McKenzie played the comb by placing tissue paper over the tines and blowing on it, which produced a sound similar to a kazoo. McKenzie also played the kazoo proper, and occasionally sang. He was a co-founder, with Jack Bland, of the Mound City Blue Blowers, who released a number of titles between 1924 and 1925 and were, for a time, a sensation. At the same time, McKenzie also recorded solo as Red McKenzie & the Candy Kids. In 1928, he fronted a group called McKenzie and Condon's Chicagoans for a few sides on Okeh Records. He returned to the Mound City name again in 1929, 1931, and 1935-36.
Beginning in 1931 (no doubt due to the popularity of crooners like Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo), he started recording as a singer, processing a very warm crooner style as a solo for Columbia and with Paul Whiteman in 1932. He sang again with the Spirits of Rhythm in 1934 and the Farley-Riley group in 1935. He made two swinging vocal records for Variety in 1937. Between 1939 and 1943 he went into retirement, moving back to his birthplace of St. Louis and working in a brewery, but appeared with Eddie Condon between 1944 to 1947 as a vocalist. Known as heavy drinker, he died of liver cirrhosis in 1948.
Exactly Like You
Red McKenzie Lyrics
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Not a real one, just a dream
A wonderful vision of us as a team
Can you imagine how I feel now
Love is real now, it's ideal
You're just what I wanted
And now it's nice to live
Paradise to live
I know why I've waited
Know why I've been blue
Prayed each night for someone
Exactly like you
Why should we spend money
On a show or two
No one does those love scenes
Exactly like you
You make me feel so grand
I want to hand the world to you
I hope you'll understand
Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
And dream I'm dreamin'
Now I know why mother
Taught me to be true
She meant me for someone
Exactly like you
The song "Exactly Like You" by Red McKenzie is a beautiful love song. The lyrics speak about a person who used to have a perfect sweetheart in their dreams, but now they have found that love is real and they have found their ideal partner. The singer feels like they are living in paradise because they have found someone who is exactly what they wanted. The song speaks of waiting for a person like the one they have now found and hoping that all of their foolish dreams and schemes are understood by this person.
The song suggests that there is no need to spend money on a show or performance because no one can replicate the love scenes that the two share. The singer feels grand and wants to give the world to their partner. They reflect on why their mother taught them to be true and realized it was to find someone exactly like the one they have now found. The song captures the feeling of finding the perfect match, the joy of love and the feeling of being complete because of the other person.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to have a perfect sweetheart
I used to have an idealized image of my perfect partner in my mind
Not a real one, just a dream
It was just an imaginary figure that I hoped to find someday
A wonderful vision of us as a team
I dreamt of us being the perfect match with shared goals and understanding
Can you imagine how I feel now
I am so thrilled now that I have found someone who matches my dream perfectly
Love is real now, it's ideal
Real love is not just a fantasy, it has now become my reality and it's perfect
You're just what I wanted
You are the exact person I had dreamt of all my life
And now it's nice to live
My life has finally become better and fulfilling since I met you
Paradise to live
Living with you is just like being in paradise
I know why I've waited
I now understand why I had to wait for so long to find someone like you
Know why I've been blue
I now know the reason behind the sadness and sorrow that I felt before I met you
Prayed each night for someone
I desperately prayed every night for finding someone like you
Exactly like you
I had always wished to find someone who is exactly like you
Why should we spend money
Why should we go to outside places to find happiness when we have found love in each other
On a show or two
On superficial things like going to the movies or a date, when we can have pure love between us
No one does those love scenes
No one matches the chemistry and love that we share with each other
Exactly like you
I have finally found someone who is exactly like you, whom I adore and love
You make me feel so grand
Being with you makes me feel so special and grand
I want to hand the world to you
I want to give you everything in this world that I can
I hope you'll understand
I wish you could understand my feelings for you, which I cannot express through words
Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
Every little thing that I do for you or think about doing for you might seem foolish, but it's just my love for you
And dream I'm dreamin'
Every dream that I see in my sleep or in the daytime is about being together with you always
Now I know why mother
I finally understand why my mother taught me to be true and wait for the right person
Taught me to be true
She wanted me to be honest, loyal, and faithful to my partner, which I have done with you
She meant me for someone
She always envisioned that I would find the right person, who is now you
Exactly like you
Someone who is exactly like you who can make my dreams come true and love me infinitely
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy Mchugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind