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.
Guilty
Ruth Etting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And think that we should part
It seems as though I have loved you so long
You'll always be in my heart
Is it a sin
Is it a crime
Loving you dear like I do
Guilty of loving you
Maybe I'm wrong dreaming of you
Dreaming the lonely night through
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
Guilty of dreaming of you
What can I do
What can I say
After I've taken the blame?
You say we're through
You'll go your way
But I'll always feel just the same
Maybe I'm right
Maybe I'm wrong
Loving you dear like I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
Guilty of loving you
These lyrics speak to the heart-wrenching pain of a love that is deemed “wrong” by outside forces. Ruth Etting sings of a love that is so deep and so consuming, it cannot be denied. She expresses her love for her partner, even if society has labeled it as a sin. Despite possible consequences, she admits her guilt and does not regret her feelings.
The singer’s vulnerability is exhibited through her dreams, as she copes with her loneliness in longing for the one she loves. She struggles to understand why their love is seen as a crime, but remains true to her heart. Even in the face of rejection and separation, the singer will always hold the memory of her love close.
Overall, this song reflects the power of love and how it can overcome societal norms and expectations. Ruth Etting’s heartfelt voice conveys the intensity of the emotions that come with the experience of forbidden love, making this song an emotional and relatable classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Though you've decided that our love is wrong
Despite your judgment that our love is inappropriate
And think that we should part
And believe that we should end our relationship
It seems as though I have loved you so long
It feels as though I have been in love with you for such a long time
You'll always be in my heart
You will always occupy a special place in my heart
Is it a sin
Is it morally wrong
Is it a crime
Is it against the law
Loving you dear like I do
To love you as deeply as I do
If it's a crime then I'm guilty
If it is considered illegal, then I accept guilt for it
Maybe I'm wrong dreaming of you
It's possible that it's wrong to dream of you in this way
Dreaming the lonely night through
Spending the entire night lost in my own thoughts about you
Guilty of dreaming of you
Accepting guilt for dreaming about you
What can I do
What options do I have
What can I say
What could I possibly say to make it better
After I've taken the blame?
After acknowledging responsibility for what went wrong
You say we're through
You're claiming that our relationship is finished
You'll go your way
You'll go in a different direction
But I'll always feel just the same
Despite that, I'll continue to feel the same way about you
Maybe I'm right
It's possible that I'm correct
Maybe I'm wrong
It's possible that I'm incorrect
Guilty of loving you
Accepting guilt for loving you so much
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Harry Akst, Gus Kahn, Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tommy nevils
So many beautiful songs recorded in 1931 and this is one of them. Love this! Ruth Etting sings this beautifully. If you look up 1931 songs, they wrote some of the best in that year.
Kenny Space
Searched this for a while now🫡