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.
Im Nobodys Baby
Ruth Etting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder why
Each night and day I pray the Lord up above
Please send me down somebody to love
But nobody wants me
I'm blue somehow
Won't someone hear my plea and take a chance with me
Nobody's baby
And I've got to know the reason why
Last week I was walking down the street and met a boy and I said
"Hey! Maybe I was meant for you"
But he only shook his head and said "Goodbye"
He kept on walking down the avenue
Nobody wants me
I'm mighty blue somehow
Won't someone hear my plea and take a chance with me
Because I'm nobody's baby now
The lyrics of Ruth Etting's song "I'm Nobody's Baby" express a feeling of loneliness and longing for love. The singer wonders why nobody wants her and prays for someone to love her. She recalls a recent encounter with a boy on the street who shakes his head and walks away. The song ends with the singer feeling despair as she realizes she is nobody's baby.
The lyrics of this song are representative of the popular sentiments of the time. During the Great Depression, many people were struggling to get by and feeling isolated and hopeless. The lyrics express a sense of vulnerability and the desire for someone to care for and connect with.
The song was written in 1921 by Benny Davis, Milton Ager, and Lester santly, and has been recorded by numerous artists over the years. The tune has become a jazz standard, and has been performed by artists such as Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald. The song has also been featured in several films and television shows, including The Babe Ruth Story (1948), The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), and The Muppet Show (1980).
Line by Line Meaning
I'm nobody's baby
I do not belong to anyone
I wonder why
I am curious as to why I have not found love
Each night and day I pray the Lord up above
I pray to God every day and night
Please send me down somebody to love
I ask God to send me someone to love
But nobody wants me
No one is interested in me romantically
I'm blue somehow
I feel sad and lonely
Won't someone hear my plea and take a chance with me
I hope someone will listen to my appeal and give me a chance
Because I'm nobody's baby now
Since I am not someone's romantic partner, I feel alone
And I've got to know the reason why
I need to understand why I have not found love
Last week I was walking down the street and met a boy and I said
Recently, I met a boy while walking and said to him
"Hey! Maybe I was meant for you"
"Perhaps we are destined to be together"
But he only shook his head and said "Goodbye"
However, he just shook his head and bid farewell
He kept on walking down the avenue
He continued walking away from me
I'm mighty blue somehow
I am extremely sad and lonely
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MILTON AGER, BENNY DAVIS, LESTER SANTLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MsMadKim
I used to be my mother's baby,
When I was near my dad went wild
Whenever we had company
They'd bounce me on their knee,
The neighbors thought I was a darling child.
Once I was everybody's baby,
But right now I'm lonesome as can be.
You see, I'm nobody's baby,
I wonder why
Each night and day I pray the Lord up above
Please send me down somebody to love
But nobody wants me, I'm blue somehow
Won't someone hear my plea
And take a chance with me
Because I'm nobody's baby now
No, no, no, no, no nobody's baby,
I, I just wonder why
Each night and day, night and day
I pray, I pray the Lord up above
Do please, please send me down some sweet
Somebody to love
Because, no, no, no, nobody wants me,
I'm, I'm blue somehow
Oh, won't someone hear my plea
Come take a little chance with me
Because I'm no, no, no, nobody's baby now
@johnrussell8749
I like the artist, the song and the quality of the sound. and I'm only 83 years old. Whoopy=doo!
@samh3305
Haha 🤣
@oedipussy
sir i don’t understand most of what you just said but i appreciate you
@nekinusanda-chan9888
Wow ... my respects sir
@FeedMyBalls
@PureCrispy kpop anime
@mrjackelbox4418
I'm 16 I like it to
@nicholsjoshua15
I wonder what she would say if she knew that people would be listening to and collecting her music almost ninety years later.
I bet her mind would be blown away, and it would make her feel so good.
@davidbrown9402
Joshua yes............i totally agree. im 50 and i listen to as well as have a number of her original 78s. this music reaches parts that .much modern music never will!
@idreamtadreamlastnight
Joshua I totally agree! I'm 17 and a huge fan of her!
@SimuKiseru
We were born closer to her than she was born closer to President McKinley since she passed away in 78. Thus, I'm 99 years younger than her.