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.
You've Got to See Mama Ev'ry Night
Kay Starr Lyrics
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Or you can't see your mamma at all!
You've got to kiss your mamma, treat her right,
Or I won't be home when you call!
Now I don't like that kind o' man
That makes love on the installment plan!
You gotta see your mamma every night,
Monday night, you didn't show,
Tuesday night, you claimed no dough,
Wednesday night, that same old stall,
Thursday night, you didn't call.
Friday night, you dogged my path,
Saturday night, you took your bath,
Sunday night, you had a date,
And from the looks of everything it's clear that I don't rate!
Hey you, you better show tonight,
Or you won't see your mamma at all!
You better kiss me, you better hold me right,
Or I won't be home when you call!
Now I don't like that kind o' man
That operates on the installment plan.
You better see me, you better make things right,
Or you won't see your mamma at all!
Cut out all this stallin',
Cut in some callin',
Or you won't see your mamma at all!
The lyrics of Kay Starr's song You've Got To See Your Mamma are a playful but stern warning to a lover who has been neglecting his relationship with the singer. She wants him to prioritize spending time with her and treating her with respect, otherwise, he won't have access to her at all. The lyrics playfully describe the man's excuses for not seeing her, but as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer will not tolerate it any longer, and the man needs to make things right. The repeated line, "you won't see your mamma at all," drives home the message that the singer is not interested in a man who is not fully committed to her.
The song's title "You gotta see your mamma every night" is a reference to a cultural norm at the time where young men were expected to visit their mothers regularly. The singer is using this norm to express her desire for consistency and commitment in the relationship. The line "makes love on the installment plan" is also an interesting phrase that refers to the concept of buying something on credit and paying it back in installments. Here it means that the man is trying to fit in his affection towards the singer in small doses, without fully committing to a relationship.
Overall, the song's tone is one of playful warning and is a great example of the pop music of the time. The catchy melody with its upbeat tempo is perfect for its lyrics, and it's easy to see why the song was popular upon its release.
Line by Line Meaning
You gotta see your mamma every night,
It's important that you spend time with your mother regularly
Or you can't see your mamma at all!
If you neglect your mother, you won't be welcome in her presence
You've got to kiss your mamma, treat her right,
Showing affection and respect to your mother is essential
Or I won't be home when you call!
If you don't treat your mother well, I won't be around for you
Now I don't like that kind o' man
I don't approve of men who behave a certain way
That makes love on the installment plan!
I don't approve of men who show affection inconsistently
Monday night, you didn't show,
On Monday you didn't keep your promise to spend time with me
Tuesday night, you claimed no dough,
On Tuesday you used the excuse of not having money
Wednesday night, that same old stall,
On Wednesday you used the same old excuse for not seeing me
Thursday night, you didn't call.
On Thursday you didn't even bother to call me
Friday night, you dogged my path,
On Friday you tried to avoid me
Saturday night, you took your bath,
On Saturday you played it off as getting ready for something else
Sunday night, you had a date,
On Sunday you chose to go out with someone else
And from the looks of everything it's clear that I don't rate!
It's obvious that I'm not a priority for you
Hey you, you better show tonight,
You need to keep your promise and show up tonight
Or you won't see your mamma at all!
If you don't show up, you won't be welcome in my presence
You better kiss me, you better hold me right,
You need to show me affection in the right way
Or I won't be home when you call!
If you don't treat me right, I won't be there for you
Now I don't like that kind o' man
I have a low opinion of men who act a certain way
That operates on the installment plan.
I don't approve of men who only show affection occasionally
You better see me, you better make things right,
You need to make things right between us
Or you won't see your mamma at all!
If you don't make things right, I won't be around for you
Cut out all this stallin',
Stop making excuses and wasting time
Cut in some callin',
Start calling and communicating with me more
Or you won't see your mamma at all!
If you don't improve your behavior, you won't be welcome in my presence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY ROSE, CON CONRAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind