At the age of twelve she saw an advertisment in the local newspapers for juvenile dancers and passed the audition.
By sixteen [at the hight of the Nazi Blitz-bombing raids on Liverpool she answered another advert, when she managed to secure a job as a singer in the "New Yorker" - a Southport, Merseyside club. She got that job at £5 a week, then shortly afterwards signed up with the Harry Roy Orchestra in London. She moved on from this to work with other bands of the era including that of Edmundo Ros.
By the time she was eighteen war-ravaged London was still a dangerous place to work and she had decided to retire from show business - choosing marriage to an American and a life in Miami in exchange. London was full of American servicemen at the time, one of whom Roza married and off they went to safety in America.
However, this did not last and shortly after WW2 she returned to the UK In 1950 she became lead female singer with the Ted Heath Band, and by 1954 had achieved enough public acclaim to leave the band and pursue a solo recording career on her own.
1956 she married the trumpet player, Ronnie Harris.
She remained a top UK recording artist during the remainder of the 1950s, but her subsequent recordings never recaptured the magic she had shown while with Ted Heath.[citation needed]
She was voted the 'Top British Female Singer' in the New Musical Express' pool winners charts consecutively from 1951 to 1955. Melody Maker readers also voted her their 'Top Girl Singer' in the Dance Band section of their pools in 1951 and 1952.
Her 1953 number one hit record "How Much is that Doggie in the Window?" afforded Roza the privilege of being the first British female singer to top the UK Singles Chart.
On Wednesday March 14, 2001 a Wall of Fame was inaugurated opposite the famous Cavern Club on Mathew Street, in downtown Liverpool, with Roza presiding at the ceremony.
At November 28, 2002, in Liverpool, she gave her last public performance on Radio Merseyside.
Lita Roza died peacefully at home on 14 August 2008, aged 82.
Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
Lita Roza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
[Repeat: x2]
I ought to cross you off my list
But when you come a-knocking at my door
And I come running back for more
I should hate you, but I guess I love you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
The devil and the deep blue sea
In Lita Roza's song "Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea", the singer is expressing their internal conflict between their desire for someone and knowing that person is not good for them. The singer states that they do not want that person, but they also do not want to lose them. They feel trapped in this unhealthy cycle of forgiveness and running back to the person, despite knowing that they should move on. The metaphor of being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea represents this internal struggle of being stuck between two unpleasant options.
The singer acknowledges that they should cut ties with this person and remove them from their life, but every time the person returns, they cannot resist their pull. The lyrics "I ought to cross you off my list, but when you come knocking at my door, fate seems to give my heart a twist" suggest that the desire between the two is mutual, and even if the singer tries to resist, fate and their heart lead them back to the person. The singer admits that they should hate this person, but they cannot help but love them.
Overall, "Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea" is a song that explores the complexities of love and relationships, particularly the struggle between what one wants and what one knows is best for them.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you
I do not want to be with you, but at the same time, I do not want to lose you either.
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
I am stuck in a difficult situation where I have to choose between two undesirable options.
I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
Although I cannot forget what you did, I forgive you as I cannot imagine my life without you.
I ought to cross you off my list
I need to remove you from my life and forget about you.
But when you come a-knocking at my door
Whenever you come back to me, seeking forgiveness or love, I let you in.
Fate seems to give my heart a twist
I cannot resist your charm, and destiny always makes me overlook what you did.
And I come running back for more
I always go back to you, seeking more love and forgiveness, even though I know it might not be good for me.
I should hate you, but I guess I love you
Despite all the wrong you have done, I cannot bring myself to hate you because I still love you.
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
Once again, you have put me in a tough position where I have to decide between two undesirable options.
The devil and the deep blue sea
This is a metaphorical expression indicating a situation where one has to choose between two equally difficult or impossible options.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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