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).
You Turned the Tables on Me
Martha Tilton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Benny Goodman
I used to be the apple of your eye
I had yo with me every day,
But now whenever you are passing by
You're always looking the other way
It's little things like this
You turned the tables on me
And now I'm falling for you;
You turned the tables on me
I can't believe that it's true
I always thought when you brought
The lovely present you bought
Why hadn't you brought me more,
But now if you'd come
I'd welcome anything
From the five and ten cent store,
You used to call me the top
You put me up on a throne
You let me fall with a drop
And now I'm out on my own.
But after thinking it over and over,
I got what was coming to me
Just like the sting of a bee
You turned the tables on me.
Martha Tilton's song "You Turned the Tables on Me" tells the story of a woman who was once the center of attention and the apple of a man's eye, but everything has now turned upside down. She finds herself in a situation where the man she adored is now avoiding her, and she falls for him with every passing moment. The woman is confused, bewildered and unable to understand what led to the situation she finds herself in. She reflects back on the lovely presents he would bring her, wondering why she never received more. She longs to be with him again, even if he only brought her something from the five and dime store. She realizes that she was once put on a pedestal by this man who now seems to have let her fall, and she acknowledges that she has received what she deserves.
The song reflects a relatable experience for many of us who have been in relationships where things were once going well and then suddenly turned sour, leading to heartbreak and confusion. The lyrics convey a sense of longing, regret, and the pain of having to confront the reality of a relationship gone bad. Martha Tilton's voice perfectly captures the sentiments of the lyrics, providing an emotional and soulful rendition of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to be the apple of your eye
I was once the center of your world
I had yo with me every day,
You used to spend time with me every single day
But now whenever you are passing by
Whenever you come near me
You're always looking the other way
You seem to ignore me or avoid eye contact
It's little things like this
Small actions like this one
That prompt me to say:
That make me want to express myself
You turned the tables on me
Now, the situation has switched and you have the power over me
And now I'm falling for you;
Now, I have started to have romantic feelings for you
I can't believe that it's true
I can't believe that my feelings have changed for you
I always thought when you brought
Previously, I always assumed
The lovely present you bought
The beautiful gift you gave me
Why hadn't you brought me more,
I expected more from you
But now if you'd come
But now, if you were to return
I'd welcome anything
I would be content with the smallest thing
From the five and ten cent store,
Even if it was something cheap and unimportant
You used to call me the top
You used to see me as the best, the most important person
You put me up on a throne
You treated me like royalty
You let me fall with a drop
You allowed me to fall from a high place
And now I'm out on my own.
Now, I am alone and have to fend for myself
But after thinking it over and over,
But after much thought and reflection
I got what was coming to me
I deserved what happened to me
Just like the sting of a bee
It hit me hard
You turned the tables on me.
You completely changed our dynamic and now have the upper hand.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Louis Alter, Sidney D. Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Randall Riley
Helen and Martha, both wonderful singers!
Trombonology Erstwhile
Great, although, much as I love the Liltin' Miss Tilton, I have to say that Helen Ward's vocal on the commercial record swung more.
TonyBuemi
agree 100%. Martha great but Helen owns this one. Helen probably my favorite of the Goodman vocalists
Marryann Lamb
Thanks so much for sharing