Ruth was born in David City, Nebraska. Her mother died when she was 5, and her father left her with her grandparents, George and Hannah Etting, who owned a roller mill. Her father remarried and moved away, seldom visiting his daughter. When she was 17 she moved to Chicago to attend art school, and got a job designing costumes at a night club. One night the tenor got sick and since she was the only one who could sing low enough, she took his place, and landed a job in the chorus. By 1918 she was one of the club's featured vocalists. It was there she met Moe "The Gimp" Snyder, a wanna-be gangster who took over management of Ruth's career and married her in 1922.
After her New York sucess, she moved to Los Angeles and had roles in a number of films including Roman Scandals with Eddie Cantor. There are conflicting stories about the scandal that virtually ended her career. The marriage between Ms. Etting and The Gimp was virtually loveless from the beginning, and he was a demanding and controlling manager who would not let other men near his wife. They were divorced in 1937. While in Los Angeles she began spending time with Myrl Alderman, a pianist who had played with her earlier in her career. In 1938, The Gimp forced his way into Ruth's house, and shot Alderman, wounding him. The subsequent trial put a halt to her career, although she did make some appearances in 1947. Ruth and Myrl married and retired to Colorado Springs, where she died in 1978. The academy award nominated movie version of her life story, Love me or Leave Me, with Jimmy Cagney and Doris Day, was apparently highly fictionalized.
But I Do You Know i Do
Ruth Etting Lyrics
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Get you out of my mind,
But that's hard to do with somebody you love!
I've denied it, I've tried to hide it,
But every evening I find,
You're the one that I keep thinking of
I shouldn't mind if you find someone new,
I shouldn't care if you're here or you're there,
But I do, you know I do!
I know you love to flit around
While I just sit around and wonder,
What's become of you;
I know that I shouldn't mope, shouldn't hope you're lonesome, too,
But I do, you know I do!
I keep saying and I keep praying
That I'll forget you somehow;
But the more I try seems the more that I pine;
While you're dancing and out romancing
With those you care about now,
Do you think of days when you were mine?
I shouldn't mind if you find someone new,
But I do, you know I do!
I shouldn't care if you're here or you're there,
But I do, you know I do!
I know you love to flit around
While I just sit around and wonder,
What's become of you;
I know that I shouldn't mope, shouldn't hope you're lonesome, too,
But I do, you know I do, do, do, do, do!
In the song "But I Do You Know I Do!" by Ruth Etting, the lyrics express the singer's struggle to let go of her love for someone who is no longer a part of her life. She admits to herself that she should be able to move on, but she finds it difficult to forget about the person that she still loves. She tries to push him out of her mind but is unsuccessful, as he always seems to be on her mind. The singer talks about how they used to be together, but now the person she loves is out dancing and romancing with others. She wonders if he ever thinks about the days when they were together.
The lyrical tone of the song is one of longing and desire. The singer is trying to hide her love, but the truth is evident in her words. Her attempts to forget about the person only serve to deepen her love and desire for him. Despite knowing that she should forget about him, the singer cannot help but hope that he is thinking about her as well.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep trying to, I'm just dying to
Get you out of my mind,
But that's hard to do with somebody you love!
I'm struggling to forget about you, even though I want to so badly. It's tough because I still love you.
I've denied it, I've tried to hide it,
But every evening I find,
You're the one that I keep thinking of
I've pretended that I don't love you, and have tried to keep those feelings hidden, but every night I can't help but think of you.
I shouldn't mind if you find someone new,
But I do, you know I do!
I keep telling myself that I wouldn't care if you moved on and found someone new, but the truth is, I would be hurt.
I know you love to flit around
While I just sit around and wonder,
What's become of you;
You enjoy going out and having fun, while I stay at home and worry about what you're doing.
I know that I shouldn't mope, shouldn't hope you're lonesome, too,
But I do, you know I do!
I know it's not healthy to sit around feeling sorry for myself, or wishing that you were feeling as lonely as I am, but I can't help it.
I keep saying and I keep praying
That I'll forget you somehow;
But the more I try seems the more that I pine;
I keep telling myself that I need to forget about you, and I keep hoping that I will somehow, but the more I try, the more I miss you.
While you're dancing and out romancing
With those you care about now,
Do you think of days when you were mine?
When you're out having fun and spending time with people you care about now, do you ever think back to when we were together?
I shouldn't care if you're here or you're there,
But I do, you know I do!
I shouldn't let your actions affect me or make me care about where you are or what you're doing, but I do.
I know you love to flit around
While I just sit around and wonder,
What's become of you;
You enjoy going out and having fun, while I stay at home and worry about what you're doing.
I know that I shouldn't mope, shouldn't hope you're lonesome, too,
But I do, you know I do, do, do, do, do!
I know it's not healthy to sit around feeling sorry for myself, or wishing that you were feeling as lonely as I am, but I can't help it.
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO
Written by: KAHN DONALDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind