One of the few white singers to come out of the New Orleans R&B/rock & roll sound (he was known as the "swamp pop R&B teenage idol"), he rode the crest of the popular teen music wave in the 1950s and '60s with such songs as 'Just a Dream' and 'Venus in Blue Jeans'. He even continued to release hits after he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1961 and served for two years.
Clanton became a disc jockey in the 1970s and performed in an oldies revue, The Masters of Rock 'n' Roll, with Troy Shondell, Ray Peterson, and Ronnie Dove. He is reputed to have had a religious conversion in the 1980s. In the 1995 Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Clanton performed with Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and Frankie "Sea Cruise" Ford.
Clanton starred in a rock 'n' roll movie produced by Alan Freed called "Go Johnny Go," and later starred in "Teenage Millionaire."
Another Sleepless Night
Jimmy Clanton Lyrics
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I sit alone and cry,
Twilight time 'til dawn,
Memories linger on,
Since we said goodbye.
Throughout that sleepless night,
No matter what I do,
You're always on my mind,
And though you're gone I find,
I'm still in love with you.
Shadows fall, and I recall,
The love that you once had for me.
Miss you so, when lights are low,
I think of things that use to be.
You're always in my heart,
Although you're out of sight,
Lonely teardrops burn,
As I toss and turn,
Another sleepless night.
Although you're out of sight,
Lonely teardrops burn,
As I toss and turn,
Another sleepless night.
The lyrics of Jimmy Clanton's song Another Sleepless Night express the intense feeling of heartbreak one experiences after a break-up. The opening lines indicate a sense of loneliness and agony as the singer cries alone through a sleepless night. Despite the passage of time since the farewell, memories of the past continues to linger on, marking the inability of the singer to get over the heartbreak. The following verse reinforces the idea of the pain of losing someone and the desperate struggle to forget that person.
The chorus reveals that the person in question is always on the singer's mind, and the loss suffered is not easy to overcome. The shadows falling symbols the past, which is now looked back on with fondness. The singer recalls the love once shared between two people and how time together was spent, but now the narration symbolizes that the love has faded, and both have moved on. The pain of the separation is so intense that the singer’s heart still longs to feel that love again, even if it seems impossible. Thus, the song unfolds as a meditation on the painful memories of a recent breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
Another sleepless night,
Jimmy Clanton is stuck in yet another sleepless night, unable to rest his mind because of the emotional turmoil he is going through.
I sit alone and cry,
Jimmy is feeling lonely and sad that he is no longer with the person he loved and cared for.
Twilight time 'til dawn,
From the time it gets dark outside until the sun comes up, Jimmy is awake, unable to turn off his thoughts and drift into sleep.
Memories linger on,
Jimmy is haunted by memories of his past relationship and is unable to move on from it.
Since we said goodbye.
The reason for Jimmy's distress is his separation from his lover; after they parted, Jimmy has not been able to find the same happiness that he once shared with his partner.
Throughout that sleepless night,
The whole night, without respite, Jimmy is tormented with melancholic thoughts about his life and his past relationship.
No matter what I do,
Jimmy has tried to shift his focus, but he still can't help thinking, reminiscing, and idolizing his lost love.
You're always on my mind,
Jimmy cannot stop thinking about his beloved, even after all this time has passed.
And though you're gone I find,
Jimmy has come to terms with the fact that his lover is no longer with him but cannot get himself out of the headspace of their final moments together.
I'm still in love with you.
Jimmy is still madly in love with his partner, and the strength of his attachment has not waned despite the adversities he has faced since their separation.
Shadows fall, and I recall,
As darkness descends, Jimmy remembers his past, especially the time he backpedals to when he was with his beloved, highlighting how he is stuck in the past.
The love that you once had for me.
Jimmy misses the love, care, and affection that his partner had shown him while being together and recalls the love in a nostalgia-induced reminiscence of happier times.
Miss you so, when lights are low,
During the dark hours of the night, Jimmy longs for his lover's presence more than ever, and his pain is intensified.
I think of things that use to be.
Jimmy spends his time thinking about the past and wishing that he could relive the moments he had with his partner.
You're always in my heart,
Despite the physical distance between them, Jimmy holds his partner close to his heart and still cherishes their time together.
Although you're out of sight,
Even if he can't see his partner anymore, their memory and the feelings of love they shared through the years remain with him even in their absence.
Lonely teardrops burn,
Jimmy's eyes are red from crying all night, and his tears of loneliness appear to linger and cause him anguish.
As I toss and turn,
Jimmy is a mess and can't get himself to sleep; the tossing and turning highlights the restlessness brought on by his pain and anxiety.
Another sleepless night.
The song ends with Jimmy in his darkened room, tormented by the memories of the past and the realization that he will spend yet another sleepless night without his partner.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind