Alma Cogan was Britain's most successful female recording artist of the 195… Read Full Bio ↴Alma Cogan was Britain's most successful female recording artist of the 1950's. Born in London in 1932, her early recordings were mainly ballads, in the style of Anne Shelton. But by 1954, this was to all change. Her first major hit was "Bell Bottom Blues", and she scored her only number one in Britain with "Dreamboat" in 1956. Novelty songs were extremely popular at the time, and Alma recorded a number of these, including "I Can't Tell A Waltz From A Tango", "Twenty Tiny Fingers" and "Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo". She was known for the giggle in her voice when she sang and was affectinaltely known as The Girl With A Laugh In Her Voice. Her extravagant dresses were also a trademark. Her final UK hit was "Cowboy Jimmy Joe" in 1961, but was fast becoming an International Artist, with hits in Sweden, Germany, Israel and Japan - she had a number one hit in Japan with "Just Couldn't Resist Her With Her Pocket Transistor" which was at the top spot for over six months. As the novelty numbers were fast becoming old-fashioned by the start of the 1960s, she recorded a number of jazz standards and pop records, including five songs written by the Beatles - these recordings can be found on a number of CDs. Famed for her showbiz parties, with guests like Cary Grant, Noel Coward and the Beatles, she was never out of the public eye until ovarian cancer tragically cut her career short. She died on the 26th October 1966, aged just 34.

I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Alma Cogan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can't give you anything but love, baby,
That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile, you're here to find
Happiness and I guess, all those things you've always pined for.

Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, baby,
Diamond titan stars do not sell, my baby.
Till that happy day you know darn well, baby,

I can't give you anything but love.

Baby
Baby
Dream awhile, scheme awhile, you're here to find
Happiness and I guess, all those things you've always pined for

Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, baby,
Diamond titan stars do not sell, baby.
Till that happy day you know darn well, baby,
I can't give you anything but love
Anything but love
Anything but love

Can't give you anything but love
I can't give you a brand new car honey, or a penthouse, just love, that's all, just love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Alma Cogan's "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" express the singer's admission that she is not able to give her lover material possessions, but instead can only offer love. The lyrics convey a sense of humility and honesty, as the singer acknowledges her inability to provide luxurious things that her lover may want. Instead, she entreats her beloved to dream and scheme for happiness, which she believes is achievable through love.

The song features a repeated refrain of "Dream awhile, scheme awhile, you're sure to find happiness," emphasizing the message that happiness can be obtained through one's own efforts rather than through material possessions. The lyrics also draw attention to the idea that love is an essential element in achieving a happy life, rather than superficial wealth.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't give you anything but love, baby,
I can't offer you anything materialistic my darling, only my undying love.

That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby.
Love is the only emotion I have in abundance to give to you.

Dream awhile, scheme awhile, you're here to find Happiness and I guess, all those things you've always pined for.
Take some time to imagine and plan, since you are here to find joy and perhaps obtain all the things you have always longed for.

Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, baby,
Wow, it would be a delight to see you looking stunning and feeling great, sweetie.

Diamond titan stars do not sell, my baby.
Material possessions like expensive jewelry cannot replace true love, my love.

Till that happy day you know darn well, baby,
Until that wonderful day when we have everything we desire, my dear, you understand perfectly well...

I can't give you anything but love.
...that I can only give you love, and nothing else.

Can't give you anything but love
I am truly incapable of giving you anything other than my sincere love.

Anything but love
Everything I have except for my love.

Baby

Dream awhile, scheme awhile, you're here to find Happiness and I guess, all those things you've always pined for
Take your time imagining and planning since your purpose here is to discover your own joy and perhaps satisfy all of your long-held desires.

Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, baby
I would be thrilled to see you looking stunning, my dear.

Diamond titan stars do not sell, baby.
High-priced gems and treasures are not substitutes for affection, honey.

Till that happy day you know darn well, baby,
Until that joyful moment arrives, my dear, I know that you understand...

I can't give you anything but love
...that the only gesture I have to offer is my heart filled with love.

Writer(s): Jimmy Mchugh, Dorothy Fields

Contributed by Dylan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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