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.
They Can't Take That Away from Me
Louis Prima & Keely Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The melody lingers on.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
The way you wear your hat
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
W e may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
Can't take that away
Can't take that away from me
The lyrics of "They Can't Take That Away From Me" by Louis Prima and Keely Smith express the enduring nature of memories and emotions associated with a romantic partner. While the singer acknowledges that their time together may be limited - "though by tomorrow you're gone" - the memories of their love will linger on, even if they are physically separated. The refrain emphasizes this point by listing a series of personal characteristics and experiences that the singer cherishes about their lover, from the way they wear their hat to the way they hold a knife. Despite any outside forces that may try to separate them, the singer asserts that these memories and feelings cannot be taken away - "no, no, they can't take that away from me."
Overall, the lyrics of "They Can't Take That Away From Me" are a testimonial to the power of love and nostalgia, and the profound impact that even a brief romantic connection can have on a person. They illustrate the idea that while relationships may be transitory, the memories and emotions they generate can stay with us for a lifetime, and shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Although you may be leaving tomorrow, our love story will not have a sad ending.
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
Even if you depart, my love for you remains.
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
Even though the music has stopped, the memories we shared will last forever.
The melody lingers on.
The tunes of our love story will never fade away.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
Even though they separate us, I will long for your gentle touch.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
Even if we are apart, my love for you will never leave me.
The way you wear your hat
The enchanting sight of you wearing your hat with style.
The way your sip your tea
The delightful manner in which you drink your tea.
The memory of all that
Remembering every little detail about you.
No, no, they can't take that away from me
Nobody can erase those sweet memories from my mind.
The way your smile just beams
The way your lovely smile radiates brightness and joy.
The way you sing off key
The way you sing, even if it's not pitch-perfect, holds a special place in my heart.
The way you haunt my dreams
Your presence in my dreams is a delightful reminder of our love.
We may never, never meet again
We might not cross paths again in the future.
On the bumpy road to love
Our journey together has not been smooth, but it was worth it.
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
Nevertheless, I will always treasure the moments we spent together.
The way you hold your knife
The way you handle your utensils while dining holds a special place in my heart.
The way we danced till three
The way we danced all night long, not caring about the time, is still fresh in my memory.
The way you changed my life
You changed my life for the better, and that is something I will never forget.
No, no, they can't take that away from me
Nothing and nobody can ever take away the precious memories that we have shared.
No, they can't take that away from me
No one has the power to remove the memories of our love story from my heart.
Can't take that away
These memories will never be taken away from me.
Can't take that away from me
Forever etched in my heart, nobody can take away our memories.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dyann Espinosa
Great rendition! Full-on, mature and confident in delivery and phrasing. Love Keely!
Paul Riofski
Thank you for posting so many of the selections from this beautiful Keely LP, catman! I very much appreciate her having included the less frequently heard verse at the beginning of this sensational rendition of the Gershwin classic.
Quadrider50
Wowsers! Old Soul? Very Nice!
Danny Barrett
Hi Catman, please if you can..we need a little more AUDIO..up it thanks Danny Barrett ..this track is just marvelous
Francoise Gross
All that you do and your marvelous eyes, th ey cant take those aw a y from
My hea rt.
Francoise Gross
E. Will meet sgain because God made us for each other. That I believe. We can live wherever you wish, as long as I am with you, it will be heaven my darling.
Francoise Gross
I kno w you love her. So I love her too.I w ant to dance. With you and you only.