Tilton and her family lived in Texas and Kansas, relocating to Los Angeles when she was seven years old. While attending Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, she was singing on a small radio station when she was heard by an agent who signed her and began booking her with larger stations. She then dropped out of school in the 11th grade to join Hal Grayson's band.
After singing with the quartet Three Hits and a Miss, she joined the Myer Alexander chorus on Benny Goodman's radio show, Camel Caravan. Goodman hired Tilton as a vocalist with his band in August 1937. She was with Goodman in January 1938, when the band performed the first jazz performance at Carnegie Hall. She continued to appear as Goodman's star vocalist through the end of 1939.
Tilton had a major success from 1942 to 1949 as one of the first artists to record for Capitol Records. Her first recording for Capitol was "Moon Dreams", Capitol 138, with Orchestra and The Mellowaires, composed by Johnny Mercer and Glenn Miller pianist Chummy MacGregor in 1942. "Moon Dreams" would be recorded by Glenn Miller in 1944 and by Miles Davis in 1950. Among her biggest hits as a solo artist were "I'll Walk Alone," a wartime ballad which rose to #4 on the charts in 1944; "I Should Care" and "A Stranger in Town," which both peaked at #10 in 1945; and three in 1947: "How Are Things in Glocca Morra" from Finian's Rainbow, which climbed to #8; "That's My Desire", which hit #10; and "I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder", which reached #9.
After she left Capitol, Tilton recorded for other labels, including Coral and Tops. Among her later albums was We Sing the Old Songs (1957, Tops), a mix of older songs and recent standards with baritone Curt Massey, who later became well known as the composer (with Paul Henning) and singer of the theme song for the CBS-TV series Petticoat Junction.
Reviewing the two-CD set, The Liltin' Miss Tilton, (Capitol, 2000), critic Don Heckman wrote:
There are those who would say that Martha Tilton wasn't a jazz singer at all. But swing-era fans won't have any doubts, remembering her for a rocking version of "Loch Lomond" at Benny Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall concert.
Massey and Tilton starred in Alka-Seltzer Time, a 15-minute radio series broadcast weekdays on both CBS and Mutual. Sponsored by Alka-Seltzer, this show began in 1949 as Curt Massey Time (sometimes advertised as Curt Massey Time with Martha Tilton) with a title change to highlight the sponsor's product by 1952.
By 1953, the series was heard simultaneously on Mutual (at noon) and later that same day on CBS (at 5:45pm). Ads described the show as "informal song sessions" by vocalists Massey and Tilton, who was often billed as "The liltin' Martha Tilton." The two Texas-born singers performed with Country Washburne and His Orchestra, featuring Charles LaVere on piano. The series ended November 6, 1953. However, Massey and Tilton continued to appear together during the late 1950s on such shows as Guest Star and Stars for Defense. They also teamed to record an album, We Sing the Old Songs (1957). Tilton and Massey also co-hosted a daily fifteen minute TV show in Los Angeles for approximately seven years.
Her movies include Sunny (1941), Strictly in the Groove (1942), Swing Hostess (1944), Crime, Inc.. (1945), and The Benny Goodman Story (1956). Her last film appearance was as the band vocalist in the TV movie Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975). Tilton's singing voice was used for other actresses including Barbara Stanwyck (Ball of Fire), Martha O'Driscoll, and Anne Gwynne. She also appeared in several Soundies musical films of the 1940s.
Her sister, Liz Tilton, also seen in Soundies, sang with Ken Baker (mid-1930s), Buddy Rogers, Bob Crosby (1941), and Jan Garber (1942).
This Can't Be Love
Martha Tilton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the sky
My heart does not stand still just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love because I feel so well
My heart does not stand still just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love because I feel so well
But still I love to look in your eyes
I love to look in your eyes
The song "This Can't Be Love" by Martha Tilton is a timeless classic that captures the essence of a paradoxical feeling. The singer expresses that what she's feeling cannot be love because it doesn't cause the typical symptoms associated with romantic passion such as feeling dizzy or experiencing heart palpitations. Instead, she feels content, joyful, and peaceful. However, despite the lack of typical symptoms, she still experiences the desire to look into the eyes of her beloved.
The song may seem straightforward, but it's actually quite profound. It speaks to the fact that love is not always characterized by the expected traits we often see in movies or hear in stories. True love can manifest in different ways, and it doesn't have to be tumultuous or dramatic. The singer highlights that sometimes love can be calm and joyful, and it's still valid.
Overall, "This Can't Be Love" is a testament to the diversity of love and how it can often come in unexpected and unconventional ways. The song captures the idea that love is not just about the intense feelings but the subtle and enduring ones as well.
Line by Line Meaning
This can't be love because I feel so well
I can't believe this is love because I'm so happy and at ease
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
There's no crying or sadness, just pure joy
This can't be love I get no dizzy spells
I'm not losing my mind or feeling unbalanced, so it can't be love
My head is not in the sky
I'm grounded and not floating on cloud nine like people do when they're in love
My heart does not stand still just hear it beat
My heart is beating fast and strong, which is unusual for love
This is too sweet to be love
Love is supposed to be bittersweet, but this feels too good to be true
But still I love to look in your eyes
Despite all these signs pointing to this not being love, I still can't help but gaze lovingly into your eyes
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gyeongjeong9682
This can't be love, because I feel so well
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love
I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the skies
My heart does not stand still, just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love, because I feel so well
But still I love to look in your eyes
@dudley5533
Love this production with the wonderful vocal by Martha. The musical was terrific, it was made into a film also.
@luisvivanco6897
I remember when I first heard this song, it was in january 1974, I was almost sixteen. I went to one of Puerto Ordaz best record stores, in a commercial center where there was a Cinema Hall, in the midst of town. It was an album of two LP records, it cost me about 40 bolivares (about nine dollars at that time). It was my whole month allowance. But the whole month has given me almost half a century of enjoyment.
@marciajacobs1105
💗Thank you for preserving the best of the past!
@diegoss3563
Muchas gracias, me encanta Benny Goodman !
@gyeongjeong9682
This can't be love, because I feel so well
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs
This can't be love
I get no dizzy spells
My head is not in the skies
My heart does not stand still, just hear it beat
This is too sweet to be love
This can't be love, because I feel so well
But still I love to look in your eyes
@khussein6409
beautiful!!!
@richarddowney1972
My mom and dad this 78 back in 1939. The year I was born !
@thetennissinologist
Tennis Hall of Fame player Alice Marble performed this song at the Sert Room of the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan back in December 1938. She won Wimbledon in 1939.
@scotnick59
"This can't be love because I feel SWELL" is what it sounds like
@clivsoph
Matrix BS 025901-1; recorded Oct 13, 1938, Chicago.