DESCRIPTION:
Columbia Records
Dolly Kay (12 June 1900? – 26 August 1982) was an American vaudeville singer who recorded in the 1920s and was one of the first white singers to incorporate blues songs into her repertoire, most notably "Hard-Hearted Hannah".
Details of her life are obscure. She was probably born Dora Kirschenbaum in New York City in 1900.
Her biggest success came with "Hard-Hearted Hannah", which she was one of the first singers to record, in 1924.
Hard Hearted Hannah, the Vamp of Savannah is a popular song with words and music by Jack Yellen, Bob Bigelow (Robert Wilcox Bigelow), and Charles Bates. The song was published in June 1924 by Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, inc., New York. Hard Hearted Hannah tells in humorous fashion the story of a "vamp" or femme fatale from Savannah, Georgia "the meanest gal in town." Hannah is "a gal who loves to see men suffer."
It had early recordings by vocalists Lucille Hegamin and Dolly Kay, Herb Wiedoeft's band (1924) and by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. A quarter century later Peggy Lee revived "Hannah" very successfully for Capitol Records, and the Ray Charles Singers made a hit version for Decca.
The song has been recorded numerous times by such performers as Patti Austin, Belle Baker, The Buffalo Bills, The Bronson Singers, Jim Croce, Bobby Darin, Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards, Ella Fitzgerald, Stacey Kent, Joyce Moody, Turk Murphy, Nancy Sinatra, Kay Starr, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Temperance Seven, Toni Tennille, Julie London, Mary Testa, Sophie Tucker, Sue Keller, and Margaret Whiting.
Memorable television or film performances of the song include those by Carol Burnett, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald (on Pete Kelly's Blues), and Beatrice Arthur on Maude (TV series) and The Golden Girls. The song was performed by vampire Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer) in the sixth episode of the second season of the HBO show True Blood, also called Hard-Hearted Hannah; Dolly Kay's recording of the song plays over the final credits.
It is known that the Soviet poet Vladimir Mayakovsky was fond of this song. He heard it during his first trip to the United States and later referred to it in his influential essay How to Make Poems. He also asked his friend, the translator Rita Rait-Kovaleva, to translate the song for him, but due to his heavy accent, she couldn't understand a word of what he was singing. In season 1 of American Idol, contestant Nikki McKibbin sang this song in the finals where she ended up in the Bottom 3.
Lyrics:
In old Savannah, I said Savannah,
The weather there is nice and warm!
The climates of a Southern brand,
But here's what I don't understand:
They got a gal there, a pretty gal there,
Who's colder than an Arctic storm,
Got a heart just like a stone,
Even ice men leave her alone!

They call her Hard Hearted Hannah,
The vamp of Savannah,
The meanest gal in town;
Leather is tough, but Hannah's heart is tougher,
She's a gal who loves to see men suffer!
To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em,
Is her delight, they say,
I saw her at the seashore with a great big pan,
There was Hannah pouring water on a drownding man!
She's Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA!

They call her Hard Hearted Hannah,
The vamp of Savannah,
The meanest gal in town;
Talk of your cold, refrigeratin' mamas,
Brother, she's a polar bear's pajamas!
To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em,
Is her delight, they say,
An evening spent with Hannah sittin' on your knees,
Is like travelin' through Alaska in your BVDs.
She's Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA!

Can you imagine a woman as cold as Hannah
She's got the right name, The vamp of Savannah
Any time a woman can take a great big pan
And start pouring water on a drownin' man
She's hard hearted Hannah
The Vamp of Savannah GA

Ohh she's sweet as sour milk