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.
Trouble In Mind
Kay Starr Lyrics
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They're only grey for a day,
So wrap your troubles in dreams,
And dream your troubles away.
Until that sunshine peeps through,
There's only one thing to do,
Just wrap your troubles in dreams,
And dream your troubles away.
That's Fate after all,
Life's really funny that way.
No use to grumble,
Just smile as they fall,
Weren't you King for a day?
Say!
Just remember that sunshine
Always follows the rain,
So wrap your troubles in dreams,
And dream your troubles away.
The song "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" by Kay Starr is a comforting tune with calming lyrics. The first two lines imply that trouble and sadness are a temporary phase, and one just has to wait for it to pass. The singer then urges the listener to wrap their troubles in dreams and dream them away until the sunshine peeps through. The idea behind this is to pacify the distressed thoughts and to stop fretting over the things beyond one's control.
The lyrics then proceed to acknowledge the uncertain nature of life, stating that castles may tumble and life can be funny. Instead of fretting, one must learn to enjoy the moment, cherish the memories of good times and treat oneself like a king every once in a while. The chorus of the song reassures the listener that just like the clouds make way for the sunshine, tough times too shall pass. The solution here is to not let temporary troubles weigh one down but to envelop them in imagination, hope, and aspirations.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are an ode to life's ups and downs and to keep moving forward, even on the cloudiest of days.
Line by Line Meaning
When skies are cloudy and grey,
When things seem bleak and hopeless,
They're only grey for a day,
It's a passing phase that will soon be over.
So wrap your troubles in dreams,
Try to forget about your worries and escape into a dream world.
And dream your troubles away.
Allow your subconscious mind to deal with your problems while you're asleep.
Until that sunshine peeps through,
Until things start looking up again.
There's only one thing to do,
There's no point in dwelling on your troubles.
Just wrap your troubles in dreams,
Focus on something more positive and uplifting-- even if it's just a daydream.
And dream your troubles away.
Allow yourself to hope and imagine a better future.
Your castles may tumble,
Your dreams and plans may fall apart unexpectedly.
That's Fate after all,
It's just a natural part of life.
Life's really funny that way.
Life can be unpredictable and ironic.
No use to grumble,
Complaining won't change anything.
Just smile as they fall,
Try to stay positive and find the silver lining in difficult situations.
Weren't you King for a day?
Remember the good times and enjoy your memories of past successes.
Say!
Hey there!
Just remember that sunshine
Always follows the rain,
Things will get better eventually.
So wrap your troubles in dreams,
Keep trying to focus on the good things.
And dream your troubles away.
You may stumble and face difficult situations, but remember to stay hopeful and keep chasing your dreams.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Moll, Harry Barris, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind