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.
Out In The Cold Again
Ruth Etting Lyrics
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Ruth Etting
The song that you sang so sweetly
You called it our love refrain
It′s gone and I'm left completely
Out in the cold again
I dreamed that our love would linger
I gaze at that ring-less finger
Out in the cold again
True, it hurts my pride to step aside for somebody new
But deep down inside my whole world depended on you
Alone, that old familiar feeling
And yet it′s more than I can bear
Though tears sweetheart are way beyond concealing
Don't pity me
It had to be
The song that you sang so sweetly
You called it our love refrain
It's gone and I′m left completely
Out in the cold again
I dreamed that our love would linger
But just memories remain
I gaze at a ring-less finger
Out in the cold again
True, it hurts my pride to step aside for somebody new
But deep down inside my whole world depended on you
I wanted your arms around me
To shelter me from the rain
But now I′m back where you found me
Out in the cold again
"Out in the Cold Again" is a classic song by Ruth Etting that explores the painful emotions of a lover who has been cast aside. The song describes the feelings of heartbreak and loneliness that come with the end of a relationship. The first verse talks about how the lover used to sing a song for their shared love, but now the relationship is over and the singer is left "out in the cold." The second verse describes how the singer had hoped that their love would last, but all they have left are memories. The chorus repeats the idea of being left out in the cold and reinforces the pain of the situation. The third verse explores the difficulty of moving on, and the singer reflects on the feeling of being replaced by someone else. The song ends with the singer lamenting their loss and the fact that they are back where they started.
Line by Line Meaning
The song that you sang so sweetly
The beautiful melody that you crooned
You called it our love refrain
You used to refer to it as the anthem of our love
It's gone and I'm left completely
It vanished and I am now entirely alone
Out in the cold again
Feeling sad and deserted yet again
I dreamed that our love would linger
I had hoped that our love would persist
But just memories remain
However, what we have now are just mere memories
I gaze at that ring-less finger
I stare at my finger and notice that it is empty without a ring
Out in the cold again
Back to feeling forsaken once more
True, it hurts my pride to step aside for somebody new
Granted, it is unsettling for me to yield to another person
But deep down inside my whole world depended on you
Nonetheless, in reality, my entire world revolved around you
Alone, that old familiar feeling
Loneliness is that regular sensation that I know too well
And yet it's more than I can bear
Nevertheless, presently, it is more excruciating than ever
Though tears sweetheart are way beyond concealing
Despite the fact that the tears, my dear, are uncontrollable
Don't pity me
Please don't show me any sympathy
It had to be
It was inevitable
I wanted your arms around me
I used to long for your embrace
To shelter me from the rain
To protect me from the harsh realities of life
But now I'm back where you found me
Nevertheless, I am back to the place where you discovered me
Out in the cold again
Feeling desolate and unloved one more time
Writer(s): Koehler Ted, Bloom Rube
Contributed by Joshua J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@zoraidagarcia625
Thanks to you for this song I had not heard and have a good time you, too.
@AadJuijn
You're welcome, thank you too! Grtz, Aad
@pax41
Watched "Love Me or Leave Me" yesterday and had an urge for some of Ruth's tunes. This is a favorite but I love her singing "He's Funny That Way" Thanks
@64madmat
Love this!
@hepsaint
Amazing!...ive always heard Sam Cooke sing this...now i know where got his inspiration..haunting...
@vrobbie53
Very nice!
@Jimfromerth
Very nice. Never knew it went back that far. I though it was a Teenager original. Frankie does
do a nice job on this one also.👍😎
@AadJuijn
@hepsaint Ruth is always very touching! Grtz, Aad
@AadJuijn
@pax41 Thank you too, Bob! Grtz, Aad
@AadJuijn
@vrobbie53 I agree!! Thanks Rob, Grtz Aad