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 Headless Horseman
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While I'll elucidate
On what goes on when it gets late.
Long about midnight,
The ghosts and banshees,
Get together for a jamboree.
There's ghosts with horns and saucer eyes
Some have fangs about this size.
Some tall and thin.
And some don't even bother to wear their skin!
Oh, I'm a-telling you, brother,
It's a fearful sight'
To see what goes on in the night.
When the spooks have a midnight jamboree,
They break it up with a fiendish glee.
Ghosts are bad, but the one that's cursed
Is the Headless Horseman, he's the worst.
When he goes a-joggin 'cross the land,
Holdin' his noggin' right in his hand,
Demons take one look and groan,
And they hit the road for parts unknown.
Well, there's no spook like the spook that's spurned.
The ghosts don't like him, and he's really burned.
He swears to the longest day he's dead,
(Well I'll show them that I can get a head!)
So close all the windows
Lock all the doors,
Unless you're careful or he'll get yours
Don't think he'll hesitate a bit,
'Cause he'll flip your top if it'll fit.
And he likes them little, he likes them big,
Part in the middle, or a wig,
Black or white or even red,
The Headless Horseman needs a head.
With a hip-hip-hip and a clippity-clop,
He's out lookin' for a top to chop,
So don't stop to figure out a plan,
You can't reason with a headless man.
With a hip-hip-hip and a clippity-clop,
Look out!
We KNOW what we're talking about, believe me.
You better watch your ques
But take a look,
At the people who ignored the old good book
Change your ways, you'll find it safe
'Cause you can't be a haint
If you a'int...
Kinda crazed, I guess you'd say...
Take our word, we KNOW what we're talking about.
Now this is a... pretty spooky thing we're doing here...
You don't mind if I turn on another light,
Do you? Hm?
The Headless Horseman is a spooky tale about ghosts and ghouls that gather together to party at midnight on Halloween night. The lyrics talk about the various types of ghosts that come together for this jamboree, with some being short and fat, some tall and thin, and others not even bothering to wear their skin. However, the worst ghost of them all is the Headless Horseman, who is cursed and holds his noggin in his hand as he goes a-joggin' across the land. The other ghosts don't like him, and he's on a mission to find a new head to replace the one he lost.
The song encourages listeners to take precautions on Halloween night and warns against crossing paths with the Headless Horseman. The lyrics suggest locking all doors and windows and not trying to reason with him if he comes knocking. The tone of the song is playful and humorous, but also slightly eerie, with a call to change one's ways and avoid becoming a haint.
Overall, The Headless Horseman is a spooky Halloween song that tells a humorous tale of ghosts and goblins gathering together for a midnight jamboree. The lyrics are catchy and playful, but with a warning to be careful and watch out for the Headless Horseman.
Line by Line Meaning
Now gather 'round
Come together and listen.
While I'll elucidate
I will explain.
On what goes on when it gets late.
What happens at night.
Long about midnight,
When it's very late at night.
The ghosts and banshees,
Spirits and wailing ghosts.
Get together for a jamboree.
Party and have a good time.
There's ghosts with horns and saucer eyes
Spirits with strange features.
Some have fangs about this size.
Some spirits have large fangs.
Some short and fat.
Some spirits are short and chubby.
Some tall and thin.
Some spirits are tall and skinny.
And some don't even bother to wear their skin!
Some spirits do not have skin.
Oh, I'm a-telling you, brother,
I am telling you honestly.
It's a fearful sight'
It is scary.
To see what goes on in the night.
To see what happens at night.
When the spooks have a midnight jamboree,
When spirits have a party at midnight.
They break it up with a fiendish glee.
They end the party excitedly.
Ghosts are bad, but the one that's cursed
Spirits are spooky, but the Headless Horseman is the worst.
Is the Headless Horseman, he's the worst.
The Headless Horseman is very scary.
When he goes a-joggin 'cross the land,
When he moves through the country.
Holdin' his noggin' right in his hand,
Holding his head in his hand.
Demons take one look and groan,
Other spirits are afraid when they see him.
And they hit the road for parts unknown.
They run away as fast as they can.
Well, there's no spook like the spook that's spurned.
A rejected spirit is the scariest.
The ghosts don't like him, and he's really burned.
The other spirits do not like him.
He swears to the longest day he's dead,
He says he is dead.
(Well I'll show them that I can get a head!)
(I'll prove them wrong by getting a head!)
So close all the windows
Close all the windows.
Lock all the doors,
Lock all the doors.
Unless you're careful or he'll get yours
Or else he may come after you.
Don't think he'll hesitate a bit,
He won't think twice.
'Cause he'll flip your top if it'll fit.
He'll cut your head off if it fits.
And he likes them little, he likes them big,
He likes small and big heads.
Part in the middle, or a wig,
He doesn't mind if the head is bald or has hair.
Black or white or even red,
He doesn't care about the head color.
The Headless Horseman needs a head.
He needs a head.
With a hip-hip-hip and a clippity-clop,
With a rhythmic sound of jogging.
He's out lookin' for a top to chop,
He is searching for a head to cut.
So don't stop to figure out a plan,
Don't waste time thinking of a plan.
You can't reason with a headless man.
You can't talk sense to someone without a head.
With a hip-hip-hip and a clippity-clop,
With a rhythmic sound of jogging.
Look out!
Be careful!
We KNOW what we're talking about, believe me.
We are sure of what we are saying.
You better watch your ques
Be careful.
But take a look,
Look around.
At the people who ignored the old good book
At those who didn't follow the good book.
Change your ways, you'll find it safe
Behave properly to stay safe.
'Cause you can't be a haint
You can't be a spirit.
If you a'int...
If you don't act like one.
Kinda crazed, I guess you'd say...
Mad, or so it seems.
Take our word, we KNOW what we're talking about.
We insist, we know what we're talking about.
Now this is a... pretty spooky thing we're doing here...
What we're doing is very scary.
You don't mind if I turn on another light,
Is it okay if I turn on another light?
Do you? Hm?
Right?
Contributed by Amelia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.