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.
It Happened In Monterey
Ruth Etting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere along the Rio Grande
Sadly I'm reminiscing, madly again I'm kissing
Someone along the Rio Grande
It happened in Monterey, a long time ago
I met her in Monterey, in old Mexico
Stars and steel guitars
Broke somebody's heart
And I'm afraid that it was mine
It happened in Monterey
Without thinking twice
I left her and threw away the key to paradise
My indiscreet heart, longs for the sweetheart
That I left in old Monterey
Making believe I'm merry
In ev'ry glass of sherry
I see the sparkle of her eye
And when I hear the cello
Tender and sweet and mellow
I hear the music of her sigh
It happened in Monterey, a long time ago
I met her in Monterey, in old Mexico
Stars and steel guitars
And luscious lips, as red as wine
Broke somebody's heart
And I'm afraid that it was mine
It happened in Monterey
Without thinking twice
I left her and threw away the key to paradise
My indiscreet heart, longs for the sweetheart
In "It Happened In Monterey," Ruth Etting sings of a past love affair that took place in Monterey, Mexico. The lyrics describe the singer's regret over leaving someone they loved along the Rio Grande, and the pain that comes with reminiscing about a lost love. The imagery of steel guitars and luscious lips paints a romanticized and passionate picture of the relationship, while the regretful tone of the song emphasizes the singer's longing for what could have been.
The lyrics also touch on themes of regret, nostalgia, and lost love. The singer's "indiscreet heart" longs for the sweetheart they left behind, and the memories of the past relationship are vividly brought to life through descriptions of music, wine, and the sparkle of the loved one's eye. The song carries a sense of melancholy and a wistful longing for what could have been, making it a powerful and moving ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
In my imagination, I'm finding consolation
I console myself with an imaginary place
Somewhere along the Rio Grande
Perhaps this place exists somewhere along the Rio Grande
Sadly I'm reminiscing, madly again I'm kissing
Sadly I recall the past when I kissed someone
Someone along the Rio Grande
I kissed someone along the Rio Grande
It happened in Monterey, a long time ago
Something occurred in Monterey long time ago
I met her in Monterey, in old Mexico
I met her in Monterey which is in old Mexico
Stars and steel guitars
There were stars and guitars made of steel present
And luscious lips, as red as wine
There were luscious red lips resembling wine
Broke somebody's heart
Someone's heart was broken
And I'm afraid that it was mine
I'm afraid my heart was the one that got broken
Without thinking twice
I left without giving it a second thought
I left her and threw away the key to paradise
I abandoned her and lost the ticket to heaven
My indiscreet heart, longs for the sweetheart
My careless heart still yearns for the love of my life
That I left in old Monterey
The one I left behind in Monterey
Making believe I'm merry
I pretend to be happy
In ev'ry glass of sherry
I see her in every glass of sherry
I see the sparkle of her eye
I see the twinkle in her eyes
And when I hear the cello
Whenever I hear the sound of the cello
Tender and sweet and mellow
Soft, delicate and relaxing
I hear the music of her sigh
I hear the sound of her contented breath
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Billy Rose, Mabel Wayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Beschorner
A lovely sweet voice with perfect clear diction! Who sings like her today!
John Ferguson
Beautiful - I've been searching for the sheet music of this and I wasn't quite certain of the title. The Tango rendition is also lovely, most of the music from this era had great melody.
TheEdie1958
Song interpretation and imbue with passion and rythmic pentameter resonates.
richard gornalle
Good grief! Another song from this era I know. Such a good song. Getting to really like this lady.
Anon user
She is wonderful, isn't she ❤
richard gornalle
@Anon user yes
Mark Fisher
What a lovely interpretation of this fine old song from Monterey :-) I thank You so much :-)
Mark
Electronica Avanzada
Do you know to what Monterey makes reference? It ain't monterey California
Joe Carbery
@Electronica Avanzada The lyrics say "in old Mexico."
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One of the first songs Elouise Sandy ever sang to me. Thanks AGAIN! ♥