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 Haven't Changed a Thing
Kay Starr Lyrics
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The moon is still the same
I'm waiting for your ring
I hope it's not in vain
Darling, the thought of you still clings to me
That's why I haven't changed a thing
I haven't wound the clock
I'm waiting for your knock
The latch is off the door
Darling, the sunshine you would bring to me
That's why I haven't changed a thing
The slippers that you wore
Remind me more and more
Of the happiness, that I once knew
Your robe now drapes the chair
As if you're sitting there
With your arms around me the way you used to do
I haven't changed a thing
My heart is still the same
Let's have another fling
There's no need to explain
Darling, the years with you still cling to me
That's why I haven't changed a thing
I haven't changed a thing
My heart is still the same
Let's have another fling
There's no need to explain
Darling, the years with you still cling to me
That's why I haven't changed a thing, no
That's why I haven't changed a thing
The song "I Haven't Changed a Thing" by Kay Starr is a poignant exploration of a love that has been lost but not forgotten. The lyrics describe a person who is still holding on to memories of a past love and refuses to let go of the relationship that once brought them happiness. The singer keeps everything in their home exactly as it was when their lover was still there, including the slippers and robe that they once wore. They are waiting for their lover to return, hoping that they will once again bring sunshine into their life.
The song is a powerful expression of nostalgia and longing, as well as the pain of separation and the difficulty of moving on from a lost love. The lyrics highlight the ways in which physical objects and routines can serve as powerful reminders of a past relationship, and how these reminders can be both comforting and painful.
Kay Starr's rendition of this song is particularly moving, with her expressive voice capturing the emotion and depth of the lyrics. The slow and simple melody, combined with the sparse instrumentation, allows the focus to remain on the lyrics and the raw emotion behind them.
Line by Line Meaning
I haven't changed a thing
I still feel the same way about you
The moon is still the same
Time has passed, but things remain as they were
I'm waiting for your ring
I still hope for a future with you
I hope it's not in vain
I pray that my hopes for us are not futile
Darling, the thought of you still clings to me
You still occupy my thoughts and heart
I haven't wound the clock
The passage of time means nothing to me without you
The hours come no more
I no longer keep track of time as I used to
I'm waiting for your knock
Anticipating your return is all I can do
The latch is off the door
I'm always ready to welcome you home
Darling, the sunshine you would bring to me
Your presence and love is what brings light and happiness to my life
The slippers that you wore
Every little thing reminds me of you
Remind me more and more
My memories of us only grow stronger
Of the happiness, that I once knew
The joy we shared is forever etched in my heart
Your robe now drapes the chair
I keep your belongings close, as if you were still here
As if you're sitting there
I can almost imagine your presence next to me
With your arms around me the way you used to do
I long for the physical closeness we once had
My heart is still the same
My love for you has not faded
Let's have another fling
I yearn for us to be together again
There's no need to explain
Our love is self-evident, no words can fully express it
Darling, the years with you still cling to me
Our time together is forever imprinted in my heart and mind
That's why I haven't changed a thing
My love for you remains steadfast and constant
Writer(s): Mills, Nemo, Goldsen
Contributed by Carter G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.