Clooney's first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records. She sang with Tony Pastor's big band. Clooney continued working with the Pastor band until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia.
She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit Come On-a My House written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian (better known as David Seville, the father figure of Alvin and the Chipmunks), which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" (a cover version of the Italian song Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina by Alberto Rabagliati), "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" and "This Ole House", although she had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly due to problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. She was the aunt of Academy Award winning actor George Clooney; mother-in-law of singer Debby Boone; and sister to former television personality Nick Clooney. She was the ex-wife of Jose Ferrer; mother of actor Miguel Ferrer
Clooney was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2001. Around this time, she gave her last concert, in Hawaii, backed by the Honolulu Symphony Pops; her last song was "God Bless America".
Mixed Emotions
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
when it comes to loving you
i know i shouldnt like the things you shouldnt do
but if you were perfect
it wouldnt be the same
to a tiger a tiger's not a tiger if he's tame
but when you're near me i am happy just alone with you
you're the bitter and the sweet combined
so what am i to do
i have mixed emotions over you
(musical interlude)
i have mixed emotions
when it comes to loving you
i know i shouldnt like the things you shouldnt do
but if you were perfect
it wouldnt be the same
to a tiger a tiger's not a tiger if he's tame
but when you're near me i am happy just alone with you
but when you're far away from me i'm awfully blue
you're the bitter and the sweet combined
so what am i to do
i have mixed emotions over you
In these lyrics, Rosemary Clooney expresses her mixed emotions towards her lover. She acknowledges that she should not like the things that he does, but at the same time, if he were perfect, it wouldn't be the same. She uses the metaphor of a tiger to explain that if her lover were tamed, he wouldn't be the same wild and unpredictable person that she fell in love with. She also acknowledges that being alone with her lover makes her happy, but when he's far away, she feels blue. She highlights the fact that her lover has both bitter and sweet qualities, making it difficult for her to understand her emotions towards him.
The repeated line "I have mixed emotions over you" emphasizes the internal struggle that Clooney is experiencing. She knows that her lover is flawed, but she cannot help but love him. The lyrics suggest that love is not always straightforward and simple; it can be a complex and difficult emotion to navigate.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mixed Emotions" express the conflicting emotions one can feel towards a lover. The song showcases the messiness of love and how it can be challenging to understand and articulate one's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
i have mixed emotions
I feel conflicted about my feelings towards you.
when it comes to loving you
When it comes to my romantic feelings for you.
i know i shouldnt like the things you shouldnt do
I understand that I shouldn't like the things you do that are not good for us, but I still do.
but if you were perfect
If you were flawless
it wouldnt be the same
to a tiger a tiger's not a tiger if he's tame
Our relationship wouldn't be as exciting or enjoyable if you didn't have any flaws. Just like how a tiger wouldn't be a tiger if it was domesticated.
but when you're near me i am happy just alone with you
I am content and happy when I am in your presence, just the two of us.
but when you're far away from me i'm awfully blue
When we are apart, I feel very sad and lonely.
you're the bitter and the sweet combined
You have qualities that are both good and bad.
so what am i to do
I am unsure of how to deal with my conflicting emotions.
i have mixed emotions over you
I feel conflicted about how I feel about you.
Contributed by David D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
George Evans
So cute and precious.