Born Ruth Alston Weston on 30th January 1928 in Portsmouth, Virginia, she attended I. C. Norcom High School, a historically black high school. Brown's father was a dockhand who directed the local church choir, but the young Ruth showed more of an interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs. She was inspired by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. In 1945, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with a trumpeter, Jimmy Brown, whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month with Lucky Millinder's orchestra, but was fired after she brought drinks to the band for free, and was left stranded in Washington, D.C.
Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway's sister, also a bandleader, arranged a gig for Brown at a Washington nightclub called Crystal Caverns and soon became her manager. Willis Conover, a Voice of America disc jockey, caught her act and recommended her to Atlantic Records bosses, Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. Brown was unable to audition as planned though, because of a serious car accident that resulted in a nine-month hospital stay. In 1948, however, Ertegün and Abramson drove to Washington from New York City to hear her sing in the club. Although her repertoire was mostly popular ballads, Ertegün convinced her to switch to rhythm and blues. His productions for her, however, retained her pop style, with clean, fresh arrangements and the singing spot on the beat with little of the usual blues singer's embroidery.
In her first audition, in 1949, she sang "So Long", which became a hit. This was followed by "Teardrops from My Eyes" in 1950; written by Rudy Toombs, it was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in R&B. Recorded for Atlantic Records in New York City in September 1950, and released in October, it was on Billboard's List of number-one R&B hits (United States) for eleven weeks. The huge hit earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm", and within a few months Ruth Brown became the acknowledged queen of R&B.
She followed up this hit with "I'll Wait for You" (1951), "I Know" (1951), "5-10-15 Hours" (1953), "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (1953), "Oh What a Dream" (1954), "Mambo Baby" (1954), and "Don't Deceive Me" (1960). She also became known as "Little Miss Rhythm" and "the girl with the teardrop in her voice". In all, she was on the R&B charts for 149 weeks from 1949 to 1955, with sixteen top-ten blues records including five number ones, and became Atlantic's most popular artist, earning Atlantic records the proper name of "The House that Ruth Built".
During the 1960s, Brown faded from public view to become a housewife and mother, and only returned to music in 1975 at the urging of Redd Foxx, followed by a series of comic acting gigs, including roles in the sitcom Hello, Larry and the John Waters film Hairspray as local DJ Motormouth Maybelle, as well as Broadway appearances in Amen Corner and Black and Blue, which earned her a Tony Award for her performance and a Grammy award for her album Blues on Broadway, featuring hits from the show.
Brown's fight for musicians' rights and royalties in 1987 led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a Pioneer Award recipient in its first year, 1989. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as "The Queen Mother of the Blues".
She has become an iconic symbol to many black women for later generations, where she is also a favourite artist and inspiration for later blues artists such as Bonnie Raitt. Brown recorded and sang along with fellow rhythm and blues performer Charles Brown, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and toured with Raitt on Raitt's tour in the late 1990s, "Road Tested". Her 1995 autobiography, Miss Rhythm, won the Gleason Award for music journalism.
Brown died in a Las Vegas-area hospital on 17th November 2006, from complications following a heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in October 2006. A memorial concert for her was held on 22nd January 2007 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.
Bewitched
Ruth Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But a fool can have her charms
I'm in love and don't I show it
Like a babe in arms
Love's the same old situation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this crazy situation
I'm wild again, beguiled again
A whimpering, simpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
Love came and told me, shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I lost my heart, but what of it
She is cold I agree
She might laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me
I'll sing to her, bring spring to her
And long, for the day when I'll cling to her
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
In Ruth Brown's "Bewitched," the singer is talking about being in love with someone who is a bit of a fool but has her charms nonetheless. Despite the fact that she may not be interested in the same way, the singer is unable to help himself and continues to be "bewitched, bothered, and bewildered" by her. He is constantly thinking about her, losing sleep, and becoming a "whimpering, simpering child again." Despite his rational mind telling him that she is cold and may be laughing at him, he cannot help but love her.
One possible interpretation of this song is that it speaks to the intoxicating nature of love, which can make even the most level-headed person feel like a foolish child. The singer is so enamored with this woman that he is willing to overlook her flaws and continue to pursue her, despite the fact that they may not be perfect for each other. The phrase "bewitched, bothered, and bewildered" captures this feeling well - the singer is under a spell and cannot escape his love for this woman.
Overall, Ruth Brown's "Bewitched" is a powerful and emotional rumination on the nature of love and how it can make people act in irrational ways. It is a beautifully written song with a simple, yet powerful melody that captures the sense of yearning and uncertainty that often accompanies falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a fool and don't I know it
I am aware that she may be foolish.
But a fool can have her charms
Despite her foolishness, she possesses certain compelling qualities that attract me.
I'm in love and don't I show it
I am deeply in love with her and my actions reveal my feelings.
Like a babe in arms
My love for her is pure and innocent, like that of a helpless infant.
Love's the same old situation
Being in love is not an uncommon experience.
Lately I've not slept a wink
I have been unable to sleep recently due to my preoccupation with my love for her.
Since this crazy situation
The intense feelings I have for her have caused a state of emotional chaos for me.
Has me on the blink
I am mentally and emotionally unstable due to this overwhelming attraction towards her.
I'm wild again, beguiled again
Being in love has made me feel unrestrained and captivated again.
A whimpering, simpering child again
I feel vulnerable and helpless like a young child, because of my infatuation towards her.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I am completely hypnotized, troubled and confused by my love for her.
Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
Though I tried to sleep, my love for her kept me wide awake.
Love came and told me, shouldn't sleep
My love for her made me feel that I ought to stay awake and think about her.
I lost my heart, but what of it
Even though I have lost my heart to her, it doesn't matter to me because of the way I feel.
She is cold I agree
I am aware that she is not as passionate about me as I am for her.
She might laugh, but I love it
Even if she makes fun of me or laughs at me because of my love, I still have affection for her.
Although the laugh's on me
Even if she makes fun of me, I am ready to be the one who is hurt by love.
I'll sing to her, bring spring to her
I am willing to do anything to impress her and make her happy.
And long, for the day when I'll cling to her
I eagerly anticipate the day when I can hold her tightly in my arms.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I continue to be under her enchantment, distressed and perplexed due to my love for her.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LEIF EDLING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind