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.
The Breeze
Kay Starr Lyrics
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And when the salty wind is blowin' from the sea
I pretend that it's breeze that's fillin' the sails
That's movin' the ship that's bringin' my honey back to me
I always keep my window open wide
I like to let the friendly breeze come right inside
And pretend that it's breeze that's fillin' the sails
[Chorus]
Mr wind keep blowin' stronger because I must have that guy of mine
Well every day seems so much longer
Now don't forget each daylights savin' time
I get so lonesome waitin' days and weeks
When every breath of air that lingers on my cheek
Seems to whisper it's the breeze that's fillin' the sails
That's movin' the ship that's bringin' my honey back to me
Day after day I'm awaitin' cause
The wind is a-blowin' from the sea
Well it's the sea the breeze the ship the sail that's bringin' my honey to me
I keep my window open wide
I like to let that breeze come right inside
Well it's the sea the breeze the ship the sail that's that's bringin my honey to me
[Chorus]
Well it's the sea the breeze the ship the sail
That's bringin' my honey to me
The song "The Breeze" by Kay Starr is a love song about a woman who is waiting for her lover to return from a long journey at sea. As the salty wind blows in from the sea, she imagines that it is the breeze that is filling the sails of the ship that is bringing her lover back to her. She keeps her window open wide to feel the breeze and wait for her lover's return. The song expresses the loneliness and longing that come with waiting for someone you love.
The repeated reference to the breeze and the sea creates a sense of longing and anticipation for the lover's return. The woman is so desperate for her lover to return that she begs the wind to blow stronger so that the ship can come back faster. The lyrics also hint at the passage of time, with the mention of daylight saving time and the idea that every day seems longer when waiting for a loved one's return.
Overall, "The Breeze" is a simple and heartfelt song that captures the emotions of someone waiting for their lover's return. It's a classic love song that still resonates with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Day after day I'm waited patiently
I wait with patience every day
And when the salty wind is blowin' from the sea
When the salty wind from the sea blows
I pretend that it's breeze that's fillin' the sails
I imagine that the breeze is filling the sails
That's movin' the ship that's bringin' my honey back to me
Which moves the ship bringing my loved one to me
I always keep my window open wide
I keep my window open all the time
I like to let the friendly breeze come right inside
I prefer to let the friendly breeze in
Mr wind keep blowin' stronger because I must have that guy of mine
Wind, blow stronger because I need my love
Well every day seems so much longer
Each day seems much longer
Now don't forget each daylights savin' time
Remember daylight saving time
I get so lonesome waitin' days and weeks
I feel very lonely waiting for days and weeks
When every breath of air that lingers on my cheek
When every breath of air that touches my cheek
Seems to whisper it's the breeze that's fillin' the sails
I think the breeze is filling the sails
That's movin' the ship that's bringin' my honey back to me
Which moves the ship bringing my loved one to me
Day after day I'm awaitin' cause
I'm waiting every day
The wind is a-blowin' from the sea
The wind from the sea is blowing
I keep my window open wide
I keep my window open all the time
It's the sea the breeze the ship the sail that's bringin' my honey to me
These are the things that bring my loved one to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL LEWIS, DICK SMITH, TONY ANTHONY SACCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
robertc391
I remember this song. Remember Kay's big one back than Wheel of Fortune. She was so good. They were good together. Miss that entertainment. Lucky to have been around for some of it.
BigBingFan
I mistakenly read it as "The Breeze and I," but when I played it, it was a new song to me......Interesting duet, with the "belter" Kay Starr. Kinda a refined Ethel Merman..... :) Thanks for the upload!
Bob Taylor
It took me a while to figure out the title. A very catchy song, and I always like to hear Kay Starr sing anything.
Kathleen Bonner
i've tried to get this one on utube but thought the title was something else other than "the breeze". now i know. i remember it when i was in 3rd yr high. thought trudy irwin had the hit version. PAT BONNER