Before teaming up with Keely Smith, Prima was already a popular trumpet player, singer and consumate SHOWMAN for over a decade who'd already been married three times. He had scored success by writing the swing anthem "Sing, Sing, Sing" a huge hit for for Benny Goodman, and scored with some novelty tunes for himself like "Robin Hood", "Bell Bottom Trousers" in 1945 and 1948's "Civilization (Bongo Bongo Bongo)". Prima had emerged from the New Orleans jazz scene, before starting a big band, and his charm & looks had him selling out major venues nationwide including drawing record crowds to New York's Paramount Theater. His records often played upon his Sicilian heritage, and novelty tracks included "Please No Squeeza Da Banana," and "Josephine, Please No Lean On The Bell."
He was considered a bit philanderous, and dated numerous women even when married. The boisterous & colorful Italian-American performer had already operated a nightclub under the name the "Famous Door" in Los Angeles where he also began dating starlets & using show biz contacts to appear in some films alongside fellow performers like Bing Crosby.
Dorothy Jacqueline Keely aka Keely Smith was discovered by Prima in Norfolk VA on tour in the late 1940's. She came up to the bandstand and won an impromptu talent contest with her voice. Prima took an instant liking to her dry wit and got the young girl's mother to sign a permission slip and she hit the road with the band. At the time Prima was signed to Columbia, and they began recording material under the direction of Mitch Miller.
Prima's career had many ups & downs, and his financial status was always precarious. By the early 1950's, with his popularity waning he could no longer afford to pay a big band, and he could find no steady work anymore on the east coast. After a desperate plea to an old talent agent friend, he was signed to play five graveyard sets in a small lounge in a new Las Vegas casino called the Sahara in 1954. Legend has it that Prima was so broke when he arrived in the desert outpost that his shoes had holes in them.
Explaining his situation to his brother in New Orleans, it was arranged that a small combo of young musicians led by Sam Butera would be shipped out to Las Vegas pronto to back Louis & Keely.
Barely having met before their opening night, the group instantly became a hit in Las Vegas, and they performed nightly from midnight until 6 am. Prima would blow his horn ala Louis Armstrong, joking, jigging and jostling against Butera on the tiny stage. Keely would ignore the boys hyperactive hub bub, filing her nails, and looking bored & blase' between her vocal lines. The audiences ate up the mix of comedy & hot swing sounds.
The tiny Casbar lounge began filling up early and joining stray gamblers some nights were other show people and celebrities like Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack entourage. Suddenly, like a phoenix, Prima was back on top and was offered a recording contract from Sinatra's label Capitol.
They had numeous hits, and the casino show excitement was captured live for the 1956 album the album The Wildest! They later won a Grammy in 1959 for their collaboration on "That Old Black Magic".
The liner notes described their combination of talents:
"By all odds, the combination of Louis Prima and Keely Smith shouldn't work. How could Louis, a confirmed inciter to riot, and Keely, normally a model of smoky-voiced sobriety, do anything but clash? But clash they don't. Explode they do!"
-from The Hits Of Louis And Keely, Capitol Records
Despite having two children, Prima and Smith divorced in the early 1960's after it became apparent the couple were no longer aligned, most conspicuously the curious culprit Louis "Just a Gigolo" Prima being unable to curb his wandering eye. He eventually remarried for a 5th and final time to Gia Maione and continued the act in a similar vein while Keely Smith went on to a solo career that continues to this day as a popular balladeer.
Embraceable You / I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
Louis Prima & Keely Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you
Baby, just one look at you
My heart goes tipsy in me
You and you alone bring out the gypsy in me
Oh, I love all
Oh, those many
Oh, charms about you, oh
Ooo, don't be a naughty baby
Oh, why don't you come and get your baby, do
Call for an appointment
My sweet embraceable you
Never treats sweet an' gentle
The way he should
I got it bad, and that ain't good
(I got it good, and it ain't bad!)
My poor heart is sentimental
Not made of wood
(What do you think mine's made outta? Lasagna?)
I got it bad, and that ain't good
Ooo, and when the weekend's over
Baby, and Monday rolls around
My man and I, we gin some
And pray some and sin some
Lord up above me, please make him love me
Ooo, the way he should (I ain't gonna change!)
I got it bad, and that ain't good
The lyrics to Louis Prima and Keely Smith's song "Embraceable You" describe the intense and overwhelming feeling of being in love with someone. The first stanza sets the tone for the entire song, as the singer describes how simply looking at their loved one makes their heart feel "tipsy." The line "you and you alone bring out the gypsy in me" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that only this person can inspire such a wild and passionate side of the singer's personality.
The second stanza takes a slightly more melancholic turn, as the singer laments that their loved one doesn't treat them as sweetly or gently as they should. Despite this, the singer knows that they still love their partner and hopes that they will eventually love them the way they deserve to be loved. The final lines of the song are particularly poignant, as the singer acknowledges that their love may not be perfect or easy, but they still wouldn't want it any other way.
Overall, "Embraceable You" is a love song that strikes a balance between passion and vulnerability. It captures the feeling of being head-over-heels in love with someone, even when things aren't always perfect between the two people.
Line by Line Meaning
Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you
Hold me close, my darling, as only you can
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you
Hold me tight, there's no one else like you
Baby, just one look at you
Just by seeing you, my heart races
My heart goes tipsy in me
My heart gets dizzy with excitement
You and you alone bring out the gypsy in me
You awaken a sense of adventure in me, unlike anyone else
Oh, I love all
I love everything
Oh, those many
Many things
Oh, charms about you, oh
Charming qualities you possess
Above all I want my arms about you
Most importantly, I desire to hold you in my arms
Ooo, don't be a naughty baby
Please, don't misbehave
Oh, why don't you come and get your baby, do
Why don't you come and get me?
Call for an appointment
Arrange a meeting with me
My sweet embraceable you
You are so sweet, and I adore hugging you
Never treats sweet an' gentle
He doesn't always treat me kindly
The way he should
As he ought to behave
I got it bad, and that ain't good
My love for him is hurting me, which is not good
(I got it good, and it ain't bad!)
I am in love, and it's not a bad thing
My poor heart is sentimental
My heart is easily moved by emotions
Not made of wood
I have feelings and emotions
(What do you think mine's made outta? Lasagna?)
Jokingly implying that her heart is made of lasagna (pasta dish)
I got it bad, and that ain't good
Repeating the sentiment that her love for him is causing her pain
Ooo, and when the weekend's over
And when the weekend ends
Baby, and Monday rolls around
And Monday comes
My man and I, we gin some
My man and I, we drink some gin
And pray some and sin some
We talk about religious matters and misbehave somewhat
Lord up above me, please make him love me
Asking God to make her lover love her as much as she loves him
Ooo, the way he should (I ain't gonna change!)
Insisting that she won't change, but he ought to love her properly
I got it bad, and that ain't good
Re-emphasizing that her love for him is hurting her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Unison Rights S.L., Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind