Some of her best known hits are "It's So Peaceful in the Country", "Trust In Me", "Where Are You", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Small Fry", "Please Be Kind", "Darn That Dream", "Rockin' Chair", "Blame It On My Last Affair", and "Says My Heart".
Born Mildred Rinker in Tekoa, Washington, her mother, Josephine, was an enrolled member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and a devout Roman Catholic. Her father, Charles, played fiddle and called square dances. Her mother played piano every evening after supper and taught Mildred to play and sing. Her brothers were the vocalist and composer Al Rinker, and the lyricist Charles Rinker.
[edit]Career
At the age of seventeen, Bailey moved to Seattle and worked as a sheet music demonstrator at Woolworth's. She married and divorced Ted Bailey, keeping his last name because she thought it sounded more American than Rinker.[3] With the help of her second husband, Benny Stafford, she became an established blues and jazz singer on the West Coast. According to Gary Giddins' book Bing Crosby – A Pocketful of Dreams – The Early Years 1903-1940, in 1925 she secured work for her brother, Al Rinker, and his partner Bing Crosby. Giddins further states that Crosby first heard of Louis Armstrong and other Chicago black jazz records from Bailey's own record collection. Crosby helped Bailey in turn by introducing her to Paul Whiteman. She sang with Paul Whiteman's band from 1929 to 1933 (Whiteman had a popular radio program and when Bailey debuted with her version of "Moaning Low" in 1929, public reaction was immediate, although she did not start recording with Whiteman until late 1931).
Her first two records were as uncredited vocalist for an Eddie Lang Orchestra session in 1929 ("What Kind O' Man Is You?", an obscure Hoagy Carmichael song that was only issued in the UK) and a 1930 recording of "I Like To Do Things For You" for Frankie Trumbauer. She was Whiteman's popular female vocalist through 1932 (recording in a smooth crooning style), when she left the band due to salary disagreements. She then recorded a series of records for Brunswick in 1933 (accompanied by The Dorsey Brothers), as well an all-star session with Benny Goodman's studio band in 1934 that featured Coleman Hawkins.
In the mid-1930s, she recorded with her third husband Red Norvo. A dynamic couple, they earned the nicknames "Mr. and Mrs. Swing". During this period (1936–1939) Norvo recorded for Brunswick (with Bailey as primary vocalist) and Bailey recorded her own set of recordings for Vocalion, often with Norvo's band. Some of her recordings instead featured members of Count Basie's band. Despite her divorce from Norvo, she and Red would continue to record together until 1945. Suffering from diabetes and depression (during her adult life Bailey was overweight), she only made a few recordings following World War II.
Mildred Bailey died December 12, 1951, in Poughkeepsie, New York, of heart failure, aged 44, chiefly due to her diabetes. Her ashes were scattered. Red Norvo outlived Bailey by nearly half a century, dying in April 1999, a week after his 91st birthday.
Honeysuckle Rose
Mildred Bailey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they see you out with me
Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose
When you're passin' by flowers droop and sigh
And I know the reason why
Goodness knows
Don't buy sugar
You just have to touch my cup
You're my sugar
It's sweeter when you stir it up
When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips
Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose
Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose
Don't buy sugar
You just have to touch my cup
You're my sugar
It's sweeter when you stir it up
When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips
Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose
In Mildred Bailey's song Honeysuckle Rose, the lyrics describe the singer's lover as their "honeysuckle rose." The honey bee's jealousy when the lover is out with the singer emphasizes how sweet their love is, enough to attract even these insects. The flowers drooping and sighing as the lover passes by demonstrate the captivation of the environment by the lover's presence. The singer notes: "Don't buy sugar/ You just have to touch my cup/ You're my sugar/ It's sweeter when you stir it up," which highlights how the lover's touch sweetens everything around them, including the singer's life. When taking sips from the lover's "tasty lips," the honey seems to "fairly drip," as the sweetness of the lover's love is so strong. Overall, the lyrics of Honeysuckle Rose exemplify a feeling of euphoria and unassailable bliss in being in love with their "honeysuckle rose."
Line by Line Meaning
Every honey bee fills with jealousy
The sight of us together makes everyone envious because of how much we love each other.
When they see you out with me
The jealousy mentioned before happens when they see me and you together.
Goodness knows
This phrase is a way to emphasize the truth of what's being said or to express surprise.
You're my honeysuckle rose
You're my sweet and lovely partner, and I adore having you in my life.
When you're passin' by flowers droop and sigh
The flowers that you walk past seem to wilt and bring out a sorrowful sigh because they pale in comparison to your beauty.
And I know the reason why
I'm fully aware that this happens because I'm with you and get to bask in your splendid presence.
Don't buy sugar
I don't need to buy sugar because just a taste of your love is enough to make my life sweeter and happier.
You just have to touch my cup
Your touch is all I need to lift my spirits and help me feel energized and happy.
You're my sugar
You are the one who fills my life with sweetness and joy, and I couldn't be happier to have you in my life.
It's sweeter when you stir it up
Every moment with you becomes sweeter and more enjoyable, and I feel more alive and complete when we're together.
When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips
Every kiss I share with you is a sip of sweet and refreshing nectar that revitalizes and fills me with joy.
Seems the honey fairly drips
Everything about you, from your words to your touch, seems to ooze with a sweet and addictive energy that brings me happiness.
Goodness knows
This phrase is a way to emphasize the truth of what's being said or to express surprise.
You're my honeysuckle rose
You're my sweet and lovely partner, and I adore having you in my life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
orchardist1965
What a time it was for jazz and wonderful female vocalists. Mildred Bailey,Billie Holliday,Ella Fitzgerald,Bessie Smith and many more. Thank you for the legacy they have given.
verycoolsound
Great to hear this, as we feel the same. Definitely will go back and add the years in weeks ahead. Still quite busy now just getting the stuff posted. This one is credited to Mildred Bailey and Her Alley Cats. Enjoy!
Mario Iliev
Honey, honey
Oh honey, listen to my plea
Every honeybee fills with jealousy
When they see you out with me
I don't blame them, goodness knows
Oh, honeysuckle rose
When you're passin' by, flowers droop and sigh
And I know the reason why
You're my sweety, goodness knows
Oh, honeysuckle rose
I don't buy sugar
You just have to touch my cup
I don't need sugar
It's sweet enough when you stir it up
When I'm takin' sips from your dainty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips
You're confection, goodness knows
Oh, honeysuckle rose
Every honeybee fills with jealousy
When they see you out with me
I don't blame them, goodness knows
Oh, honeysuckle rose
When you're passin' by, flowers droop and sigh
And I know the reason why
You're my sweety, goodness knows
Oh, honeysuckle rose
I don't buy sugar
You just have to touch my cup
I don't need sugar
It's sweet, stir it up
When I'm takin' sips from your dainty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips
You're confection, goodness knows
Oh, honeysuckle rose
Sharron Diack
Sweet