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 Dee 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-De
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
(Orchestral Break)
Hoop-De-Do, (Hoop-De-Do)
Hoop-De-Doo, (Hoop-De-Do)
I hear a polka
and my troubles are through)
Hoop-De-De, (Hoop-Dee-Do)
Hoop-De-De, (Hoop-De-De)
This kind of music
Is like heaven to me
Hoop-De-Do (Hoop-De-Do)
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 tonight
The lyrics to Kay Starr's song "Hoop Dee Doo" express the pure joy and elation that music can bring to the listener. The song speaks to the transformative power that music can have on a person's mood and emotions. The lyrics also highlight how specific instrumental sounds, like the trombone, concertina, and fiddle, can produce a visceral reaction in the listener, inducing feelings of thrill, happiness, and even love. The line "lead me to the floor and hear me yell for more" emphasizes the infectious nature of the song, and how it inspires people to dance and fully give themselves over to the music. Overall, the lyrics of "Hoop Dee Doo" celebrate the unbridled happiness and abandon that can come from listening to music and dancing the night away.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoop-De-Do, Hoop-De-Do
The joyous celebration of music begins.
I hear a polka and my troubles are through
The sound of the music provides an escape from problems.
Hoop-De-Do, Hoop-De-De
The excitement of the music builds.
This kind of music is like heaven to me
The pleasure of the music is powerful and transformative.
Hoop-De-Do, Hoop-De-Do
The celebratory mood continues.
It's got me higher than a kite
The ecstatic feeling of the music is overwhelming.
Hand me down my soup and fish, I am gonna get my wish
I'm ready to fully engage and enjoy the festivities.
Hoop-De-Doin' it tonight
I'm fully committed to enjoying the music and the night.
(When there's a trombone playin', ra-ta-da-da-da)
The trombone sound is particularly thrilling.
I get a thrill, I always will
The thrill of the music is consistently powerful.
(When there's a concertina stretchin' out a mile)
The concertina sound is particularly delightful and expansive.
I always smile 'cause that's my style
The pleasure of the music is evident in my expression.
When there's a fiddle in the middle oh it really is a riddle how he plays a tune so sweet
The fiddle sound is particularly entrancing and mysterious.
Plays a tune so sweet that I could die
The beauty of the music inspires intense emotions.
Lead me to the floor and hear me yell for more
I'm eager to dance and immerse myself further in the music.
'Cause I'm a Hoop-Dee-Doin' kind of guy
I'm fully invested in the joyous celebration.
(Orchestral Break)
The music takes over for a moment, captivating the listener.
Hoop-De-Do, (Hoop-De-Do)
The celebration continues.
Hoop-De-Doo, (Hoop-De-Do)
The excitement grows stronger.
I hear a polka (and my troubles are through)
The polka music continues to provide an escape from problems.
Hoop-De-De, (Hoop-Dee-Do)
The joyful celebration continues to build.
Hoop-De-De, (Hoop-De-De)
The excitement reaches new heights.
This kind of music (Is like heaven to me)
The transformative power of the music remains as strong as ever.
Hoop-De-Do (Hoop-De-Do)
The celebration and joy continue endlessly.
Hoop-De-Do (Hoop-De-Do)
The party and happiness are unstoppable.
It's got me higher than a kite
The music continues to inspire intense emotion and pleasure.
I'm in clover, I'm in bloom
I'm completely content and fulfilled in this moment.
When I'm dancin' give me room
I am fully committed to dancing and experiencing the music.
Hoop-de-doin' it with all of my might
I am fully invested in the joyous celebration and dancing with all my energy.
Rain may fall and snow may come
Despite external circumstances, nothing can dampen the joy and celebration of this moment.
Nothin's gonna stop me from
I am unwaveringly committed to fully enjoying and celebrating the moment.
Hoop-De-Doin' it tonight
The joyous celebration will continue all through the night.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., AMY DEE MUSIC CORP.
Written by: Milton Delugg, Frank Loesser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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