Born in Brooklyn, New York, he studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UCLA. His involvement in the entertainment industry began in the early 1950s as a director of children's television shows. Both he and his wife Marilyn Bergman, whom he married in 1958, were born in the same hospital and raised in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, but they didn't meet until each had relocated to Los Angeles. Together they have written the music and lyrics for numerous television shows, films, and stage musicals.
In 1983, the couple became the first songwriters ever to have written three of the five tunes nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song - "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" from Best Friends, "It Might Be You" (with Dave Grusin) from Tootsie, and "If We Were in Love" (with John Williams) from Yes, Giorgio.
Bergman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980, and in 1995 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Berklee College of Music. He is a member of the board of The Streisand Foundation.
Alan and Marilyn Bergman's credits include:
• lyrics for "The Windmills of Your Mind", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "Yellow Bird", "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?", "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?", and the score from Yentl, with music by Michel Legrand;
• lyrics for "The Way We Were", with music by Marvin Hamlisch;
• lyrics and music for Ballroom, a 1978 Broadway musical; "Never Say Never Again", from the film of the same name; the theme songs for the television series Maude and Good Times; and "Moonlight", featured in the film Sabrina;
• and lyrics for "I Knew I Loved You", the Quincy Jones-produced Céline Dion song that was the theme for the movie Once Upon a Time in America.
Bergman's talents can be seen on Jones' podcast, The Quincy Jones Show.
In 2007, at the age of 81, Bergman released his first album as a vocalist, Lyrically, Alan Bergman, featuring some of the Bergmans' most well-known songs.
It Might Be You
Alan Bergman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching trains go by.
All of my life,
Lying on the sand watching seabirds fly.
Wishing there would be
Someone waiting home for me.
Something's telling me it might be you
All of my life...
Looking back as lovers go walking past
All of my life,
Wondering how they met and what makes it last.
If I found the place,
Would I recognize the face?
Something's telling me it might be you.
Yeah, it's telling me it might be you.
So many quiet walks to take
So many dreams to wake
And we've so much love to make
I think we're gonna need some time
Maybe all we need is time
And it's telling me it might be you
All of my life
I've been saving love songs and lullabies
And there's so much more
No one's ever heard before
Something's telling me it might be you
Yeah, it's telling me it must be you
And I'm feeling it'll just be you
All of my life
It's you
It's you
I've been waiting for all of my life
(Maybe) It's you (It's you)
(Maybe) It's you (It's you)
I've been waiting for all of my life
(Maybe) It's you (It's you)
(Maybe) It's you (It's you)
I've been waiting for all of my life
(Maybe) It's you (It's you)
(Maybe) It's you (It's you)
I've been waiting for all of my life
The song It Might Be You by Alan Bergman tells the story of someone who has cherished the idea of being in love and having someone to come home to. From the start of the song, we see the singer lying on the sand watching seabirds fly, yearning for someone to come back to. The chorus begins with the line "Something's telling me it might be you," and it is repeated multiple times as the singer wonders if they will ever find true love.
The second verse of the song introduces the idea of the singer looking back on lovers who have walked past and wondering what makes their love story last. They then imagine themselves in the same situation, asking if they would recognize their true love if they found them.
The bridge of the song is like a declaration of intent. The singer speaks of the "quiet walks to take" and the "dreams to wake." They believe that they have found the person they have been waiting for all their life, and they want to make it happen. All they need is time.
The song ends with a repetition of "Maybe it's you" and "I've been waiting for all of my life." It's a hopeful end to a song that deals with the longing for love and companionship. Perhaps the singer will find the person they have been waiting for.
Line by Line Meaning
Time, I've been passing time
I have been spending time idly and without any purpose.
Watching trains go by.
I have been watching trains move on the tracks without any aim or direction.
All of my life,
This has been a habit of mine for as long as I can remember.
Lying on the sand watching seabirds fly.
