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.
I'm Glad There Is You
Mildred Bailey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Extraordinary people, I'm glad there is you
In this world of over-rated pleasures
Of under-rated treasures, I'm glad there is you
I live to love, I love to live with you beside me
This role so new, I'll muddle through with you to guide me
In this world where many, many play at love
And hardly any stay in love, I'm glad there is you
More than ever, I'm glad there is you
In this world where many, many play at love
And hardly any stay in love, I'm glad there is you
More than ever, I'm glad there is you
The lyrics of Mildred Bailey's song "I'm Glad There Is You" describe a love that is rare and special in a world where love can be fleeting and temporary. The first two lines of the song set the tone for what is to come, as the singer acknowledges that in a world filled with ordinary people, it is the extraordinary people who stand out. The singer then goes on to express gratitude that such an extraordinary person exists in their life.
The next two lines of the song contrast overrated pleasures with underrated treasures, suggesting that true love is one of these underrated treasures that can bring greater joy and meaning to life than superficial pleasures that society often values. The singer notes that they "live to love" and "love to live" with the person they are singing about. The singer acknowledges that their current situation is "so new" and that they will "muddle through," but they are grateful to have the person they love beside them to guide them.
The final two lines of the song return to the theme of love in a world where it is often just a game that people play. The singer expresses gratitude that the person they love is not just another player, but someone who is staying in love. The repetition of the phrase "I'm glad there is you" emphasizes the singer's feelings of gratitude and appreciation for their partner. Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to a love that is real and lasting in a world where that can be hard to find.
Line by Line Meaning
In this world of ordinary people
In a world full of people who are just average
Extraordinary people, I'm glad there is you
It is nice to know someone who is special among everyone else
In this world of over-rated pleasures
In a world where things people think are great are sometimes not as great as they think
Of under-rated treasures, I'm glad there is you
It is good to know someone who is not always recognized for what they offer
I live to love, I love to live with you beside me
My reason for living is to love and it is even better when you are here with me
This role so new, I'll muddle through with you to guide me
Although the situation is unfamiliar to me, I will make it work with your help
In this world where many, many play at love
A lot of people try to be in love but may not truly understand what it means
And hardly any stay in love, I'm glad there is you
It is comforting to know that there is you, who truly love and stay committed
More than ever, I'm glad there is you
Now more than ever, I appreciate having you in my life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY DORSEY, PAUL MADEIRA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind