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 Things I Never Had
Kay Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a swing put up by dad
Sweet love bites (?)
To close my eyes
Are things I never had
A party dress on my birthday
And a doll to make me glad
A teen romance
Are things I never had
Someone to read me fairy tales
On the days when it would rain
When I'd fall down
No one was there
To kiss away the pain
Someone to call me darlin'
When the blues come on real bad
Each night I pray
To find someday
But now I have you darlin'
I never will feel sad
My cares are small
You're more than all
The things that I never had
In Kay Starr's The Things I Never Had, the lyrics describe a lack of things that the singer has never experienced. The first verse talks about wanting a house with a big old shade tree where a swing was put up by her dad. The shade tree and swing represent a sense of comfort, stability, and family. The lack of this experience could indicate a feeling of disconnection from family or an unstable home life. The singer also expresses a desire for sweet love bites to close her eyes, which could indicate an absence of affection or intimacy in her life.
The second verse talks about missing out on simple things like having a party dress on her birthday or a doll to make her happy. It also mentions missing out on a highschool dance and a teen romance. These experiences represent typical teenage experiences that many people take for granted. The lack of these experiences could indicate a sense of loneliness or isolation during adolescence.
The third verse talks about wanting someone to read her fairy tales on rainy days and kiss away the pain when she falls down. This represents a desire for emotional support and care, which may have been lacking in her life. The singer also expresses a longing to have someone to call her darlin' when the blues come on real bad. This indicates a desire for a supportive and loving partner.
The final verse brings the song to a positive conclusion. The singer reveals that she has found someone special, and now she will never feel sad. Her partner is more than all the things she never had, and her cares are small in comparison. This verse highlights the importance of love and how it can make up for the things we never had.
Line by Line Meaning
A house with a big old shade tree
I never had the comfort of a own home with a big shady tree to lay under and relax.
And a swing put up by dad
I never had a father who put up a swing for me to play on.
Sweet love bites (?) To close my eyes
I never had the experience of enjoying sweet love bites with someone and close my eyes in satisfaction.
Are things I never had
All these things make me sad knowing that I never had them.
A party dress on my birthday
I never had a special dress to wear on my birthday.
And a doll to make me glad
I never had a doll to play with and rejoice.
A highschool dance
I never had the opportunity to go to a high school dance and make beautiful memories.
A teen romance
I never experienced teenage romance because of the lack of opportunities.
Are things I never had
All these things have left me feeling incomplete, knowing that I never had them.
Someone to read me fairy tales
I never had someone to read me fairy tales when it rained outside to elevate my mood.
On the days when it would rain
I never had someone to read me fairy tales, especially on the days when it would rain and make me feel dull.
When I'd fall down
When I'd be down, there was no one to help me get back on my feet.
No one was there to kiss away the pain
There was nobody who could comfort me when it hurt.
Someone to call me darlin'
I never had someone who would call me sweetheart and reassure me.
When the blues come on real bad
Even when I was down and feeling blue, there was no one to call me darling and brighten up my day.
Each night I pray to find someday
Every night I pray to find someone whom I can call mine and spend my life with.
But now I have you darlin'
Now that I have you, my dear, I feel content and happy.
I never will feel sad
With you by my side, I know I'll never feel sad again.
My cares are small
With you, all my worries seem small and insignificant.
You're more than all the things that I never had
With you, I have everything that I never had before, and even more than that. You complete me.
Contributed by William P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Murp h
People who don't about her sure have missed out --- one of the great female vocalists ---- great soul
murp h
A soul singer _ she would bigger today than ever __ thanks for all the great music beautiful lady
Murp h
A timeless great song sung by a great singer--- bravo
MrManorAvenue
Don't recall hearing this one by Kay Starr before today, and what a treat it was to do so. Thanks for putting it on YouTube. I'll be watching for the sheet music for it from now on.
Roger James
Great kay starr underated talent