Newley had a successful pop music career, with two number one hits in 1960: "Why?" and "Do You Mind?". He won the 1963 Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "What Kind of Fool Am I", but he was also well-known for "Gonna Build a Mountain" and comic novelty songs such as his version of "Strawberry Fair". He wrote songs that others made hits including Goldfinger (the title song of the James Bond movie), and Feeling Good, which became a hit for Nina Simone. With Leslie Bricusse, he wrote the musical Stop the World - I Want to Get Off in which he also performed, earning a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. His other musicals included The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd (1965) and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), based on the children's book by Roald Dahl. The play was released in a film version in 1971.
Newley's vocal style has been recognised as a major influence on that of David Bowie. In recognition of his creative skills and body of work, Newley was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989.
The shortlived 1960 ATV series "The Strange World of Gurney Slade" in which Newley starred, continues to have a cult following due to its postmodern premise that the Newley character is trapped inside a television programme. Apart from a repeat of one episode on Channel 4 in 1992, it has not been seen in the UK in recent years. The show's theme tune by Max Harris may be better-known today than the series itself.
His last feature role in the cast of EastEnders was to be a regular role, but Newley had to withdraw after a few months when his health began to fail.
Who Can I Turn To
Anthony Newley Lyrics
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My heart wants to know and so I must go where destiny leads me
With no star to guide me and no one beside me
I'll go on my way and, after the day, the darkness will hide me
And maybe tomorrow I'll find what I'm after
I'll throw off my sorrow, beg, steal, or borrow my share of laughter
With you I could learn to, with you what a new day
With you I could learn to, with you what a new day
But who can I turn to if you turn away?
The lyrics of Anthony Newley's "Who Can I Turn To" depict a person who feels isolated and unimportant, yearning for someone to lean on in their loneliness. The lyrics express the desperation of feeling unwanted and at a loss as to where to turn. The individual wants to know who they can turn to when they are in need, but they are lost and uncertain about who is there to help.
The singer emphasizes their feelings of isolation by acknowledging that they have no one to share their journey with. They have no star to guide them, and they will go on their way alone, hidden by the darkness of the night. They seem to be searching for something or someone to fill the void in their life, and the repetition of the statement "with you" emphasizes how they long for someone to be with them.
The final lines of the song highlight the crux of the matter: they recognize that being with someone could help them find their way, but they are still uncertain about who they can turn to. The fear of rejection or abandonment is present, and the question they pose of "who can I turn to if you turn away?" shows the vulnerability of the person behind the lyrics.
Overall, the song is a poignant expression of the human need for connection and belonging, and the fear of rejection and loneliness that underlies many people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Who can I turn to when nobody needs me?
I am lost and alone, with no one to look to for help or support.
My heart wants to know and so I must go where destiny leads me
My heart is urging me to find my fate, wherever it may take me.
With no star to guide me and no one beside me
I am wandering aimlessly, with no direction or companionship.
I'll go on my way and, after the day, the darkness will hide me
I will continue down my path until nightfall, when I can hide away from the world.
And maybe tomorrow I'll find what I'm after
Perhaps tomorrow I will finally discover what I have been seeking.
I'll throw off my sorrow, beg, steal, or borrow my share of laughter
I will do whatever it takes to be happy and free of pain.
With you I could learn to, with you what a new day
If I had you by my side, I could learn and experience so much more.
But who can I turn to if you turn away?
However, if you were to abandon me, I would be right back where I started, with no one to rely on.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ecdevera2455
How can anyone ignore, forget, or even fail to appreciate composer/actor/singer Anthony Newley's incredible, miraculous, incandescent, and truly riveting performance of this classic and immortal gem. We should thank our lucky stars that his phenomenal performance has been preserved for ages, to be relished and cherished beyond words by our forebears who should have the chance to hear and watch a peerless and masterful artist onstage. ANTHONY NEWLEY, you're what this world has been pining for ages to enshrine in its highest cultural and artistic pinnacle.
@audreysussman6368
Beautifully said.
@soundartus4807
Extremely well said my friend.
@jthepickle7
Well Geez, nobody talk that way no more!
@gillgetter3004
BRAVO 👏
@stevecityrocker
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@bluewave7120
For all those who are all alone in this world on the last day of 2023 take comfort in this song to carry on for one more day for a brighter tomorrow with love laughter and hope for a new start in life without pain and sorrow ❤
@KW-oq3wc
I’m stunned after watching this. Possibly THE most brilliant performance ever.
@junewalker4835
I saw him on stage in Stop the World l Want to Get Off in swinging 60s London. He was fabulous, and to think he was born around the corner from me in Hackney. He and Leslie Bricusse wrote this musical, The Roar of the Greasepaint..The Smell of the Crowd, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and many more songs. Other artists recorded them and made them into hits, Sammy Davis, Nina Simone, Tony Bennett. Anthony Newley was a great writer, composer and performer whom l adored, and love this clip from Greasepaint.
@virghammer1
@junewalker4835 . Ahhhhh .. June, I could not be more wistfully jealous! In 1990, I, fresh out of Royal Central drama school, London, was in the course of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s “Aspects of Love,” West End, London … And I shared a dressing room with Sally Smith, who had been one of the original urchins on Broadway, 1964, in Anthony Newley’s “The Roar of the Greasepaint.” But you saw him in “Stop the World” ( just always kills me – that he was not able to be in the film of that – because of a scheduling conflict (the film of “Dr. Dolittle,” I believe – )– Tony Tanner won that role, with the magnificent Millicent Martin-) and you were born in his neighborhood… Well. Not only do I have massive respect for you… But I am so wistfully dang envious! “Lol”. 😝 💕. ! What a super generous genius he was. That is just beyond lovely. May you be super, superbly well, in 2024 and all throughout your blessed life.
Thank you, June, for sharing that! 🙏🏼 💚🦋💜💕👊🏽✌🏽🙏🏼 ❤️😍 🦅 🇺🇸 🇬🇧