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.
Willow tree
Mildred Bailey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Surround you with my long limbs
My dear, let me grow in the shade
In the sands by the bank of your river
Let I drink from your streams
The cool breeze fill my leaves
We will sing together
And I'll be by your side forever
I wish I was a weeping willow tree
I wish I was a weeping willow tree
I wish I was a weeping willow tree
Sweet river caress how softly
Stir my searching roots
Shading the sun in the summers heat
Let I cool you
We have been dancing so long
In the winters freeze and the summers drought
We survive
We belong
Let us sing together
Water over the pebbles
And I'll be by your side forever
I wish I was your weeping willow tree
I wish I was a weeping willow tree
I wish I was a weeping willow tree
Let us sing together
Water over the pebbles
And I'll be by your side forever
Let us sing together
Water over the pebbles
And I'll be by your side forever
We can sing together
Water over the pebbles
And I'll be by your side forever
Let me be
Your willow tree
Your willow tree
The lyrics of "Willow Tree" by Mildred Bailey are poignant and beautiful, suggesting a deep longing for companionship and a desire to be rooted and connected to someone else. The song speaks of the longing to be like a weeping willow tree and to grow in the shade of the beloved, drinking from their "streams" and being cooled by their presence. Throughout the song, there is a sense of deep connection and belonging, of two beings surviving together through the winters and summers, and of the enduring power of their bond.
One interpretation of the lyrics could be that the willow tree represents a symbol of feminine strength and resilience, while the river represents the masculine force of nature. The singer longs to be nourished and sustained by the male presence in her life, to be able to thrive and endure in his presence. At the same time, the lyrics seem to suggest a deep sense of trust and interdependence between the two entities. The tree offers shade and shelter to the river and is sustained by the life-giving waters, while the river in turn provides the tree with the nourishment it needs to survive.
Overall, "Willow Tree" is a beautiful and evocative song that speaks to the human longing for connection and belonging. It is a reminder that even in times of difficulty and hardship, there is strength in shared bonds and the enduring power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me be your weeping willow tree
I want to be the tree that surrounds and protects you
Surround you with my long limbs
My branches will embrace and enfold you
My dear, let me grow in the shade
Let me be a comfort and a relief to you
In the sands by the bank of your river
I want to be a part of your life wherever you are
Let I drink from your streams
I want to share in your joys and sorrows
The cool breeze fill my leaves
I want to be refreshed and invigorated by you
We will sing together
Let us share our experiences and emotions
Water over the pebbles
Let us appreciate the simple pleasures of life
And I'll be by your side forever
I want to be there for you always
I wish I was a weeping willow tree
I wish I had the qualities of a willow tree
Sweet river caress how softly
The gentle touch of the water is soothing
Stir my searching roots
I am digging deeper to find a stronger connection with you
Shading the sun in the summers heat
I want to be a respite from the heat of the day
Let I cool you
I want to provide a cooling embrace
We have been dancing so long
We have been together for so long
In the winters freeze and the summers drought
We have survived through difficult times
We survive
Our bond remains strong
We belong
We are meant to be together
Let us sing together
Let us express our love and joy
And I'll be by your side forever
I will always be there for you
Let me be your willow tree
Let me be a source of strength and comfort for you
We can sing together
Together we are stronger
And I'll be by your side forever
I will always be there for you
Let me be your willow tree
Let me be a steadfast presence in your life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Garrett Dutton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RH0DI
God this song is so underrated, underdistributed, and unheard of! I love it so much, I only hope I never lose it
@lostie1976
I have no idea how I found this song, but it's heartfelt pain captivated me from the first listen. Great tune.
@GoddardBC
Perfection. This song should be far better known than it is.
@NICEJEWISHMAMA
Thank you so much for posting. I have the 78. Your recording is VERY clean!
@christinedimmer294
Bunny Berigan trumpet, Teddy Wilson piano, Johnny Hodges saxophone
@moonsun5835
2021