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.

Ticket To Ride
Alma Cogan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I think I'm gonna be sad
I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad
Is going away

She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride

But she don't care

She said that living with me
Is bringing her down, yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around

She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care

I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me

I think I'm gonna be sad
I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad
Is going away, yeah

Oh, she's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care

I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice
She ought to do right by me

She said that living with me
Is bringing her down, yeah
For she would never be free
When I was around

Ah, she's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care

My baby don't care, my baby don't care

My baby don't care, my baby don't care
My baby don't care, my baby don't care...

Overall Meaning

In Alma Cogan's song "Ticket to Ride," the singer is expressing his sorrow over his girlfriend leaving him. He feels that the girl is the cause of his sadness, and that he's going to be sad because he thinks she's leaving today. He feels that the relationship has been bringing her down and she wants to be free from it. The singer tries to convince her to reconsider, telling her that she ought to think twice before leaving him for good. However, despite his protests and attempts to make her stay, she has already made up her mind and has a ticket to ride, freeing her from the relationship.

The song portrays a relationship that is coming to an end, with the singer feeling helpless and unable to convince his girlfriend to stay with him. The title "Ticket to Ride" can be interpreted as a metaphor for leaving a situation behind and moving on to a new beginning. The song's lyrics also suggest that the girl's departure will have long-lasting effects on the singer, who will continue to feel sad without her.

Line by Line Meaning

I think I'm gonna be sad
I have a feeling that I am going to be sad

I think it's today, yeah
I believe that today is the day that something sad is going to happen

The girl that's driving me mad
The girl that is causing me to go crazy

Is going away
Is leaving me

She's got a ticket to ride
She has purchased a ticket to travel somewhere

But she don't care
But she does not seem to be upset about leaving me

She said that living with me
She stated that living with me

Is bringing her down, yeah
Is making her unhappy

For she would never be free
Because she would never feel free

When I was around
As long as I was present near her

I don't know why she's riding so high
I do not understand why she is feeling so happy and excited