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.
Little Girl Blue
Margaret Whiting Lyrics
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What can you do old girl, you're through
Sit there and count your fingers
Unlucky little girl blue
Sit there and count the raindrops falling on you
It's time you knew all you can count on
Is the raindrops that fall on little girl blue
No use old girl, you may as well surrender
Your hope is getting slender
Why won't somebody send a tender Blue boy
To cheer a little girl blue
No use old girl, you may as well surrender
Your hope is getting slender
Why won't somebody, somebody send a tender Blue boy
To cheer a little, little girl blue
The lyrics of Margaret Whiting's song "Little Girl Blue" depict a young girl who is experiencing an overwhelming sense of loneliness and despair. The opening lines "Sit there and count your fingers, What can you do old girl, you're through," highlights her futile attempt to find something to do to ease her loneliness. She has nothing to do, as she feels her life has come to a standstill. The second line of the song "Unlucky little girl blue" shows how she is not just alone but also feels unlucky with life.
The lyrics continue to paint a picture of a sad little girl counting the raindrops falling on her, trying to find solace in the tiny drops of water. She has no one to turn to except for herself, and even that seems futile. Throughout the song, she longs for a blue boy to come and cheer her up, someone to provide her with just a shred of companionship. The lines "No use old girl, you may as well surrender, Your hope is getting slender" shows how she is losing hope in any kind of help arriving.
In conclusion, "Little Girl Blue" portrays the sadness and loneliness that can consume a person’s life. The girl's isolation is palpable, and it is compelling and emotional to hear her cries to be comforted by a blue boy. The song is a sad reminder that loneliness and despair can often reside in the deepest part of someone's heart, and though the lyrics may speak only to a single person's experience, the emotions of the song will always hold some relatable truth to all those who listen.
Line by Line Meaning
Sit there and count your fingers
You're idle and stuck with no prospects, so resort to futile activities like counting your fingers
What can you do old girl, you're through
You've lost your chance in life and there's nothing more you can achieve
Sit there and count your fingers
You're stuck in a rut and there's nothing to distract you from your misery
Unlucky little girl blue
You're constantly beset by misfortune and bad luck
Sit there and count the raindrops falling on you
You're so miserable that even the rain seems to be mocking you
It's time you knew all you can count on
You have nothing to rely on except the inevitability of life's hardships
Is the raindrops that fall on little girl blue
Your sadness is all-encompassing and even the weather reflects it
No use old girl, you may as well surrender
You should give up hope because there's no way out of your situation
Your hope is getting slender
You're losing the little bit of faith you had that things could get better
Why won't somebody send a tender Blue boy
You yearn for someone to come and rescue you from your loneliness and depression
To cheer a little girl blue
You're desperate for someone to lift your spirits and give you a reason to smile
No use old girl, you may as well surrender
You're in a hopeless situation and there's nothing more you can do to change it
Your hope is getting slender
You're quickly losing all your optimism and faith that anything good can happen to you
Why won't somebody, somebody send a tender Blue boy
You long for someone kind and compassionate to come and offer you some solace
To cheer a little, little girl blue
You're feeling so low and dejected that you need someone to help you see the brighter side of life
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VictrolaJazz
A romantic beauty!
K Hussein
Awesome!
Barry I. Grauman
Recorded on February 12, 1947.