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.

Shakin the Blues Away
Ruth Etting Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All too soon
We had to part
The moment you had touched my heart
And with you went my dream

All too soon
All too sweet
Was our affair

And you put all the sweetness there

What a shame that it's gone
All too soon
I knew the strange delights
That only you in love could bring

And as I reached the heights
The bottom fell from everything
You should know as well as I
Our love deserves another try

For we whispered goodbye

All too soon
Too soon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ruth Etting's "Shakin' The Blues Away" speak of a passionate love affair that ended all too soon. The song reveals the singer's feelings of sadness and disappointment as she thinks back to the time when she and her lover first crossed paths. Despite the briefness of their time together, the singer recalls the moments of intense connection and love that they shared. The lyricist employs a sense of tragedy in the way that the love affair is portrayed - it was intense and beautiful, but ended far too quickly.

With lyrics like "What a shame that it's gone" and "The bottom fell from everything," the song conveys the sense of loss and longing that the singer feels. Her plea for another chance with her lover highlights her hope that they can recapture the magic of their once-flourishing relationship. The final line, "For we whispered goodbye / All too soon / Too soon," drives home the idea that their love was cut short before it had a chance to truly flourish.

Line by Line Meaning

All too soon
Our time together was brief and fleeting

We had to part
Our relationship was forced to end

The moment you had touched my heart
I fell in love with you instantly

And with you went my dream
My hopes and aspirations for our future together vanished with your departure

All too sweet
Our time together was deeply enjoyable and pleasant

Was our affair
Our romantic relationship was unlike any other

And you put all the sweetness there
You were the source of all the joy and happiness in our relationship

What a shame that it's gone
It's regrettable that our relationship ended

I knew the strange delights
I experienced unique and thrilling pleasures with you

That only you in love could bring
You were the only one who could make me feel that way when in love

And as I reached the heights
As our love grew stronger and more intense

The bottom fell from everything
Our relationship fell apart suddenly and completely

You should know as well as I
We both understand that our love was genuine and worth fighting for

Our love deserves another try
We should give our relationship another chance

For we whispered goodbye
We said farewell to each other quietly

All too soon
Our time together was over too quickly

Too soon
We were forced to part too soon

Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Sean Grubb

5y↑7

Interesting that Irving Berlin...as he did on many occasions...would reference the Blues in a song that is absolutely not a Blues song. It is, in fact, primarily influenced by Ragtime. That said, it does make a great observation about Blues Sensibility. In the beginning...and today...the Blues, at its heart, serves the purposes of unloading an emotional burden by expressing it. Some express by playing/singing the Blues; others, as noted here, burn off the energy through dance. In both cases...and more...one is left "lighter" than when they arrived.