're in my arms and then
Oh, my darlin' I will never change partners again
whispperson
Love listening to this incredible singer.
Iain Stewart Music
this song could touch a lot of folk... it just needs to be boosted again... maybe if could be included in a hollywood movie of some sort, It would soon get people saying "wow what is that song?".... that is all it takes!!!
Evan Peltier
It was. Helen Forrest's version of the song is at the end credits of Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master", starring Joaquin Phoenix and Phil Hoffman. Such a beautifully made film. It's cinematography is amazing.
cricketbat09
What an amazing singer.
mrob75
Oooo! THAT VOICE! WOW! Kay's voice is so recognizable from the very first note she utters! Does anyone know the reason why 50s pop had so many versions to the same song? Maybe void of copyright laws? Anyone who can shed light on this would be most appreciated. Thanks
DEFCON 4
Maybe the labels did not own the song, but the writers.
John O'Donnell
So many great singers. She belongs to that group.
colreb1937
Lovely song that tugs at my heart strings.
Stewart Taylor
I was 7 years old, I still can sing it.
William Henry
Beautiful song. Thank you.