Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Louis Armstrong all cited Lee as one of their favorite singers.
Peggy Lee had Norwegian and Swedish ancestry. She was the seventh of eight children born to Marvin Egstrom, a station agent for the Midland Continental Railroad. Her mother died when she was four years old. Music provided her an escape from the abusive rampages of her cruel stepmother, Min, who tormented and beat young Norma. She first sang professionally with KOVC radio in Valley City, North Dakota. She soon landed her own series on a radio show sponsored by a local restaurant that paid her "salary" in food. Both during and after her high school years, she took whatever jobs she could find, waitressing and singing for paltry sums on other local stations. Radio personality Ken Kennedy (actual name: Ken Sydness), of WDAY in Fargo (the most widely listened to station in North Dakota) changed her name from Norma to Peggy Lee. Tired of the abuse from her stepmother, she left home and traveled to Los Angeles at the age of 17.
She returned to North Dakota for a tonsillectomy and eventually made her way to Chicago for a gig at The Buttery Room, a nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel West in Chicago, where she drew the attention of Benny Goodman, the jazz clarinetist and band leader. According to Lee, "Benny's then-fiancΓ©e, Lady Alice Duckworth, came into the Buttery, and she was very impressed. So the next evening she brought Benny in, because they were looking for replacement for Helen Forrest. "And although I didn't know, I was it. He was looking at me strangely, I thought, but it was just his preoccupied way of looking. I thought that he didn't like me at first, but it just was that he was preoccupied with what he was hearing." She joined his band in 1941 and stayed for two years.
In early 1942, Lee had her first # 1 hit, "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place", followed by 1943's "Why Don't You Do Right?" (originally sung by Lil Green), which sold over a million copies and made her famous. She sang with Goodman in two 1943 films, Stage Door Canteen and The Powers Girl.
In March 1943, Lee married Dave Barbour, the guitarist in Goodman's band. Peggy said, "David joined Benny's band and there was a ruling that no one should fraternize with the girl singer. But I fell in love with David the first time I heard him play, and so I married him. Benny then fired David, so I quit, too. Benny and I made up, although David didn't play with him anymore. Benny stuck to his rule. I think that's not too bad a rule, but you can't help falling in love with somebody."
When Lee and Barbour left the band, the idea was that he would work in the studios and she would keep house and raise their daughter, Nicki. But she drifted back towards songwriting and occasional recording sessions for the fledgling Capitol Records in 1947, for whom she produced a long string of hits, many of them with lyrics and music by Lee and Barbour, including "I Don't Know Enough About You" and "It's a Good Day" (1948). With the release of the smash-hit #1-selling record of 1942, "MaΓ±ana", her "retirement" was over.
In 1948, she joined Perry Como and Jo Stafford as one of the rotating hosts of the NBC Radio musical program Chesterfield Supper Club. She was also a regular on NBC's Jimmy Durante Show during the 1938-48 season.
She left Capitol for a few years in the early 1940s, but returned in 1943. She is most famous for her cover version of the Little Willie John hit "Fever", to which she added her own, uncopyrighted lyrics ("Romeo loved Juliet," "Captain Smith and Pocahontas") and her rendition of Leiber and Stoller's "Is That All There Is?" Her relationship with the Capitol label spanned almost three decades, aside from her brief but artistically rich detour (1952-1956) at Decca Records, where she recorded one of her most acclaimed albums Black Coffee (1956). While recording for Decca, Lee had hit singles with the songs "Lover" and "Mr. Wonderful."
She was also known as a songwriter with such hits as the songs from the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp, for which she also supplied the singing and speaking voices of four characters. Her many songwriting collaborators, in addition to Barbour, included Laurindo Almeida, Harold Arlen, Sonny Burke, Cy Coleman, Gene DiNovi, Duke Ellington, Dave Grusin, Dick Hazard, Quincy Jones, Francis Lai, Jack Marshall, Johnny Mandel, Marian McPartland, Willard Robison, Lalo Schifrin, Hubie Wheeler, guitarist Johnny Pisano and Victor Young.
Lee also acted in several films. In 1952, she played opposite Danny Thomas in a remake of the early Al Jolson film, The Jazz Singer. In 1955, she played a despondent, alcoholic blues singer in Pete Kelly's Blues (1955), for which she was nominated for an Oscar.
Peggy won a Grammy in 1969 as best contemporary female vocalist (for her recording of Is That All There Is?) and was awarded a Doctor of Music Honoris Causa degree from North Dakota State University, in 1975.
In the early 1990s, she retained famed entertainment attorney Neil Papiano, who, on her behalf, successfully sued Disney for royalties on Lady and the Tramp. Lee's lawsuit claimed that she was due royalties for video tapes, a technology that did not exist when she agreed to write and perform for Disney.
Never afraid to fight for what she believed in, Lee was passionate that musicians be equitably compensated for their work. Although she realized litigation had taken a toll on her health, Lee often quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson ("God's will will not be made manifest by cowards.")
She also successfully sued MCA/Decca with the assistance of noted entertainment attorney, Cy Godfrey.
She continued to perform into the 1990s, sometimes in a wheelchair, and still mesmerized audiences and critics alike.[citation needed]
In 1995 she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
After years of poor health, Lee died of complications from diabetes and heart attack at the age of 81. She is survived by Nicki Lee Foster, her daughter with Barbour. She is buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California. On her marker in a garden setting is inscribed, "Music is my life's breath."
