Her musical talent may have been inherited; her father Richard Whiting, was a famous composer of popular songs. She also had an aunt, Margaret Young, who was also a singer and popular recording artist in the 1920s. In her childhood her singing ability was already noticed, and at the age of only seven she sang for singer-lyricist Johnny Mercer, with whom her father had worked on some popular songs. In 1942, Mercer started Capitol Records with two partners, and signed her as one of their earliest recording artists.
Until the mid-1950s, she continued to record for Capitol, but as she ceased to record songs that charted as hits, switched to Dot Records in 1958 and to Verve Records in 1960. She came back to Capitol in the mid-1960s, then went to London Records in 1966. On London, Whiting landed one last major hit single in 1966, "The Wheel Of Hurt," which hit #1 on the Easy Listening singles chart.
She continued to sing into the 1990s.
During the 1950s, she was married to record executive Lou Busch, who also recorded semi-anonymously as the ragtime pianist Joe "Fingers" Carr. They had one daughter. Her late-life marriage to younger gay porn star Jack Wrangler raised many eyebrows. When they first began dating, he protested, "But I'm gay!" to which she replied, "Only around the edges, dear."
She died on January 10, 2011 at the age of eighty-six.
A Fine Romance
Margaret Whiting Lyrics
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A fine romance, my friend, this is.
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes.
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes.
A fine romance, you won't nestle.
A fine romance, you won't wrestle.
I've never mussed a crease in your blue serge pants.
I never had the chance.
A fine romance, my good fellow.
You take romance. I'll take Jello.
You calmer than the seals in the Arctic Ocean.
At least they flap their fins to express emotion.
A fine romance, with no quarrels,
With no insults, and all the morals.
You're just as hard to land as the Ile de France.
I never get the chance.
This is a fine romance.
A fine romance, with no kisses.
A fine romance, my friend, this is.
True love should have the thrills that a healthy crime has.
We don't have half the thrills that "The March of Time" has.
A fine romance, with no clinches.
A fine romance, with no pinches.
You never give the orchids I send a glance.
No, you like cactus plants.
This is a fine romance.
The song "A Fine Romance" by Margaret Whiting talks about a relationship that lacks passion, romance, and chemistry. The lyrics convey the idea that the two individuals involved in the relationship should be passionately in love with each other, like "hot tomatoes," but instead, they act like strangers who are indifferent to each other's feelings. The singer criticizes her partner's lack of interest in the relationship and the absence of physical intimacy, even going so far as to compare him to "yesterday's mashed potatoes." She longs for a romance full of passion and excitement, with kisses, clinches, and orchids, but all she has is a "fine romance" - nothing more.
The song is a witty commentary on the nature of relationships and how they can sometimes be lacking. It highlights the frustration that can come with being in a relationship that lacks passion and chemistry, and the longing for something more exciting and fulfilling. The lyrics are clever and humorous, but also convey a sense of disappointment and disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
A fine romance, with no kisses.
Our so-called romance is devoid of passion and intimacy.
A fine romance, my friend, this is.
This is not what I would call an enjoyable romance.
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes.
We ought to be passionate and wildly in love.
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes.
You are completely unresponsive and uninterested in any physical or emotional affection.
A fine romance, you won't nestle.
You refuse to show any tenderness or affection.
A fine romance, you won't wrestle.
You are unwilling to engage in any kind of physical intimacy.
I've never mussed a crease in your blue serge pants.
I've never been intimate or playful with you in any way.
I never had the chance.
You have always been closed off and unresponsive to any attempts at romance.
This is a fine romance.
Sarcasm - this is not what anyone would consider a successful romance.
A fine romance, my good fellow.
An ironic, sarcastic way to address someone who is not acting like a romantic partner.
You take romance. I'll take Jello.
I'm better off without this so-called romance and would rather focus on something more stable and predictable.
You calmer than the seals in the Arctic Ocean.
You are completely unemotional and unresponsive to romantic feelings or situations.
At least they flap their fins to express emotion.
The seals are more expressive and show more passion than you do.
A fine romance, with no quarrels,
Our relationship is dull and uneventful - we don't even argue.
With no insults, and all the morals.
There is no excitement or passion to our romance, but at least it's morally correct.
You're just as hard to land as the Ile de France.
You are impossible to win over and are completely unresponsive to any charm or affection.
I never get the chance.
You constantly shut down any attempts at romance, leaving me with no opportunities to develop our relationship.
This is a fine romance.
Sarcasm - again, this is not a successful romance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: JEROME KERN, DOROTHY FIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind