Ruth Etting (November 23, 1897 – September 24, 1978) was an American singin… Read Full Bio ↴Ruth Etting (November 23, 1897 – September 24, 1978) was an American singing star and actress of the 1920s and 1930s, who had over sixty hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film. She was known as America's Radio Sweetheart, and was the top female vocalist in America for several years, often singing in the 'torch' song style. In 1925, Ruth Etting was discovered by a Columbia record executive in Chicago and was signed to a nation-wide deal. In 1927 she was recommended by Irving Berlin to Florenz Ziegfeld for a spot in his Follies. She was an instant success in New York, and the top vocalist in the country for a number of years.

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.

Happy Days And Lonely Nights
Ruth Etting Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My memory takes me to
The wonderful nights we knew
When I made love to you until the dawn.
You left and to my surprise
I'm laughing with tear dimmed eyes
Because I realise
I can't go on my darling.

With the parting of the ways
You took all my happy days
And left me lonely nights.
Morning never comes too soon
I can face the afternoon
But oh, those lonely nights.
I feel your arms around me,
Your kisses linger yet,
You taught me how to love you,
Now teach me to forget!
You broke my heart a million ways
When you took my happy days
And left me lonely nights.

The beautiful month of May
Without you is sad and grey,
Oh, how I hate the day, I let you go.
I find that my happiness,
Depends on your sweet caress
I thought I lov'd you less,
But now I know, my darling.

With the parting of the ways
You took all my happy days
And left me lonely nights.
Morning never comes too soon
I can face the afternoon
But oh, those lonely nights.
I feel your arms around me,
Your kisses linger yet,
You taught me how to love you,
Now teach me to forget!
You broke my heart a million ways

When you took my happy days
And left me lonely nights.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ruth Etting's Happy Days And Lonely Nights tell the story of a woman who is reminiscing about a past romance that has now come to an end. The song begins with the singer recalling the happy memories of the nights spent with her lover, but then quickly transitions to her current state of being "laughing with tear dimmed eyes" because she realizes that she cannot continue without him. The chorus repeats the phrase "You took all my happy days and left me lonely nights," emphasizing the pain of the separation and the focus on the nights of grief that follow.

The second verse continues with the theme of loneliness, presenting a contrast between the long days filled with sunshine and the dark, lonely nights without her lover. The singer expresses her longing for him, feeling his arms around her and his kisses lingering. However, she also acknowledges that he has broken her heart in many ways, and now she must find a way to forget him. The song ends on a note of hopeless resignation, with the repetition of the chorus emphasizing the deep sadness and heartbreak that the singer feels.

Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a woman who loved deeply and is now struggling to move on. The song captures the raw emotion of heartbreak and the longing for a lost love, making it a powerful and poignant ballad.

Line by Line Meaning

My memory takes me to
I recall moments spent with you

The wonderful nights we knew
Nostalgic recollection of loving romances past

When I made love to you until the dawn.
Remembering spending the night making passionate love

You left and to my surprise
I'm startled that without you I can still smile

I'm laughing with tear dimmed eyes
Crying but also strangely finding joy

Because I realise
I've come to understand

I can't go on my darling.
Without you, I cannot continue

With the parting of the ways
Since we broke up

You took all my happy days
My joy and contentment went away with you

And left me lonely nights.
My nights are now solitary and sad

Morning never comes too soon
Days are long without you, time seems to stand still

I can face the afternoon
I can make it through the days alone

But oh, those lonely nights.
The nights are unbearable without you

I feel your arms around me,
I yearn for your embrace

Your kisses linger yet,
The memory of your kisses are still with me

You taught me how to love you,
You showed me how to love someone

Now teach me to forget!
Now I need to learn how to forget you

You broke my heart a million ways
You shattered my heart in so many different ways

When you took my happy days
My happiness vanished when you left

And left me lonely nights.
My nights are now empty and miserable

The beautiful month of May
Even the lovely month of May feels melancholy

Without you is sad and grey,
My world is dreary without you

Oh, how I hate the day, I let you go.
Regret and anger towards the moment I let you leave

I find that my happiness,
My well-being is tied up with yours

Depends on your sweet caress
I need your affection to feel content

I thought I lov'd you less,
I believed I had fallen out of love with you

But now I know, my darling.
But now I realize my true feelings towards you

Writer(s): Billy Rose, Fred Fisher

Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Trombonology Erstwhile

5y↑8

Andy Sannella is marvelous here, as always.

Micklegard

32w

I have been singing this song after hearing this at at my local folk club where I sing regularly and it generally goes down well. I do like this version.