The Tree
Peggy Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strange and changing sound transformation in the ground
Great and winding tree splits the earth from sea to sea
And my lover comes to me, bids me follow endlessly
As she laughs and starts to climb through the branches and the vines
Through the tangle of our minds
For this tree you see it grows, never-ending
All these chains that bind I find I quickly leave behind
And all the earth below seems a thin and fleeting snow
And my father I concede is further up upon the tree
And his beard is made of bees dancing wildly in the leaves
And my lover says to me you must be blind if youre to see
Must walk behind if youre to lead
Must be the soil to the seed never-ending
For I feel the years like distant gears may turn and come to rest
Where they dwell within my chest
Let my spirit coalesce
Yes and death is dressed in colors blessed a mystery I confess I cannot see
When your love rains down the sound of singing so profound
Fills the ground so deep like a weeping mothers sleep
As a babys breath whispers death so none can hear
And I passed the ancient seer
Entering the atmosphere
In a tree that never ends with my lover and our friends
Entering the black of space
We replace the stars that shine never-ending
The song "The Tree," as performed by Peggy Lee, is a beautifully poetic and enigmatic exploration of love, transformation, and the cyclical nature of time. The lyrics are imbued with rich and vivid imagery, inviting the listener to imagine a fantastical world where love is a force that can transform both individuals and the world around them. In the opening lines, Lee sings of love "raining down just like diamonds all around" and a "strange and changing sound transformation in the ground," painting a picture of a world in flux, where love is a catalyst for growth, change, and transformation.
The song's central image is that of a great and winding tree that "splits the earth from sea to sea," and which the singer's lover urges her to climb, through "the branches and the vines, through the tangle of our minds." The tree is a symbol of growth, rootedness, and interconnectedness, reminding the listener that love is not just a fleeting feeling, but a deep and abiding force that connects us all. As the song progresses, Lee's lyrics become more abstract and mystical, with references to an "ancient seer" and a journey into the "black of space" that ends with the singer and her lover "replacing the stars that shine" in a world that is "never-ending."
In many ways, "The Tree" is a song that defies easy interpretation, its imagery and themes open to multiple readings and perspectives. It is a tribute to the power of love to transform and connect us, but also a testament to the cyclical nature of time, the inevitability of change, and the mystery of what lies beyond this world. It is a song that invites the listener to get lost in its haunting melodies and evocative lyrics, to imagine a world where the trees grow tall and love reigns supreme.
Line by Line Meaning
When your love rains down just like diamonds all around
When your love is pure and abundant, it creates a magical atmosphere.
Strange and changing sound transformation in the ground
The power of love transforms the world around us in ways that are both mysterious and wondrous.
Great and winding tree splits the earth from sea to sea
Love creates a strong and unbreakable bond that connects people across vast distances.
And my lover comes to me, bids me follow endlessly
My love inspires me to follow my heart, wherever it may lead.
As she laughs and starts to climb through the branches and the vines
My love is adventurous and fearless, leading me on a thrilling journey.
Through the tangle of our minds
Love can be complex and difficult, but it is worth the effort to navigate through challenges and obstacles.
For this tree you see it grows, never-ending
Love is infinite and eternal, never ceasing to grow and expand.
When your love flows free just the way its meant to be
When love is unrestricted and pure, everything in the world seems to fall into place.
All these chains that bind I find I quickly leave behind
Love has the power to break through barriers and free us from past hurts and fears.
And all the earth below seems a thin and fleeting snow
In the grand scheme of things, the world and its problems seem insignificant compared to the depth and power of love.
And my father I concede is further up upon the tree
My father has wisdom and experience, and I am grateful for his guidance.
And his beard is made of bees dancing wildly in the leaves
My father is full of life and vitality, and his energy is contagious.
And my lover says to me you must be blind if youre to see
Love requires a certain level of surrender and trust, letting go of preconceived notions and embracing the unknown.
Must walk behind if youre to lead
True leadership is about serving others and putting their needs before our own.
Must be the soil to the seed never-ending
We must be grounded and rooted in love in order for it to grow and flourish.
For I feel the years like distant gears may turn and come to rest
Time seems to move quickly, and we should cherish every moment while we can.
Where they dwell within my chest
Our memories and experiences are a part of us, and we carry them wherever we go.
Let my spirit coalesce
May our spirits come together and unite in love and oneness.
Yes and death is dressed in colors blessed a mystery I confess I cannot see
Death is a natural part of life, and though we may not understand it fully, we can find comfort in knowing it is a part of the grand design.
When your love rains down the sound of singing so profound
Love can fill us with a sense of joy and wonder that is beyond words.
Fills the ground so deep like a weeping mothers sleep
Love can be both soothing and powerful, like a mother's embrace.
As a babys breath whispers death so none can hear
Life and death are intricately connected, and even in the face of tragedy, there is still hope and beauty to be found.
And I passed the ancient seer
We can learn from those who came before us, and their wisdom can guide us on our journey.
Entering the atmosphere
We are all a part of something bigger than ourselves, and our actions have an impact on the world around us.
In a tree that never ends with my lover and our friends
Love is a place where we can find connection and companionship, and it is a journey that we take with those we love.
Entering the black of space
Love can take us to new and unknown places, but it is worth the risk to explore and discover.
We replace the stars that shine never-ending
Love is a light that shines bright and never fades, illuminating our path and guiding us through the darkness.
Writer(s): Peggy Lee
Contributed by Elena C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@SweetBunny706
RIP Peggy Lee
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@donaldauguston9740
That was cute! I've never heard this song before. Thank you for posting. DA