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.
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems we can't get along,
No matter what I do
I don't appeal to you
Makes no difference whether
I am right or wrong
If we can't be sweethearts
This much you can do
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone
Oh, Honey, though our friendship ceases from now on
And listen, if you can't say anything real nice
It's better not to talk at all, that's my advice
We're parting, you go your way, I'll go mine
It's best that we do
Here's a kiss, I hope that this brings lots of luck to you
Makes no difference how I carry on
Just remember
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone.
The lyrics of "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" by Kay Starr tell the story of a couple who have been together for years, but are unable to get along. The singer acknowledges that no matter what she does, she does not appeal to her partner. Although they are unable to continue their relationship as sweethearts, the singer requests that her partner not talk about her when she has gone. She advises that it is better not to speak at all if nothing nice can be said about her. The singer and her partner part ways, and she wishes them luck. The song ends with the reminder that no matter how she carries on, her partner should remember not to talk about her when she is gone.
The lyrics of the song are a reflection of the emotions of heartbreak, longing, and the need for privacy. It speaks to the idea that even though the relationship has ended, the singer still wants to be respected and treated with dignity. The lyrics are cleverly written and express the feelings of sadness and bitterness towards the end of a relationship. The song conveys a sense of acceptance, closure, and moving on from a painful break-up while also reminding the audience that speaking well of others is essential for healthy relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Years we've been together
We have been in a relationship for a long time
Seems we can't get along,
It looks like we are unable to agree or get along
No matter what I do
Regardless of my efforts
I don't appeal to you
I am not attractive or appealing to you
Makes no difference whether
It doesn't matter if
I am right or wrong
Whether I am correct or mistaken
If we can't be sweethearts
If we are not able to be in a romantic relationship
This much you can do
At least you can do this much
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone
I request you don't speak about me after I leave
Oh, Honey, though our friendship ceases from now on
Even though our friendship is ending
And listen, if you can't say anything real nice
If you are unable to say something kind and truthful
It's better not to talk at all, that's my advice
It would be preferable to remain silent; that is my suggestion
We're parting, you go your way, I'll go mine
We are departing, and we shall go our separate ways
It's best that we do
It is the most suitable course of action
Here's a kiss, I hope that this brings lots of luck to you
I am giving you a kiss to bless you with good fortune
Makes no difference how I carry on
It is irrelevant how I conduct myself
Just remember
I want you to keep in mind
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone.
I ask you not to talk about me after I depart
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bee Palmer, Sidney Clare, Sam Stept
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrJimmienoone
What a great singer! How she plays with the rhythm!
Murp h
Years have passed ---- she remains one of the great females in popular music --- she would be a star today ----- simply--- she could do it all --- she was miss soulful before they called it soul
Mark Anthony
Beautiful...
John Meyer
Just wow. So nice to hear this as a ballad; many singers swing it -which is a mistake. It is SO soulful, as Kay makes clear. The Lyric is so forgiving: "Here's a kiss/I hope that this/Brings lots of love to you..." Singer obviously holds no animosity.