Patricia Barber, born in 1955, is an American jazz singer, pianist, and ban… Read Full Bio ↴Patricia Barber, born in 1955, is an American jazz singer, pianist, and bandleader. She was born in Chicago to parents who were both professional musicians (her father is Floyd "Shim" Barber, a former member of Glenn Miller's Band). She was raised and educated in South Sioux City, Nebraska, and completed high school there.

Her music is centered on her singing, in a fairly low register and a traditional bluesy-jazz style, and her piano playing, which is technically accomplished. Her repertoire includes many of her own compositions, but also a selection of standards drawn mostly from the classic-rock genre; examples include "Ode to Billie Joe," "A Taste of Honey," and "Black Magic Woman." She is known for her apparent above-average intelligence and vocabulary, which results in complex and witty lyrics. Her last album to date, Mythologies is a set of songs based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. In September 2008, Patricia is releasing "The Cole Porter Mix," a collection of Patricia's renditions of the Porter songbook along with three Barber originals inspired by Cole Porter.

Patricia Barber is a lesbian. Interviews with her suggests that she does not try to hide this fact, but that she 'tires' of the public interest in her sexuality – disliking the fact that it contributes to her fame.

Her albums Cafe Blue, Modern Cool, Companion, Nightclub, Verse have been reissued by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on SACD and limited edition 45 rpm 1/2 speed mastered, 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

I Get A Kick Out Of You
Patricia Barber Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I get no kick from champagne
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all
So tell me why should it be true
I get a kick out of you?

I get no kick from cocaine
I'm sure if I took even one sniff
It would bore me terrifically too

But I get a kick out of you

I get a kick every time I see you
Standing there before me
I get a kick though it's clear to me
You obviously don't adore me

I get no kick in a plane
Flying too high with some guy in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do
But I get a kick out of you

I get a kick every time I see you
Standing there before me
I get a kick though it's clear to me
You obviously don't adore me

I get no kick in a plane
Flying too high with some guy in the sky

Is my idea of nothing to do
But I get a kick out of you

Overall Meaning

In the song “I Get A Kick Out Of You”, Patricia Barber expresses her feelings on love and drugs. The first verse of the song describes her feelings toward alcohol and how it doesn't please her. She then questions why it's true that she gets a kick out of her love interest, even though she doesn't get any pleasure from drinking. The second verse talks about her aversion to cocaine, saying that even the thought of it bores her, but she can't help but feel a rush when she's with her love interest.

The third verse is particularly interesting because it talks about how her love interest doesn't reciprocate her feelings. She says that she gets a kick every time she sees him standing there, even though it's clear to her that he doesn't adore her. This suggests that there's a certain appeal to unrequited love and the chase that comes with it. The final verse goes back to her aversion to planes and flying too high with some guy in the sky, implying that she's not interested in superficial things like luxury or status, but instead finds genuine pleasure in her love interest.

Overall, the song seems to be about finding pleasure in unexpected places, whether it's in love or in something as small as a fleeting glance. It also shows the complexity of human emotions, where someone can experience both negative and positive feelings toward different things, often in contradiction to themselves.

Line by Line Meaning

I get no kick from champagne
Drinking champagne doesn't excite me

Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all
Simply drinking alcohol doesn't give me pleasure

So tell me why should it be true
I'm wondering why anyone would enjoy drinking alcohol or champagne

I get a kick out of you?
But when I'm with you I feel happy and exhilarated

I get no kick from cocaine
Using cocaine wouldn't bring me any enjoyment

I'm sure if I took even one sniff
I believe that even trying cocaine once would bore me tremendously

It would bore me terrifically too
Using cocaine would be extremely unappealing to me

But I get a kick out of you
However, being with you brings me happiness and excitement

I get a kick every time I see you
Just seeing you makes me feel happy and energized

Standing there before me
When you're nearby and visible to me

I get a kick though it's clear to me
Even though it's obvious that you don't have the same feelings for me