With his partner and wife, Cynthia Weil, they operate a publishing company called Dyad Music. His first hit as a writer was "She Say (Oom Dooby Doom)," which was a top twenty song for The Diamonds in 1959. Mann had co-written the song with Gerry Goffin. Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil met when they were both staff songwriters, they were married in 1961. Through the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Mann came up with songs such as "Sometimes When We Touch" and movie scores such as that for I Never Sang for My Father. Weil co-wrote "He's So Shy" with Tom Snow for The Pointer Sisters and worked on projects with Lionel Richie.
In 1961, they wrote and Mann sang a novelty song that made the Top 10 with "Who Put The Bomp", which parodied the nonsense words of the then-recently popular doo wop songs.
In 1987, he was inducted with his wife into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Here You Come Again
Barry Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
just when I've begun to get myself together,
you waltz right in the door,
just like you've done before
and wrap my heart 'round your little finger.
Here you come again,
just when I'm about to make it work without you,
and pretty soon I'm wond'rin how I came to doubt you.
All you gotta do is smile that smile
and there go all my defenses.
Just leave it up to you and in a little while
you're messin' up my mind and fillin' up my senses.
Here you come again lookin' better than a body has a right to;
and shakin' me up so that all I really know
is here you come again and here I go.
All you gotta do is smile that smile
and there got all my defenses.
Just leave it up to you and in a little while
you're messin' up my mind and fillin' up my senses.
Here you come again lookin' better than a body has a right to;
and shakin' me up so that all I really know
is here you come again and here I go and here I go
In this song, Barry Mann is expressing his frustration with an ex-lover who keeps coming back into his life, just when he thinks he's moved on. The opening lines show that he has been working on getting over this person but their sudden presence throws him off balance. When he says that they wrap his heart 'round their little finger, it shows that this person has a powerful hold on him and he can't resist them. Later in the song, he talks about how this person can easily manipulate him by flashing a smile, and all his defenses crumble. He is torn between his desire to move on and his feelings toward this person.
The repetition of "here you come again" emphasizes how this person keeps re-entering his life, disrupting his peace of mind, and making him question his own judgment. By saying that this person looks better than a body has a right to, he is acknowledging that he is still physically attracted to them, which makes it even harder for him to resist them. The line "and shakin' me up so that all I really know is here you come again and here I go" shows that this person has a powerful effect on Barry Mann, and he feels like he's losing his sense of self whenever they're around.
Overall, the lyrics of "Here You Come Again" capture the complexity of emotions that arise when someone we love or have loved re-enters our lives, forcing us to confront unresolved feelings and memories. The song is a testament to the power of past relationships to disrupt our present and how hard it can be to move on, even when we know we should.
Line by Line Meaning
Here you come again,
You have returned once more.
just when I've begun to get myself together,
I had just started picking up the pieces.
you waltz right in the door,
You enter without any consideration.
just like you've done before
As if you have repeated this sequence of actions many times previously.
and wrap my heart 'round your little finger.
You manipulate me so easily.
just when I'm about to make it work without you,
I was almost succeeding without you.
you look into my eyes and lie those pretty lies
You say falsehoods that seem pleasing when you gaze into my eyes.
and pretty soon I'm wond'rin how I came to doubt you.
I end up questioning why I ever doubted you.
All you gotta do is smile that smile
You only have to show that grin.
and there go all my defenses.
My protection crumbles entirely.
Just leave it up to you and in a little while
I rely solely on you after some time.
you're messin' up my mind and fillin' up my senses.
You confuse me and consume me in every way.
Here you come again lookin' better than a body has a right to;
You appear better than anyone deserves to be.
and shakin' me up so that all I really know
You shake me up so much that certainty escapes me.
is here you come again and here I go.
All I know is that you have returned, and I am once again caught up in you.
and here I go.
I am lost in you once more.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michaelchaney6545
This is one of those gems from my youth that still brings such joy to me. There’s such a charming, fresh quality to it that draws you in right away. Love his version! I especially love how his lead vocal is mixed so it goes back and forth from a single to a stacked vocal track for that extra texture. I always loved how horns were brought in to add the perfect touch for the sweet pop songs from that era. Someone made the comment here that Davy Jones should’ve done this song and I could not agree more. It fits his style and personality perfectly. So surprised that he never covered it. Thank you Barry and Cynthia for sharing your beautiful creations with us.
@carolinewoodward1016
This song is a little more realistic when sung by a guy about a girl anyway.
@WendelltheSongwriter
Either way, it is one of the most perfect pop songs ever written, and it makes me cry sometimes because everything about this song is so perfect and beautiful.
@WARDMAN3
I agree.. It is a wonderful demo by two of my favorite and most influential songwriters in my life.. And as for Dolly Parton, there is no one in the entertainment world that I respect more than her.. She is the epitome of talent, beauty, kindness and business savvy. She knew it would have been a gamble to venture into the pop/country world, but she chose the best song to do so and was able to laugh at all her naysayers straight to the bank!
@harvey1954
Probably the best song Mann-Weil ever wrote. I still like Dolly's better because of the way her voice retains a child-like quality which adds to her astonishment. Glad you put this one up.
@mafru2
I did it for you, 7 years ago!
@MaxGretinski
Mann recorded it in 1976 while he was under contract to Arista Records. This sounds like a completed version because it was supposed to be released as part of a Mann solo album. Arista wound up releasing one single ("The Princess and the Punk") and apparently bailed out on the album. Mann wound up moving to United Artists. In the next year, the song was recorded by five more artists -- most of whom released their records a few months before Dolly Parton's version came out in October 1977. These include Randy Bishop and BJ Thomas. When Dolly's version appeared, there were three other recordings of the same song available on two singles and one LP...but hers was the one that really shined.
What I like about it is that Mann and Weil wrote the lyrics so that they could apply to anyone in the same situation. It's not about Barry, or Dolly, or Randy, or Katy; it's about YOU if you want it to be.
@adammc2339
@tongolele this was an unreleased demo recorded by Mann himself. It will not be listed anywhere as an official 'release'
That being said, I have absolutely no idea where the uploader obtained this recording from
@scottyhotty1003
Dolly's blows the others away in my opinion. She may not have written it however it is All Hers as she is the artist most think of when hearing the first piano strokes!!!🥰💖🎶🔥🇺🇸
@chrismulwee4911
@Scotty Hotty To me BJ Thomas' is the best. His soaring vocals are amazing, and his was also before Dolly's