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.
Come Along A Love
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brother are you happy and excited
Comes along a love suddenly
Everywhere you go you feel invited
Comes along a love suddenly
Every dream you have becomes ignited
You just begin to live
Comes along love
Comes along a love suddenly
Though you never sang you're always singing
Comes along a love suddenly
Chimes you never heard begin a-ringing
Comes along a love suddenly
Night and day you're heart is highland flinging
You live and you love
Comes along love
I don't care how
Blue you're feeling now
You sparkle and you bubble
See each bluebird double
Comes along a love suddenly
Petty little things no longer phase you
Comes along a love suddenly
Everyone around you seems to praise you
Comes along a love suddenly
You discover things that just amaze you
You just begin to live
Comes along love
I don't care how
Blue you're feeling now
You sparkle yes you bubble
Look out you gotta whole lotta trouble
Comes along a love suddenly
Petty little things no longer phase you
Comes along a love suddenly
Everyone around you seems to praise you
Comes along a love suddenly
You discover things that just amaze you
You just begin to live
And really love
The day you live
Oh well you sparkle
You bubble
Well you're in trouble
Coz mister
You're really in love
The lyrics to Kay Starr's song "Come Along A Love" convey the transformative power of love in a person's life. The song begins by emphasizing the suddenness and excitement that love brings. It suggests that love makes one feel happy, invited, and ignites their dreams, allowing them to truly live. The repetition of the phrase "Comes along a love suddenly" highlights the unexpectedness and unpredictable nature of love.
The lyrics further describe the impact of love by suggesting that it brings out a newfound musicality in the person. They may not have sung before, but with love, they are always singing. Love also brings a sense of enchantment, as unseen chimes begin to ring and the person's heart is filled with joyous emotions, causing them to dance and fling in high spirits.
The lyrics also emphasize how love can change one's perspective. No matter how blue or down they may have been feeling, love makes them sparkle and bubble with enthusiasm. They see things in a new light, discover amazing aspects of life, and find that even petty troubles no longer bother them. Love brings admiration from others, and they feel praised by those around them.
In the final stanza, the lyrics playfully suggest that love can cause trouble. The person is warned that they are in trouble because they are truly in love. This can be interpreted as a lighthearted acknowledgment that love can be both wonderful and challenging, as it can disrupt routines and bring unexpected emotions.
Overall, "Come Along A Love" celebrates the transformative power of love, describing how it brings newfound happiness, musicality, enchantment, and a change in perspective. It portrays love as an invigorating force that allows one to truly live and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Comes along a love suddenly
Love unexpectedly enters your life
Brother are you happy and excited
Do you feel joyful and enthusiastic, my friend
Everywhere you go you feel invited
You feel welcomed wherever you go
Every dream you have becomes ignited
All your dreams become filled with passion and inspiration
You just begin to live
You start truly living
Comes along love
Love comes along
Though you never sang you're always singing
Even though you never sang before, now you are always singing
Chimes you never heard begin a-ringing
Melodious chimes you never heard before start ringing
Night and day you're heart is highland flinging
Your heart is joyfully leaping day and night
You live and you love
You experience a life full of love
I don't care how
It doesn't matter how
Blue you're feeling now
Sad or down you are currently feeling
You sparkle and you bubble
You shine and bubble with excitement
See each bluebird double
You perceive each bluebird as multiplying
Petty little things no longer phase you
Trivial matters no longer bother or affect you
Everyone around you seems to praise you
Everyone around you seems to admire and respect you
You discover things that just amaze you
You find things that astound and astonish you
And really love
And truly love
The day you live
Each day you live
Oh well you sparkle
Oh well, you radiate with brilliance
You bubble
You effervesce with joy
Well you're in trouble
Well, you find yourself in a predicament
Coz mister
Because, sir
You're really in love
You are truly and deeply in love
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: AL SHERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Em.C. Spiteri
I don't remember hearing this before but I love it.
OnlyFiftiesAgain
***** Hi Em,I don't think this record was heard of much after it made number 1,but I've always liked it,glad you enjoyed it too,many thanks for watching !
Richard Molina
What a voice ! Love that first picture of Kay in the video, so cute. Never saw it before. Wish I’d have had the chance to meet her. Thanks.
Andy Pandy
One of the very best English number ones - great the the English put something so jazzy, swingin' and downright funky at number 1 in the pop charts.
Jackie Lynch
Heard this on A Place to Call Home and remembered how much I liked it. Thanks for posting!
Emily Graziano
One of the best shows ever made!!!
mickbrod1
she certainly swings.... listen to her version of aint misbehavin.thanks for posting, mick
OnlyFiftiesAgain
mickbrod1 Hi Mick,I uploaded Kay's version of "Ain't Misbehavin'" six months ago on another of my channels,I've just shared it on Google+,so you might find it there !Cheeers,,Mick...
Ron Small
Fantastic Song and Singer... I Heard it in the Movie
"American Pastoral" with Ewan McGregor...
The Best part of the Movie was this Song
.. Thank You Soooo Much for Posting it
🙏
Love it.. Ron
Robert Chamberlain
Remember this song well.that period of time was great for Kay.