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 Cant Get Startedl
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've settled revolutions in Spain
And the North Pole I have charted
Still I can't get started with you
On the golf course, I'm under par
Metro Goldwyn have asked me to star
I've got a house, a showplace
'Cause you're so supreme
Lyrics I write of you, I dream
Dream day and night of you
And I scheme just for the sight of you
Baby, what good does it do?
I've been consulted by Franklin D
Greta Garbo has had me to tea
Still I'm broken-hearted
'Cause I can't get started with you
Kay Starr's song "I Can't Get Started" tells a story of a person who has achieved great things, including flying around the world in a plane, settling revolutions in Spain, charting the North Pole, and being under par on the golf course. The person has also been asked to star in a movie by Metro Goldwyn and has a beautiful house, yet they still can't seem to start anything with the person they are in love with. The lyrics describe the supreme nature of their love interest, the way they dream day and night of them, and all the things they do just for the sight of them. Despite being consulted by Franklin D. Roosevelt and having tea with Greta Garbo, they are still broken-hearted because they can't get started with the one they love.
The song is essentially about unrequited love, and how no matter what the person achieves, they can't seem to capture the heart of the one they desire. The lyrics mention their various accomplishments to highlight how they are successful in so many areas, yet they still feel inadequate when it comes to winning over their love interest. The song paints a picture of someone who is very accomplished yet humble, and who is willing to do whatever it takes to win the love of another.
Line by Line Meaning
I've flown around the world in a plane
I've traveled far and wide by plane
I've settled revolutions in Spain
I've been involved in political revolutions and helped bring them to an end in Spain
And the North Pole I have charted
I've been to the North Pole and mapped it out
Still I can't get started with you
Despite all my accomplishments, I still can't seem to begin a relationship with you
On the golf course, I'm under par
I'm good at playing golf and consistently score below par
Metro Goldwyn have asked me to star
A movie studio has invited me to be a leading actor
I've got a house, a showplace
I have a beautiful home that's a great location for hosting events
Still I can't get no place with you
Despite my material possessions, I can't seem to get any closer to you
'Cause you're so supreme
You're so exceptional and unique
Lyrics I write of you, I dream
I constantly dream and write songs about you
Dream day and night of you
I can't stop thinking about you, even when I sleep
And I scheme just for the sight of you
I come up with plans just to see you
Baby, what good does it do?
But it's all in vain and doesn't help me win your heart
I've been consulted by Franklin D
Even the President has sought my advice
Greta Garbo has had me to tea
Famous actress Greta Garbo has invited me to have tea with her
Still I'm broken-hearted
But despite all this, I am still heartbroken
'Cause I can't get started with you
Because I can't seem to begin a relationship with you, no matter what I do
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind