He was born in Hamburg, Germany, and studied at the School of Music there. A multi-instrumentalist, he was hired by Hans Busch to play with his orchestra before serving as a bandsman in the German Navy during World War II. He later formed his own big band, toured with them, then worked as an arranger and producer, making hit records with Freddy Quinn and Ivo Robic. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry for a Shadow," in a session for Polydor. These turned out to be the Beatles' first commercial recordings. When Beatles manager Brian Epstein asked Kaempfert about further promoting The Beatles, Kaempfert informed Epstein that the company was only interested in The Beatles as Tony Sheridan's backup group. (It also turned out British Decca executive Dick Rowe turned them down in favor of local beat combo Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.) He then released The Beatles from their contract with Polydor.
Who's Sorry Now
Bert Kaempfert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who's Sorry Now?
Who's heart is aching for breaking each vow?
Who's sad and blue?
Who's crying too?
Just like I cried over you.
Right to the end,
Just like a friend,I tried to warn you somehow.
You had your way,
Now you must pay;
Bert Kaempfert’s “Who’s Sorry Now” is a classic song about heartbreak and regret. The lyrics ask a series of questions, all pointing to the same conclusion: the person who broke the singer’s heart should have seen it coming. The song opens with the repeated question, “Who’s sorry now?” The use of the word “now” suggests that the singer is saying, “I’m not sorry, but you should be.” The next line, “Who’s heart is aching for breaking each vow?” suggests that the heartbreak was caused by the other person breaking their promises. The singer is asking who is feeling pain as a result of their choices.
The next section of the song continues to ask questions that point to the other person’s regret. “Who’s sad and blue? Who’s crying too?” The use of the word “too” suggests that the singer is saying, “You should be sad and crying because you caused me to feel the same way.” The line “Just like I cried over you” reinforces this idea. The last two lines of the chorus, “Right to the end, just like a friend, I tried to warn you somehow,” suggest that the singer did everything they could to prevent the breakup, but the other person did not listen. The final line, “You had your way, now you must pay,” is the singer’s way of saying, “You made your bed, now lie in it.”
Line by Line Meaning
Who's Sorry Now?
Who regrets their actions and feels remorse now?
Who's heart is aching for breaking each vow?
Who is feeling the pain and regret of breaking their promises?
Who's sad and blue?
Who is feeling down and depressed?
Who's crying too?
Who is shedding tears alongside the artist?
Just like I cried over you.
The artist had cried over the person in the same way they are now experiencing.
Right to the end,
Throughout the course of the relationship.
Just like a friend,
With all the care and concern of a friend.
I tried to warn you somehow.
The artist attempted to alert the person to their wrongful actions but was dismissed.
You had your way,
The person did as they pleased, regardless of the consequences.
Now you must pay;
The person must now suffer the consequences of their actions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Ted Snyder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind