En sus comienzos fue … Read Full Bio ↴Ruth Cameron, cantante estadounidense de jazz.
En sus comienzos fue actriz teatral, tanto en Estados Unidos como en Europa. Tras casarse con el bajo Charlie Haden, se desvinculó de esa actividad y se convirtió en manager de su marido, ayudándole a formar su exitoso grupo Quartet West y coproduciendo con él sus primeros trabajos.
Enraizada en una familia musical y con el apoyo de su marido, Ruth se fue poco a poco aproximando al jazz, ayudada además por dos mentores, un entrenador vocal, Sue Raney, y la legendaria cantante Jeri Southern.
Finalmente, en 1997 publica su primer disco, First Songs, acompañada de su marido al bajo, de Chris Dawson en el piano y de Larance Marable a la batería. Las buenas críticas la animaron a preparar su segundo disco, Roadhouse, para el que contó con Alan Broadbent al piano, y con aportaciones especiales de varios músicos de renombre como Brad Mehldau.
Though she came from a musical family, Ruth Cameron first turned to acting, which she pursued in theaters in North America and Europe. She changed her focus after marrying jazz bassist Charlie Haden, becoming his manager and helping him to put together his band, Quartet West. She also co-produced many of her husband's recordings. Haden encouraged her to pursue a singing career, as did friend Jeri Southern, and she began to study with vocal coach Sue Raney. In July 1999, she released First Songs, a seven-track EP, followed in October 2000 by her first full-length album, Roadhouse
Something Cool
Ruth Cameron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd like to order something cool
It's so warm here in town
And this heat gets me down
And I'd like something cool
My, it's nice
Just to sit down and rest awhile
But I can't think of your name
But I remember your smile
Well, I don't ordinarily drink
With strangers
I guess I usually just, just drink alone
But you were so nice to ask me
And I'm so terribly far from home
Like my dress, well, I must confess
It's very old
Hey, but it's simple and neat
And it's just right for this heat
Hey, I will save my furs for the cold
A cigarette, no, I don't smoke them
As a rule
But, I'll have one, it might be fun
With something
I'll bet you wouldn't imagine
But I once had a house
With so many rooms
I couldn't count them all
Yeah, I know you wouldn't imagine
But I had fifteen different guys
Who would beg and beg to take me to a ball
And I know you wouldn't picture me
The time I went to Paris in the fall
Oh who would think the guy I loved
Was quite so handsome and quite so tall
Well, it's through, it's through
That was just a memory I had
One I guess I almost forgot
Oh, 'cause the weather's so hot
And I'm feeling so bad
About a date
Oh wait, I'm such a fool
He's just a guy who stopped to buy me
Something cool
The lyrics to Ruth Cameron's song Something Cool paint a picture of a woman sitting in a bar, trying to forget her troubles by ordering a refreshing drink. She is tired of the heat and looking for a break from her mundane life, and the cool drink seems to offer some relief from her current situation. She strikes up a conversation with a man whose name she can't remember but whose smile she doesn't forget. Despite not usually drinking with strangers, she accepts his offer and reveals a few personal details about herself that suggest a more colorful past.
As the song progresses, the woman shares some of her memories, including a time when she lived in a large house with many rooms and went to balls with different men. She also reminisces about a handsome man she once loved. However, as quickly as those memories come up, they fade away as she realizes she is alone again with no one to take her out for something cool. The song is a reflection on loneliness and the desire to escape from reality even if only for a brief moment.
One interesting fact about the song Something Cool is that it was written by Billy Barnes in the 1950s as a monologue for himself to perform in a nightclub act. However, after hearing Julie London perform the song, he rewrote it as a ballad for her to record. Another interesting fact is that the song has been covered by many other artists, including Chet Baker, June Christy, and Stan Kenton. The song has also been used in movies and TV shows, including Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Line by Line Meaning
Something cool
The singer wants to order a refreshing drink to combat the heat
I'd like to order something cool
The singer is expressing their desire for a cool drink
It's so warm here in town
The town is experiencing hot weather
And this heat gets me down
The heat is bothering the artist
And I'd like something cool
The artist reiterates their desire for a refreshing drink
My, it's nice
Just to sit down and rest awhile
The singer enjoys sitting down and taking a break
Hey, you know it's a shame
But I can't think of your name
The singer regrets not remembering the name of the person they are conversing with
But I remember your smile
The artist recalls the person's smile
Well, I don't ordinarily drink
With strangers
I guess I usually just, just drink alone
The artist typically drinks alone and is hesitant to drink with someone they do not know
But you were so nice to ask me
And I'm so terribly far from home
The artist appreciates the person's offer to buy them a drink and feels grateful for their kindness as they are far away from home
Like my dress, well, I must confess
It's very old
The singer admits that their dress is old
Hey, but it's simple and neat
And it's just right for this heat
The artist thinks their dress is ideal for the hot weather
Hey, I will save my furs for the cold
The singer will wear their fur clothing in cold weather
A cigarette, no, I don't smoke them
As a rule
The singer does not usually smoke cigarettes
But, I'll have one, it might be fun
With something
The singer decides to have a cigarette to accompany their drink
I'll bet you wouldn't imagine
But I once had a house
With so many rooms
I couldn't count them all
The artist is sharing a surprising fact about their past when they owned a large house with numerous rooms
Yeah, I know you wouldn't imagine
But I had fifteen different guys
Who would beg and beg to take me to a ball
The artist reveals that fifteen men would ask to escort them to events
And I know you wouldn't picture me
The time I went to Paris in the fall
The singer recalls a time when they visited Paris in the autumn
Oh who would think the guy I loved
Was quite so handsome and quite so tall
The singer reminisces about a former love interest who was tall and good-looking
Well, it's through, it's through
That was just a memory I had
One I guess I almost forgot
The artist acknowledges that their story is simply a memory from the past that they almost forgot about
Oh, 'cause the weather's so hot
And I'm feeling so bad
The current hot weather is making the artist feel unwell
About a date
Oh wait, I'm such a fool
He's just a guy who stopped to buy me
Something cool
The artist realizes that they were foolish to think that the person they are talking to was interested in dating them and acknowledges that they were simply buying them a drink out of kindness
Contributed by Kaitlyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.