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.
Riptide
Ruth Etting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When silver moonlight beams
And then a new love beckoned me
Wrecking the ship of my dreams
Riptide caught in a riptide, torn between two loves
The old and the new
Riptide lost in a riptide
My heart is tossed on a sea of emotion
One love offers romance
The other devotion
A new love is calling
The old love is pleading
I'm caught in a riptide what shall I do?
Riptide caught in a riptide, torn between two loves
The old and the new
Riptide lost in a riptide
Where will it take me what shall I do?
My heart is tossed on a sea of emotion
One love offers romance
The other devotion
A new love is calling
The old love is pleading
I'm caught in a riptide what shall I do?
The lyrics of Ruth Etting's song "Riptide" speak to the turmoil of being caught between two loves, torn between the promises of romance and the loyalty of devotion. The imagery of a shipwrecked sailor caught in a riptide conveys the helplessness and confusion that comes with being trapped between two seemingly equal choices. The calm of the summer sea in the opening lines provides a sharp contrast to the chaos and uncertainty that follows. The singer's heart is being tossed on a sea of emotion, unsure of which direction to take.
The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the singer's predicament, illustrating the power of the riptide that has caught her. She is lost in the middle of the contradiction and the question of where it will take her. The two loves are both strong, it is clear that a decision must be made, but the singer is unsure of what actions to take. The final line punctuates the feeling of helplessness, as she asks what to do next.
Overall, the song captures the feeling of being at war with oneself, lost and trapped in the middle of a difficult decision. The poetic language and vivid imagery make this feeling accessible to the listener, capturing an experience that is both universal and deeply personal.
Line by Line Meaning
Live was as calm as a summer sea
My life was peaceful and serene, like the calm waters of a summer sea, before I was swept away by the turmoil of love.
When silver moonlight beams
Everything seemed perfect, illuminated by the soft light of the silver moon.
And then a new love beckoned me
But then a new love appeared, calling me to follow it despite the consequences.
Wrecking the ship of my dreams
This love destroyed my carefully crafted dreams, like a shipwreck on treacherous rocks.
Riptide caught in a riptide, torn between two loves
I am trapped in love's unrelenting pull, torn between two passions that leave me feeling powerless.
The old and the new
One represents what was, the other an uncertain future.
Riptide lost in a riptide
I am adrift in an endless cycle of emotional turmoil, unable to escape.
Where will it take me what shall I do?
I do not know what my future holds, and I am paralyzed by indecision.
My heart is tossed on a sea of emotion
My emotions are turbulent, tossing my heart about like a small boat on a choppy sea.
One love offers romance
One love tempts me with passion and adventure.
The other devotion
While the other offers stability, commitment, and security.
A new love is calling
The thrill of something new is pulling me towards it.
The old love is pleading
But the familiarity and comfort of the past is begging me to stay.
I'm caught in a riptide what shall I do?
I am trapped between two powerful forces, and I do not know how to free myself from their grasp.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GUS KAHN, WALTER DONALDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Souza
A clear voice sending a clear message. Beautiful!
Aaaa Aaaa
As made popular by Robert Palmer in 1986 and on MTV. True story.
Zoraida García
Thanks for the additional data. Today is almost three weeks since I knew about Ruth Etting and yesterday it was three weeks I knew about Al Bowlly, for whoever doesn't know this other talent yet. In this very morning, a lot before dawn, I was looking for the song "For Sentimental Reasons" (not the one by the great Nat King Cole and others), which I knew by Mildred Bailey and kept listening to it and to other songs by her. Please look for this beautiful music. It's very little what you can find on TV.
Zoraida García
@Mister Whitman Yes, treasures is what they really are and it is necessary to keep looking for them since the media is not what it was in the sixties. Thanks for having answered.
Mister Whitman
Zoraida,
That is so beautiful to read that you are discovering old treasures on You Tube!
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SEEING THIS
I love you forever and always 1934. I miss you forever and always 1934.
Kirk Barkley
I prefer the sound of her voice from this period; not so high-pitched and girlish.
Aaaa Aaaa
Robert Palmer 👍
Aaaa Aaaa
As made popular by Robert Palmer in 1986 and on MTV. True story.