I have spent much of my time watching seabirds soar over the beach while I rest on the sand.
Wishing there would be Someone waiting home for me.
I have often longed for someone to welcome me home.
Something's telling me it might be you
I have a feeling that you might be the one I have been waiting for.
It's telling me it might be you
My intuition is persistent in suggesting that you could be the one that I have been looking for.
All of my life...
This feeling has been with me for as long as I can remember.
Looking back as lovers go walking past
As I gaze upon the couples who cross my path, I wonder how they met and how they maintain their relationship.
All of my life, Wondering how they met and what makes it last.
I have always contemplated the origin of these relationships and the factors that enable them to endure.
If I found the place, Would I recognize the face?
I am uncertain if I would be able to identify the person I have been seeking if I ever encounter them.
Yeah, it's telling me it might be you.
My inner voice is increasingly affirming that you are the one that I have been waiting for.
So many quiet walks to take.
There are numerous tranquil walks we can embark on together.
So many dreams to wake.
We have an abundance of aspirations we can fulfill.
And we've so much love to make.
We have a great deal of affection to share with each other.
I think we're gonna need some time.
It may take a while for us to develop our bond.
Maybe all we need is time.
Time may be the essential component that we lack to establish our relationship.
It's telling me it might be you.
I am further convinced that you are the one I have been yearning for.
All of my life.
I have harbored the belief that there is a special person out there meant for me, and I have been patiently waiting for them.
I've been saving love songs and lullabies.
I have been collecting romance ballads and soothing tunes for years.
And there's so much more No one's ever heard before.
There are numerous songs that I have yet to hear or discover that can inspire my heart and mind.
Yeah, it's telling me it must be you.
I am more than convinced that you are the one I have been anticipating and waiting for.
And I'm feeling it'll just be you.
I am increasingly persuaded that you are the only one who can complete me and make me happy.
Maybe It's you. (It's you) Maybe It's you (It's you)
It is possible that you are the one that I am destined to be with.
I've been waiting for all of my life.
I have been eagerly anticipating and hoping for a special someone for as long as I can remember.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alan Bergman, Dave Grusin, Marilyn Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nmfd72
What a Master in his craft, Alan and Marilyn (God Rest Her Soul) blessed us with these lovely songs for many years and we will love and remember them for the rest of our Lives! Thank you, Thank you, Thank You!!
albertdiner
je crois qu'il chante tres bien. Bravo Alan.
Reuben S.
My goodness. I'd love this album if it weren't pitch-corrected. You can hear it on "What Matters Most," as well, if not others (though it's not as out-of-control there). I'd rather hear him sing off-pitch than hear him sound like a computer. There's a video on YouTube of him singing live at a "Hand in Hand Charity Event in Malibu." He's not solidly on-pitch there, but it sounds good--because it sounds human.
Bill Thomas
His heart is singing, not his voice...and it's telling me he's real, it's the truth in all its intimacy and vulnerability.
nmfd72
well said!!
bawana dano
The genius of the lyrics are perfect both in his head and his heart . Alan should not be expected to be also a genius in physically displaying the music as well. You will find not criticism from me.
kwixotic
Screw this "pitch correction" idea. He sounds fine regardless of what key he's singing this in.
Sean Xavier Alquilita
I think due to his range of pitch that he cannot sing the Key of G like that of Stephen Bishop... So he detune to low Key to sing comfortably with that song according to his voice quality... But in fairness Alan Bergman sings this song in a soothing, jazzy and softly...
John Given
I love Alan's writing and singing, but the pitch correction is a tad overdone, I think.
John Given
I'm talking about the pitch correction to his voice, not the key of the tune. Don't get me wrong: I love Alan. But there are some very clunky sounding pitch corrections, flattening out his vibrato on notes, note changes where clearly Alan was extending the pitch of the first note, and the correction forces the change early, erasing his personal style. It is like the style has been erased along with the questionable pitch. In my opinion, it is totally overdone and unnecessary.