Renee developed a great love for music at an early age and honed her voice by singing
along with the radio. Before long she was entering talent contests and appearing in
local musical productions. Her aspirations for stardom were documented on video and
became the subject of two E! television documentaries,
"The Making of a Child Star" and "The Journey Continues".
In 1995, Renee appeared in her first commercial, the award winning ad for Levi Jeans.
In 1998 she did a Segento Cheese commercial.
She made her first foray in TV in 1995 in "Streets Of Laredo".
In 1998, Renee appeared in the episode "Doodlebug" in "Touch By An Angel".
In 1999, she was seen in two shows, "Chicken Soup For The Soul" and "Providence".
In 1999, Renee’s first major motion picture roles were "The Insider",
starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, and "End Of Days" with
Arnold Schwarzenegger. And, in 2000, she appeared in "Space Cowboys".
In 2002, she had her first major role in the CBS comedy "Still Standing", a four year run.
But, by 2002, Renee’s second career, her singing career, began to take shape.
After she saw the movie "Pleasantville", she fell in love with Etta James’s "At Last",
which began a love affair with the music of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald,
Anita O’Day and the Great American Songbook.
Then Renee was able to perform with Eddie Reed’s Swing Band playing LA area clubs.
In September 2002, she released "By Request" to commemorate her club performances.
"At Last" being one of the tracks.
Renee gained the attention of Grammy Award winning producer David Foster
and subsequently signed a contract with the Warner Records label.
In 2003, 13 year old Renee performed at the Playboy Jazz Festival singing
"At Last" to an amazed jazz audience, who gave Renee a standing ovation.
Bill Cosby, whose jazz band backed Renee quipped that “she’s only 13
and knows only one song”.
Finally, in May 2004, all elements of Renee’s career came together.
On the "Still Standing" final episode, of the second season, she performed "Summertime",
in a dream sequence, the first track on her self-titled CD "Renee Olstead",
produced by David Foster, released that month.
The release started Renee on a whirlwind promotional tour starting with
the "Today Show" and "Jazz At Lincoln Center Spring Gala" in NYC.
Montreux Jazz Festival, as part of a European tour, David Letterman and
finally Oprah ended a busy 2004. Renee’s CD was #5 on the
Billboard Jazz Chart, for 2004, after many rave reviews.
In 2004, Renee recorded two songs for movie soundtracks.
She recorded "Merry Christmas In Love" for the Italian movie "Christmas In Love"
and "A Love That Will Last", a track on her CD, was used in "Princess Diary 2".
Also, in the summer of 2004, Renee’s next film "13 Going On 30" was released.
During and after the end of the "Still Standing" run, in the Spring of 2006,
Renee continued to perform her music around the world.
She performed in numerous charity events in the US.
Renee again toured Europe, this time with B.B. King, performed in Live 8,
in Berlin, and with Chris Botti and at the "Unite The Stars" charity event,
in South Africa.
Performance highlights include the "28th Gift Of Life Celebration" hosted
by George Lopez, with Renee performing "Midnight Man" with David Foster,
in 2007. The Java Jazz Festival, in 2008, "My Baby Just Cares For Me",
where Renee received the International Jazz Talent Award, and the "Hit Man:
David Foster And Friends" tribute to David Foster with Renee performing Through The Fire, in 2008.
In 2008, she recorded her third movie soundtrack with "Ain’t we Got Fun"
for the movie "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl".
TV came back in the picture, in 2008, as Renee was cast in the series
"The Secret Life Of The American Teenager" as Madison.
In the final episode, of the second season, again her two careers came together,
as Madison sang "Fly Me To The Moon" and
"Someone To Watch Over Me" at a wedding reception.
In 2009, Renee’s long awaited CD "Skylark", again produced by David Foster,
was released, and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
Discography:
2000: Stone Country
2000: Unleashed
2002: By Request
2004: Renee Olstead
2009: Skylark
Official Web Site: www.ReneeOlstead.com
Official Fan Site: www.ReneeOlstead.info
Ain't We Got Fun
Renee Olstead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't we got fun?
Not much money, oh, but honey
Ain't we got fun?
