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.
Hoop De Doo
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear a polka and my troubles are through
Hoop-De-Do, Hoop-De-Do
This kind of music is like heaven to me
Hoop-De-Do, Hoop-De-Do
It's got me higher than a kite
Hand me down my soup and fish, I am gonna get my wish
Hoop-De-Doin' it tonight
(When there's a trombone playin', ra-ta-da-da-da)
I get a thrill, I always will
(When there's a concertina stretchin' out a mile)
I always smile 'cause that's my style
When there's a fiddle in the middle oh it really is a riddle how he
Plays a tune so sweet
Plays a tune so sweet that I could die
Lead me to the floor and hear me yell for more
'Cause I'm a Hoop-Dee-Doin' kind of guy
When there's a fiddle in the middle, oh, it really is a riddle how he
Plays a tune so sweet
Plays a tune so sweet that I could die
Hoop-De-Do, hoop-De-Doo
I hear a polka
And my troubles are through
Hoop-De-do, hoop-De-Do
This kind of music
Is like heaven to me
Hoop-De-Do, hoop-De-Do
It's got me higher than a kite
I'm in clover, I'm in bloom
When I'm dancin' give me room
Hoop-de-doin' it with all of my might
Rain may fall and snow may come
Nothin's gonna stop me from
Hoop-de doin' it
But I'll be doin' it
Hoop-De-Doin' it tonight
The lyrics of Kay Starr’s “Hoop De Doo” feature the jubilation and infectiousness of polka music. The song opens with the singer’s confession that she hears a polka and her troubles are gone. The rhythm and melody of the song fill her with absolute joy and transport her to heaven. This upbeat music leaves her feeling higher than a kite, making it a therapeutic experience whenever she hears it.
The singer then goes on to talk about specific instruments and their respective sounds that create an atmosphere of joy. She finds thrill in the sound of a trombone playing, and it always leaves her excited. The concertina, which is capable of stretching out a mile, always makes her smile because that’s her style. Finally, the fiddle creates a riddle with its sweet tune that leaves her feeling like she could die. She then proclaims herself to be a “Hoop-Dee-Doin’” kind of guy who loves dancing with all his might. Nothing is going to stop him from having a good time, and he is going to Hoop-De-Do tonight.
Overall, Kay Starr’s “Hoop-De-Doo” is a celebration of life and the jubilant effect that music can have, particularly the polka. The song succinctly expresses the transformative nature of music in one's life, where the melody, rhythm, and instruments lead to a joyful, carefree world.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoop-De-Do, Hoop-De-Do
The phrase Hoop-De-Do is a way of saying that the music playing has a rhythm and beat that makes it impossible not to dance. The singer repeats it enthusiastically to capture the excitement of the moment.
I hear a polka and my troubles are through
The singer expresses the notion that the upbeat nature of polka music has a unique way of making anyone forget their problems and tap their feet to the tune.
This kind of music is like heaven to me
The singer emphatically professes that polka music is one of her favourite genre of sounds, and it makes her feel like she's in a dreamy, euphoric state.
It's got me higher than a kite
The singer is vividly describing how much she loves polka music and that it gives her an elated feeling that is similar to being high on drugs such as cocaine or marijuana.
Hand me down my soup and fish, I am gonna get my wish
Soup and Fish is a term for formal clothing, which the singer needs to wear to attend social occasions where polka music is played. She looks forward to attending these functions because she knows she will be able to dance to the music.
(When there's a trombone playin', ra-ta-da-da-da) I get a thrill, I always will
The singer communicates that every time she listens to music with trombone sounds, it gives her a feeling of excitement that never disappears.
(When there's a concertina stretchin' out a mile) I always smile 'cause that's my style
The singer expresses joy at the sound of concertina music, and the sound is immensely pleasing to her, and she always finds herself smiling when she hears it.
When there's a fiddle in the middle, oh, it really is a riddle how he Plays a tune so sweet Plays a tune so sweet that I could die
The singer hears the fiddle and finds it incredible how the musician can make playing the tune sound so sweet that it can be euphoric almost to the point of death.
Lead me to the floor and hear me yell for more 'Cause I'm a Hoop-Dee-Doin' kind of guy
The singer is pleading that she should be allowed to dance on the dancefloor because the beat of the music has made her want to dance more.
I'm in clover, I'm in bloom, When I'm dancin' give me room Hoop-de-doin' it with all of my might
The singer is communicating that she feels great when she's dancing, and she wants enough space to move all over the place on the dance floor.
Rain may fall and snow may come, Nothin's gonna stop me from Hoop-de doin' it, But I'll be doin' it Hoop-De-Doin' it tonight
The singer is resolute that nothing can stop her from dancing to Hoop-De-Doo music tonight, even if it means battling the worst weather conditions to attend a social gathering where the music is playing.
Writer(s): Loesser Frank, Delugg Milton
Contributed by Xavier R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1950 {June 3rd} "Hoop-Dee-Doo" by Kay Starr peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's 'Records Most-Played By Disk Jockeys'* chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was Perry Como's version of "Hoop-Dee-Doo"...
Also at the time, Kay Starr's "Hoop-Dee-Doo" was at position #16 on the Billboard's Best Selling In The Stores chart...
Between 1948 and 1962 Dougherty, Oklahoma native had forty-two records on the Billboard charts, fourteen made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "Wheel of Fortune" for nine weeks in March of 1952 and "Rock and Roll Waltz" for six weeks in February of 1956...
Four of her forty-two charted records were duets with 'Tennessee' Ernie Ford...
Kay Starr, born Catherine Laverne Starks, passed away at the age of 94 on November 3rd, 2016...
May she R.I.P.
* And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the 'Most-Played By Disk Jockeys' Top 10 on June 3rd, 1950:
#3. "Sentimental Me" by The Ames Brothers {the previous week's #1 record}
#4. "The Third Man Theme" by Anton Karas
#5. "Bewitched" by Bill Snyder and His Orchestra
#6. "My Foolish Heart" by Gordon Jerkins, with vocals by Sandy Evans
#7. "I Wanna Be Loved" by the Andrews Sisters
#8. "It Isn't Fair" by Sammy Kaye, with vocals by Don Cornell
#9. "The Third Man Theme" by Guy Lombardo
#10. "Bewitched" by Gordon Jenkins, with vocals by Bonnie Lou Williams