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.
What Do We Do on a Dew-Dew-Dew Day?
Ruth Etting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suffered from your ugly deeds
The way you're pushin' all, Oh No
Better watch out what you're doing
Better take some rest or get right of here, oh yeah
Haven't you hurt the people tryin' to be your friend
You take it to the limit, you take it to the top
You take it to the limit, you take it to the top
Stop! Stop!
You think you;re somebody
But you'll never be
On the back of others
You;re just acting
Like a thief, oh yeah
Better watch out what you;re sayin'
Better take your hat and get right out of here
Didn't you lose all the people
Tryin' to be your friend
You take it to the limit, you take it to the top
You take it to the limit, til you get stopped
You take it to the limit, til you get shot, stop it!
Take it to the limit, take it to the top
Take it to the limit, til you get stopped
Take it to the limit, get out of my head!
The lyrics "What Do We Do on a Dew-Dew-Dewy Day" by Ruth Etting seems to tell a story of a person who has been deceived by someone they trusted. The first verse suggests that the person has observed the deceptive behavior of the person they trusted or admired, and as a result, they have been hurt by their ugly deeds. The lines, "better watch out what you're doing, better take some rest, or get right outta here, oh yeah," implies that the singer is warning the person to desist from their immoral behavior or face the consequences.
The chorus of the song, "you take it to the limit, you take it to the top, until you get stopped," suggests that the person's immoral behavior will eventually catch up with them. The line "stop, stop," emphasizes the urgency of the warning and implies that the person needs to take immediate action before it is too late. The second verse continues the warning, with the singer urging the person to watch what they say and get out of their life.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of betrayal, hurt, and disappointment. The singer is disillusioned by the behavior of the person they once admired and is warning them that they are on a dangerous path.
Line by Line Meaning
Been here just long enough to see what trip you're on
I've been around you for a while and I can see what kind of person you are
Suffered from your ugly deeds
I have personally experienced the negative effects of your actions
The way you're pushin' all, Oh No
I'm concerned about the aggressive way you're pursuing your goals
Better watch out what you're doing
I advise you to be careful about how you're behaving
Better take some rest or get right of here, oh yeah
You should take a break or leave this place as soon as possible
Haven't you hurt the people tryin' to be your friend
You have hurt the people who were trying to be your friends
You take it to the limit, you take it to the top
You always try to achieve the highest level of success
You take it to the limit, until you get stopped
You keep pushing until you encounter a barrier or get blocked
Stop! Stop!
I'm telling you to stop your behavior
You think you're somebody
You have an inflated sense of self-importance
But you'll never be
You'll never truly achieve the greatness you seek
On the back of others
You're using the efforts of others to propel yourself forward
You're just acting
Your behavior is not genuine
Like a thief, oh yeah
Your behavior is like that of a thief
Better watch out what you're saying
You should be cautious about what you're communicating to others
Better take your hat and get right out of here
You should leave this place immediately
Didn't you lose all the people
You have lost the support of all the people who were on your side
You take it to the limit, til you get shot, stop it!
You keep pushing yourself even though it's dangerous and you need to stop immediately
Take it to the limit, get out of my head!
I don't want to hear about your goals or your behavior anymore
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREAS DERIS, ULI KUSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nick
👍👍👍👌👌👌❤❤❤
Dee Westhill
A perfect little ditty for February and Valentine's Day, when weather brings frequent fog, mist, and rain, a time to get cozy and affectionate.
Elliot The Redd
I love this song! I used to listen to this on my yester years. What a time. The memories this brings back... the men all away at the speakeasys... gangs running the streets.. the Great Mississippi Flood.. what a time on a dew-dew-dewy day!
Letícia Martins
❤