Ray Stevens (born Harold Ray Ragsdale, 24th January 1939) is an American country and pop singer-songwriter, best known for a series of irreverent, quirky singles such as "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" and "The Streak". His recording career began with two singles released on Prep Records, followed by a short stint with Capitol Records. Both contracts were made with the help of Atlanta, Georgia music maven Bill Lowery.
Stevens joined Lowery's National Recording Corporation in 1958, where he also was a member of the NRC staff band, playing numerous instruments, arranging, and doing background vocals. When NRC went into bankruptcy, he signed with Mercury Records, and started a series of hit records in the 1960s that included "Ahab the Arab" and "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving, Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills". The later song held the record as the longest title to hit the Top 40 chart until being surpassed in 1981 by the Stars on 45 Medley, whose official title included the titles of 10 other songs because of copyright requirements.
Stevens became a producer and well-known studio musician on the Nashville scene, and recorded hits for Monument, Barnaby, Warner Brothers, MCA and RCA. Perhaps his most famous hit is "The Streak" (1974), which poked fun at the early-1970s "streaking" fad of running nude in public; this was a No 1 in both the UK and the USA. His novelty song "Bridget the Midget (The Queen of the Blues)" reached No 2 on the UK chart in 1971.
Stevens' biggest hit was his gospel-inflected single "Everything Is Beautiful" (1970). A plea for love and tolerance during turbulent times in the United States, the song shot to Number 1 there. Stevens has won two Grammy Awards: one for "Everything Is Beautiful" and one for the arrangement of his country and western version of the jazz standard "Misty" (1975). He also recorded a version of Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" in the style of a clucking chicken, under the pseudonym Henhouse Five Plus Too. This was a Top 40 hit in the US and UK.
With the popularity of the song "Everything Is Beautiful", Stevens had a variety show on CTV. The Ray Stevens Show appeared in Canada in 1970 and soon appeared in the United States on NBC and the United Kingdom on the BBC. Although it only has eight episodes, it is mostly known for being the show that launched the career of regular cast member Steve Martin.
Ray Stevens was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1991, Stevens opened the Ray Stevens Theater in Branson, Missouri. He performed there regularly until 2006, when he sold the theater.
In 2012, Stevens released The Encyclopedia of Recorded Comedy Music, an 8-CD collection of what Stevens considered the 96 greatest comedy songs of all-time.
In the fall of 2019, Stevens will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Misty
Ray Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
Ah, I'm walkin' on a cloud
I can't understand, lord
I'm misty holdin' your hand
Walk my way
And a thousand violins begin to play
That music I hear, lord
I'm misty the moment you're near
You can say that you're leadin' me on
But it's just what I want you to do
Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost
That's why I'm followin' you, ooh
On my own
Should I wander through this wonderland alone, now
Never knowin' my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove, lord
I'm misty, and too much in love
You can say that you're leadin' me on
But it's just what I want you to do
Don't ya notice how hopelessly I'm lost
That's why I'm followin' you, ooh
On my own
Should I wander through this wonderland alone, now
Never knowin' my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove, Lord
I'm misty, and too much in love
(Misty) too much in love
(Misty) too much in love
(Misty)
(Misty) too much in love
The song "Misty" by Ray Stevens tells the story of a person who is so enamored with their partner that they lose all sense of themselves. The opening line, "Look at me, I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is overwhelmed by their emotions and feels like they are floating on a cloud whenever they are with their partner. They describe the sensation of being lost in the music of their hello and declare that they are too much in love.
The chorus reinforces this idea of being lost and hopelessly in love. The singer acknowledges that their partner may be leading them on, but they want to be led because they are so in love. The final verse paints a picture of the singer in a state of confusion, not knowing their right foot from their left or their hat from their glove. Despite this feeling of being lost, they are content in their love and describe themselves as misty, caught up in the fog of their emotions.
Overall, the song is a portrayal of the all-consuming passion that can come with being in love. The singer is willing to lose themselves in their love and follow their partner wherever they may lead them.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me
Please acknowledge my existence and pay attention to me
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
I feel vulnerable and powerless in this situation
Ah, I'm walkin' on a cloud
I'm incredibly happy and elated right now
I can't understand, lord
I'm overwhelmed and confused by my feelings
I'm misty holdin' your hand
Being close to you is clouding my thoughts and making me feel like I'm in a daze
Walk my way
Please come towards me and be with me
And a thousand violins begin to play
Being with you feels like a magical, romantic experience
Or it might be the sound of your hello
Even your simple greeting is enough to make me happy and excited
That music I hear, lord
My feelings for you are like a beautiful song that I can't stop listening to
I'm misty the moment you're near
Just being close to you makes me feel like I'm in a dream, and I can't think clearly
You can say that you're leadin' me on
You may think that you're just teasing me or playing around, but I don't care
But it's just what I want you to do
I like the attention and the feeling of being wanted by you, even if it's not entirely genuine
Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost
I'm completely enamored with you and I feel like I'm losing myself in these feelings
That's why I'm followin' you, ooh
I will do whatever it takes to be near you and keep experiencing these emotions
On my own
Without you, I feel alone and lost
Should I wander through this wonderland alone, now
Without you, life would be boring and mundane
Never knowin' my right foot from my left
Without you, I don't know what direction to take or what choices to make
My hat from my glove, lord
Even simple things like knowing what clothes to wear or what accessories to put on feel confusing without you
I'm misty, and too much in love
I'm completely taken by you and I feel like I'm losing my sense of self because of it
(Misty) too much in love
These feelings are consuming me and I can't help but feel overwhelmed and in love
(Misty) too much in love
Repeating the same sentiment because it's so powerful and all-consuming
(Misty)
A one-word expression of the main feeling that the artist is experiencing around their love interest
(Misty) too much in love
Reiterating once more that these emotions are too much to handle and are making the singer feel dizzy and euphoric
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bassgirl_denalia
Ever hear a song for the first time since you were a kid and it just overwhelms you with emotion and memories? I'm getting teary. 🥺
Jay MacGee
Yes Tera, that’s EXACTLY how I feel right now 45 years after first hearing it when I was a 14 yo back in Scotland 🏴
Diego I. Rodriguez
I was 18 when this tune came out and feel something else like that...
H0tchips
I am not kidding, that happened to me this weekend. Holidaying up north where the radio plays "retirement town" type song lists - which was a welcome change from the usual good radio we get, just a nice different vibe, a few songs like this brought me to tears and I have absolutely no idea why except for the fact I have not heard these tunes in 50 years give or take and they are absolutely outstanding.
Ken Perkins
The high point was Ray singing a thousand VIOLENS BEGIN TO PLAY!! And it's obvious those were FIDLES! Not viollens
Janice Scott
Couldn't have put better myself.. and what a voice 👏
Catfish Cooler
Manages to be jazzy and country at the same time. Ray's vocals swing HARD. A masterpiece of 70s pop fusion.
Diego I. Rodriguez
El banjo y el violín suena bien country, tal como ese sólo de cuerdas q no sé exactamente qué instrumento es...
ClintHill
@Diego I. Rodriguez Probably a steel guitar
Diego I. Rodriguez
@ClintHill surely, Carpenters Bros used to play this guitar too, in some of their lovely tunes...