Mildred Rinker Bailey (February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a popular… Read Full Bio ↴Mildred Rinker Bailey (February 27, 1907 – December 12, 1951) was a popular and influential American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Queen of Swing", "The Rockin' Chair Lady" and "Mrs. Swing".
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.

Wham
Mildred Bailey Lyrics

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Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
I can sing and I can jam

Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
I'm a killer-diller, yes, I am

Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
Romp it, stomp it, ride it too

Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
Jam it, jump it, jive it through

Some folks say that Swing won't stay
And it's dying out
But I can prove it's in the groove
And they don't know what they're talking 'bout
Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
Easy to do like the Suzie Q
Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
If I can do it, you can too

The wham, re-bop-boom-bam
I can sing and I can jam

Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
I'm a killer-diller, yes, I am

Some folks say that Swing won't stay
And it's dying out
But I can prove it's in the groove
And they don't know what they're talking 'bout
Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
Easy to do like the Suzie Q
Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
Ridge, if you can do it, I can too

Wham, re-bop-boom-bam

And she's a killer-diller
Truly am

Overall Meaning

Wham by Mildred Bailey is a song that celebrates swing music, despite the criticism that it has received in some circles. In the song, the singer affirms that swing is still going strong and that it is easy and fun to participate in. The first verse begins with the repetitive phrase "Wham, re-bop-boom-bam," which sets the upbeat and energetic tone of the song. This phrase is followed by the declaration that the singer can "sing and...jam" to the rhythm.

In the second verse, the singer continues to affirm her love for swing music, proclaiming "I'm a killer-diller, yes, I am." She then encourages her listeners to join her in "romp[ing] it, stomp[ing] it, ride[ing] it too," and to "jam it, jump it, jive it through." The third verse tackles the criticism of swing music head-on, as the singer insists that swing is not dying out, as some have claimed. She declares that "it's in the groove, and they don't know what they're talking 'bout." The song wraps up with a repetition of the chorus.

Overall, Mildred Bailey's Wham is a joyous celebration of swing music's energy and vitality, and a rejection of the idea that this musical style is on its way out. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, but they serve to reinforce the message that swing is alive and well.

Line by Line Meaning

Wham, re-bop-boom-bam
Expressing the excitement and energy of the music being played.

I can sing and I can jam
Stating her ability to perform well and participate in the music playing.

I'm a killer-diller, yes, I am
Asserting her high level of skill and talent in singing and dancing.

Romp it, stomp it, ride it too
Encouraging the audience to dance and let loose to the music.

Jam it, jump it, jive it through
Further encouraging dancing and expressing the different ways in which it can be done.

Some folks say that Swing won't stay And it's dying out But I can prove it's in the groove And they don't know what they're talking 'bout
Addressing the belief that swing music is not popular anymore, but she disagrees and knows it is still relevant and enjoyable.

Easy to do like the Suzie Q
Comparing the dance moves to the popular dance called the Suzie Q and implying that they are easy to learn.

If I can do it, you can too
Encouraging the audience to try the dance moves and indicating that anyone can do them.

And she's a killer-diller Truly am
Reiterating her immense talent and skill in singing and dancing.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDDIE DURHAM, TAPS MILLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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