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.
Love Ain't Right
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love ain't right
Love ain't right
Love ain't purdy
When love ain't right
When we fuss
And when we fight
Ain't it a pity
Kitten in the kitchen
Hear it purr
? In the pantry lookin' at her
Well they're ready to tangle
It's plain to see
Get along better than you and me
[Repeat chorus]
Bees in the honey
Bees in the comb
You're the only bee
Whose not at home
You got me buzzin'
When you're all through
But you're buzzin' with the bees
Who don't buzz you
[Repeat chorus]
Out in the treetop
Hootin' all day
Sittin' and a-waitin'
Don't wanna play
Gets no answer when he says "Who"
Just like me when I talk to you
[Repeat chorus]
Sheep in the meadow
Cows in the corn
First you're here and then you're gone
I'm gonna get me three boy scouts
To keep up with your whereabouts
[Repeat chorus]
Folks may think there's something wrong
Sounds like we don't get along
Our love ain't weak, our love is strong
Without our fightin' there ain't no song
[Repeat chorus]
The song "Love Ain't Right" by Kay Starr is a lamentation about the ups and downs of love. The chorus of the song, "Love ain't right, Love ain't pretty when love ain't right. When we fuss, and when we fight, Ain't it a pity when love ain't right" encapsulates the theme of the song. The poetic verses describe different scenarios symbolizing the challenges of being in a relationship. The first verse likens the couple to a kitten and a pantry mouse who are ready to fight. The second verse uses the metaphor of bees, suggesting that the partner is not 'at home' with the singer; they are buzzing around with other bees, i.e., other people. The third verse describes a bird that doesn't get an answer when it calls out — just like the singer, who feels ignored when trying to communicate with the partner. The final verse of the song talks about the transience of relationships, like sheep in the meadow and cows in the corn-fields. The singer expresses her desire to track her partner's whereabouts by hiring 'three boy scouts.'
Line by Line Meaning
Love ain't right
True love should be serene and pleasant, but not when it's fraught with disagreements and clashes
Love ain't purdy
Love usually brings delight and pleasure, but that isn't the case when it's faulty
When love ain't right
When the love between two people is off the rails, it's not normal or healthy
When we fuss
When lovers argue, it makes a once-beautiful relationship turn sour
And when we fight
When two people are at each other's throats, their personal connection is damaged
Ain't it a pity
It's truly unfortunate when amorous relationships go awry
Kitten in the kitchen
A metaphorical image describing the presence of love and passion between two people
Hear it purr
Hearing love's gentle and soothing sound is a delight to the senses
? In the pantry lookin' at her
An unspecified third party is observing the couple's love and affection
Well they're ready to tangle
The couple is prepared to engage in an argument or confrontation
It's plain to see
It's obvious or evident that their love is troubled
Get along better than you and me
The third party couple is more in sync and cordial than the singer and her partner
Bees in the honey
A metaphor representing love and affection between lovers
Bees in the comb
Symbolic of the shared experience and commitment between partners
You're the only bee
The only one in the relationship that's physically or emotionally absent
Whose not at home
The partner isn't present in a physical or emotional sense
You got me buzzin'
The partner excites and enthralls the singer, but their attention isn't reciprocated
When you're all through
When the lover is done with their business or pleasure
But you're buzzin' with the bees
The partner is communicating with others who are more appealing or interesting
Who don't buzz you
The same people or interests the partner is communicating with aren't reciprocating their interest
Out in the treetop
A metaphor for those who are happy and carefree
Hootin' all day
Making noise for no particular reason
Sittin' and a-waitin'
The singer is waiting patiently for what they desire and crave
Don't wanna play
The partner doesn't want to be involved or invested in the relationship
Gets no answer when he says "Who"
The singer is ignored or dismissed when attempting to connect with the partner
Just like me when I talk to you
The singer feels unheard and neglected by their partner
Sheep in the meadow
A common and idyllic sight used as a comparison for warm and serene situations
Cows in the corn
Represents fertility, productivity, and a sense of abundance
First you're here and then you're gone
The partner's presence is fleeting and not substantial
I'm gonna get me three boy scouts
Sarcasm conveys that the singer can't rely on their partner, and three boy scouts would make for good substitutes for safety and reliability
To keep up with your whereabouts
To keep tabs on the partner's whereabouts since they are unpredictable and unreliable
Folks may think there's something wrong
Others may perceive their relationship as dysfunctional
Sounds like we don't get along
Outward appearances give off the impression that the couple doesn't have a good rapport
Our love ain't weak, our love is strong
Despite their frequent quarrels, the couple's love is still significant and meaningful
Without our fightin' there ain't no song
The quarrels and disagreements are the fuel that drives their relationship
Contributed by Nathaniel C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@elbatosarosatodriguez9769
🐈🐈💜
@chrisjazzhands5373
A little too frantic for me. 🤷🏻♂️