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.
The Song Is Ended
Ruth Etting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A moment of bliss we spent
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts' content
The song is ended
But the melody lingers on
But the melody lingers on
The night was splendid
And the melody seemed to say
"Summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may"
There 'neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon
The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn
You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on
The lyrics to Ruth Etting's song The Song Is Ended But the Melody Lingers On tell a tale of a romantic evening spent singing and dancing under the moonlight. The singer reflects back on that moment of bliss, where they were filled with a song of romance and sang to their hearts' content. Though the night eventually ended and the person they shared it with is gone, the melody lingers on. The singer is reminded of the beauty of the moment and the importance of seizing happiness before it fades away.
The song's main message is one of fleeting happiness - the idea that love and joy can slip through our fingers if we don't hold onto them tightly. The melody, however, continues on, reminding us of those moments even after they're gone. The night is described as "heavenly" and "splendid," suggesting that it was a truly magical, unforgettable moment. The fact that the song ended too soon highlights the fleeting nature of joy and the importance of cherishing it while we can.
In conclusion, The Song Is Ended But the Melody Lingers On is a beautiful and poignant reminder to live in the moment and appreciate the fleeting nature of happiness. Though the song and the person may be gone, the melody remains, stoking one's memories of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
I remember a special moment when we were dancing and it felt like heaven on earth.
A moment of bliss we spent
We shared a moment of pure happiness.
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
We were in love and the emotions were overwhelming.
As into the night we went
We continued to enjoy the night after the dance was over.
And sang to our hearts' content
We sang with everything we had and felt free in the moment.
The song is ended
Our time together has come to an end.
But the melody lingers on
The feelings from that moment will stay with us.
You and the song are gone
You and the memory of that moment are gone.
But the melody lingers on
But the feelings from that moment remain.
The night was splendid
The night was amazing and unforgettable.
And the melody seemed to say
The happiness we felt seemed to be captured by the melody of the song.
"Summer will pass away
The moment won't last forever as time moves on.
Take your happiness while you may"
Take advantage of the moment and enjoy it while you still can.
There 'neath the light of the moon
We were together under the romantic light of the moon.
We sang a love song that ended too soon
We sang a song that expressed our love, but it was cut short.
The moon descended
The night came to an end.
And I found with the break of dawn
When the sun came up, I realized you and the moment were gone.
You and the song had gone
You and the memory of that moment had passed.
But the melody lingers on
But the feelings from that moment remain with me.
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Darryl C Preston
Beautifully done; especially by Miss Etting and Mr Kellner. It's a special event to hear a song from the twenties that isn't distorted, flattened or muddied by the recording technology of that era.
The legendary voice of Miss Etting comes through as if we are in the studio with her.
Emma Nichols
What a delightful musical experience! I loved it!
Taylor Maddux
I as well!
tommy nevils
Irving Berlin wrote many beautiful songs and this is surely one of them.
Bill
F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's anthem for their life.