The rent's unpaid, dear
And we haven't a bus
But smiles were made, dear
In the winter, in the summer
Don't we have fun?
Times are bum and getting bummer
Still we have fun
There's nothing sure
The rich get rich and the poor get poor
In the meantime, in between time
Ain't we got fun?
Every morning, every evening
Ain't we got fun?
Not much money, oh, but honey
Ain't we got fun?
Our rent's unpaid, dear
And we haven't a bus
But smiles were made, dear
Oh, for people like us
There's nothing sure
The rich get rich and the poor get poor
In the meantime, in between time
Ain't we got fun? C'mon
Every little summer, every little winter
Don't we got fun?
Twins and cares, dear, come in pairs, dear
Still we have fun
When I first saw you
I had but one thought
And then you chased me
Oh, until you were caught
Ain't we got fun?
Ain't we got fun, fun, fun?
I'm not too clever
But I might just say those words over
Thank you, kind sir, I don't mind, sir
Ain't we got fun?
The song "Ain't We Got Fun" by Renee Olstead is a nostalgic tune that talks about how joy can be found in the simplest things in life, despite the challenges that one may be facing. The lyrics, "Every morning, every evening, Ain't we got fun? Not much money, oh, but honey, Ain't we got fun?" highlight the idea that happiness is not determined by one's financial situation, but rather by the quality of relationships and experiences.
The verse "The rent's unpaid, dear, and we haven't a bus, but smiles were made, dear, For people like us" shows that even in difficult times, people can still find reasons to smile and enjoy life. The lines, "There's nothing sure, the rich get rich and the poor get poor" suggest that one's socioeconomic status does not determine their ability to experience joy, and that everyone, regardless of their position in life, has the potential to find happiness.
The chorus repeats the question, "Ain't we got fun?" and emphasizes the idea that joy can be found in any circumstance. The final verse, "When I first saw you, I had but one thought, and then you chased me, oh, until you were caught", adds a romantic element to the song, celebrating the joy found in relationships and the pursuit of love.
Overall, "Ain't We Got Fun" is an optimistic and lighthearted song that encourages listeners to find happiness in even the simplest of moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Every morning, every evening
We enjoy life to the fullest every day, regardless of the time.
Ain't we got fun?
Isn't life just splendid?
Not much money, oh, but honey
We don't have much money, but we still enjoy ourselves, my dear.
The rent's unpaid, dear
We haven't paid our rent yet, my love.
And we haven't a bus
We don't have a means of transportation available.
But smiles were made, dear
We were meant to smile, sweetheart.
For people like us
Those like us were meant to enjoy themselves with what little they have.
In the winter, in the summer
We enjoy ourselves all year round, regardless of the season.
Don't we have fun?
Aren't we having a great time?
Times are bum and getting bummer
Times may be tough and getting tougher.
Still we have fun
But we are still elated and living life to the fullest.
There's nothing sure
It is uncertain what the future holds.
The rich get rich and the poor get poor
The rich tend to get richer while the poor tend to remain poor.
In the meantime, in between time
In the meantime, we shall enjoy ourselves.
Our rent's unpaid, dear
We still haven't paid our rent, my love.
Oh, for people like us
Those like us were meant to smile through the hardships.
Every little summer, every little winter
We make the most out of each and every season.
Twins and cares, dear, come in pairs, dear
Worries and troubles tend to come hand in hand.
Still we have fun
But that doesn't stop us from having a grand time.
When I first saw you
The first moment I laid eyes on you.
I had but one thought
I only had one thing on my mind.
And then you chased me
And then you pursued me romantically.
Oh, until you were caught
Until you were successful in winning my heart over.
Ain't we got fun?
Isn't life just splendid?
Ain't we got fun, fun, fun?
We are absolutely enjoying ourselves to the max.
I'm not too clever
I am not particularly brilliant.
But I might just say those words over
But I might just repeat those words to myself once again.
Thank you, kind sir, I don't mind, sir
Thank you, courteous man. I don't mind at all.
Ain't we got fun?
Isn't life just splendid?
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND B EGAN, GUS KAHN, RICHARD A WHITING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind