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.
I'm the Lonesomest Gal in Town
Kay Starr Lyrics
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Everybody has thrown me down
I got no angel child to ever call me,"Dear"
Got no honey man for me to cuddle near
But I'm learnin' to roll my eyes
And someday you may be surprised
When I steal someone's lovin' man
I'll hug him and I'll squeeze him
But I'll never give him back
'Cos I'm lonesome, so very lonesome
I'm the lonesomest gal in this here town
If you read in the papers some day
That some poor girl has passed away
Don't shed a tear if you should hear
That gal was me and if you see
My picture in the paper with a smile on my face
I was broken hearted that smile was out of place
If you wanna save a gal from her grave
Find me a man if you can
I'm the lonesomest gal in town
Everybody is throwin' me down
I got no angel child to ever call me,"Dear"
Got no honey man for me to cuddle near
But I'm learnin', I'm gonna roll my eyes
And someday you're gonna be surprised
When I steal someone's lovin' man
And kiss him with a smack
I'll hug him and I'll squeeze him
But I'll never give him back
'Cos I'm lonesome, so very lonesome
I'm the lonesomest gal in this or any other town
The song "I'm the Lonesomest Gal In Town" by Kay Starr tells the story of a woman who feels completely abandoned. She has been left by everyone and has no one to call her own. She longs for an "angel child" to call her dear and a "honey man" to cuddle near. Despite this, the woman has not lost hope. She has learned to roll her eyes and is waiting for the day when she can steal someone else's man and kiss him with a smack. She promises to hug and squeeze him but never to give him back.
The lyrics touch on themes of loneliness, heartbreak, and resilience. The woman is heartbroken, but she is not defeated. She is determined to find love and not be the victim anymore. The song suggests that she is not only looking for someone to love but also someone who will rescue her from her current state. She is asking for someone to find her a man if possible.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a lonesomest gal in town
I am feeling incredibly lonely and isolated in this town.
Everybody has thrown me down
Everyone has rejected me and made me feel unwanted.
I got no angel child to ever call me,"Dear"
I do not have a child to love and care for.
Got no honey man for me to cuddle near
I do not have a significant other to comfort and love me.
But I'm learnin' to roll my eyes
I am learning to be sarcastic and dismissive of those who hurt me.
And someday you may be surprised
One day, people who have hurt me will regret their actions.
When I steal someone's lovin' man
I will take a man who is already in love, out of spite and revenge.
And kiss him with a smack
I will kiss him passionately and make him feel loved, but it will not truly be love.
I'll hug him and I'll squeeze him
I will take advantage of his affection and use it to fill the void in my own heart.
But I'll never give him back
I will not let him go, even if he wants to leave, because I need someone to love me.
'Cos I'm lonesome, so very lonesome
Because I am so very lonely and seeking love and affection.
If you read in the papers some day
If you happen to come across a news article about me.
That some poor girl has passed away
If you see that I have died.
Don't shed a tear if you should hear
Do not feel sad or remorseful for my death.
That gal was me and if you see
That girl was me and if you happen to see my photo.
My picture in the paper with a smile on my face
If you see a photo of me where I look happy but I was actually broken-hearted inside.
I was broken hearted that smile was out of place
I was actually heartbroken and my smile was not genuine.
If you wanna save a gal from her grave
If you want to help a girl before she is pushed to her breaking point.
Find me a man if you can
Help me find a man to love and comfort me.
I'm the lonesomest gal in town
I am the loneliest woman in this town.
Everybody is throwin' me down
Everyone is treating me poorly and making me feel unwanted.
I got no angel child to ever call me,"Dear"
I do not have a child to love and care for.
Got no honey man for me to cuddle near
I do not have a significant other to comfort and love me.
But I'm learnin', I'm gonna roll my eyes
But I am learning to become more resilient and dismissive of negativity.
And someday you're gonna be surprised
Those who have treated me poorly will one day be surprised by how much I have grown and changed.
When I steal someone's lovin' man
I will take a man who is already in love, out of spite and revenge.
And kiss him with a smack
I will kiss him passionately and make him feel loved, but it will not truly be love.
I'll hug him and I'll squeeze him
I will take advantage of his affection and use it to fill the void in my own heart.
But I'll never give him back
I will not let him go, even if he wants to leave, because I need someone to love me.
'Cos I'm lonesome, so very lonesome
Because I am so very lonely and seeking love and affection.
I'm the lonesomest gal in this or any other town
I am the loneliest woman in this or any other town, and I do not see this changing anytime soon.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BROWN, VON TILZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hisaceinthehole3426
Wonder why the lyrics were changed from passed away to led astray for this performance?