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.
Well I Ask Ya
Kay Starr Lyrics
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What a way to cheat and lie
Why′d ya want to make me cry
Because I wanted you
Well, I ask ya
Did you have to beat me down
Did you have to go to town?
Don't think you′re getting away with it
You're gonna pay me somehow
You cruelly wrecked my life
But, oh you want me now
Just you ask me
Get down on your knees and try
I won't break, till I see you cry
And like me, when I ask you
Don′t think you′re getting away with it
You're gonna pay me somehow
You cruelly wrecked my life
But, oh you want me now
Just you ask me
Get down on your knees and try
I won′t break, till I see you cry
And like me, when I ask you
And like me, when I ask you
And like me, when I ask you
The lyrics of "Well I Ask Ya" by Kay Starr speak of an ended relationship where the singer is addressing their former lover who has cheated, lied and broken their heart. The song begins by asking the former lover “what a way to cheat and lie” and questioning why they would want to make her cry when she only wanted them. The lyrics then go on to express the singer's anger and frustration at how their former lover broke them down, went to town and smashed their world in two. Despite the pain and heartbreak, the singer is not ready to let their former lover off the hook, and they make it clear that they will make them pay for the hurt they caused.
The lyrics have several layers of meaning - on one hand, it is about someone who has been hurt and wants to get revenge on the person who caused it. On another level, the lyrics explore themes of power and control in relationships. The singer is tired of being the victim and wants to take control of the situation. They want to see their former lover break down and cry, just like they did. The song ends with a repetition of the last line, “And like me when I ask you”, which reinforces the idea of the singer seeking revenge and power over their former lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I ask ya
The singer wants an explanation for the actions of their partner.
What a way to cheat and lie
The singer is expressing their anger and frustration at their partner's behavior.
Why′d ya want to make me cry
The singer is questioning why their partner would hurt them emotionally.
Because I wanted you
The artist is suggesting that their desire for their partner led to their emotional pain.
Did you have to beat me down
The artist is accusing their partner of physically harming them.
Did you have to go to town?
The singer is asking if their partner had to leave them.
And smash my world in two
The singer is conveying the impact that their partner's actions had on them.
Don't think you′re getting away with it
The artist is warning their partner that they will face consequences for their actions.
You're gonna pay me somehow
The artist is demanding that their partner make amends for their behavior.
You cruelly wrecked my life
The artist is expressing the devastation that their partner caused.
But, oh you want me now
The singer is recognizing that their partner now desires them, but they are still hurt by their past actions.
Just you ask me
The artist is suggesting that their partner must apologize and make amends before they can reconcile.
Get down on your knees and try
The singer is emphasizing the severity of the situation and the need for genuine remorse from their partner.
I won't break, till I see you cry
The singer is demanding that their partner shows true remorse for their behavior.
And like me, when I ask you
The singer suggests that their partner must experience the same level of pain and hurt that they did before they can reconcile.
And like me, when I ask you
The artist emphasizes the importance of their partner feeling the same level of hurt they experienced before any sort of healing can occur.
Writer(s): Les Vandyke
Contributed by Savannah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.