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.

When You're with Somebody Else
Ruth Etting Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In your smiling eyes,
I see paradise,
When you're close to my heart,
Never thought I could,
Never dreamed I would,
Miss you when we're apart.

Maybe you've doubted me too,

Here's how I feel about you.

When you're gone, I wonder on,
To all the world I'm like a stranger,
And I'm so forlorn, when you're with somebody else.

Each night and day, the skies are grey,
The birds, the bees, the trees,
The summer breezes, fade away,
When you're with somebody else.

Its hard to care, and have to share,
The love that I've known,
Oh can't you see I want you all for my own?

I know that love's a game,
So who's to blame?

I hope, and pray, and keep on wondering
If you feel the same,
When you're with somebody else.

Oh, when you're gone, I wonder on,
To all the world I'm like a stranger,
And I'm so forlorn, when you're with somebody else.

Each night and day, the skies are grey,
The birds, the bees, the trees,
The summer breezes, just fade away,
When you're with somebody else.

Its hard to care, and have to share,
The love, sweet love that I've known,
Can't you see, I want you all for my own?

I know that love's a game, so who's to blame?
I hope and pray, and keep on wondering,

If you feel the same, when you're with somebody,
When you're with somebody else.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ruth Etting’s song, “When You're with Somebody Else,” express feelings of deep longing and heartbreak. The persona in the song is deeply in love with someone who is apparently involved with someone else. The song expresses a sense of dislocation and loneliness that is felt when the object of one’s affection is with another. The singer is overcome with sadness when she is apart from her lover and cannot help but wonder if they feel the same way when they are together.

The lyrics speak of the joyful paradise that can be found in the other person's smile, and how it feels like the world is stripped of all its happiness when they are with someone else. The persona speaks of the pain that comes with sharing their beloved's love with another, and their yearning to have them all to themselves. The persona hopes and prays that their love interest feels the same way but acknowledges the fact that love is a game and someone could be blamed for losing.

Overall, the lyrics illustrate how devastating unrequited love can be and how it can ravage one’s soul with loneliness and heartache. It is a poignant portrayal of love consumed by jealousy and the pain of being in love with someone who is with someone else.

Line by Line Meaning

In your smiling eyes,
I see pure happiness and pleasure in your eyes.

I see paradise,
You bring immense joy and bliss into my life, almost like paradise.

When you're close to my heart,
When we're together, it feels like our hearts are beating in unison.

Never thought I could,
I never imagined that I could feel this way about someone.

Never dreamed I would,
This level of love seemed unattainable to me before I met you.

Miss you when we're apart.
When we're not together, I feel a longing for you that is hard to ignore.

Maybe you've doubted me too,
Perhaps you've also wondered if my feelings for you are genuine.

Here's how I feel about you.
Let me assure you that my love for you is real and true.

When you're gone, I wonder on,
When you're not around, my mind is filled with thoughts of you and what you might be doing.

To all the world I'm like a stranger,
To everyone else, I may seem normal, but inside I feel lost without you.

And I'm so forlorn, when you're with somebody else.
Seeing you with anyone else fills me with sadness and despair.

Each night and day, the skies are grey,
Without you, everything seems dull and lifeless, like the color has drained from the world.

The birds, the bees, the trees,
Even the natural world loses its beauty without you by my side.

The summer breezes, fade away,
Even the simple pleasures of life lose their appeal without you.

Its hard to care, and have to share,
It's difficult for me to remain indifferent when I have to watch you be with someone else.

The love that I've known,
The love we share is something I cherish deeply.

Oh can't you see I want you all for my own?
I don't want to share you with anyone else; I want you all to myself.

I know that love's a game,
I'm aware that love can be unpredictable and even risky.

So who's to blame?
If things don't work out between us, I don't want either of us to feel responsible for the outcome.

I hope, and pray, and keep on wondering
I pray that you feel the same way about me, even though sometimes I doubt it.

If you feel the same, when you're with somebody else.
If you love me like I love you, then being with someone else should feel wrong and uncomfortable to you.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: L. WOLFE GILBERT, RUTH ETTING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS