Darin was a very special and talented entertainer. He was a Grammy award winning singer ('Mack The Knife'), a respected member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ('Dream Lover', 'Splish Splash', 'If I Were A Carpenter') a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a successful record producer, an Oscar nominated actor and a strong supporter of the American Heart Association. Bobby was married to actress Sandra Dee from 1960-1967. They had one son, Dodd, born in December 1961. As a result of complications from a rheumatic heart, Bobby's life was tragically cut short in 1973.
Darin's mother, Vanina Cassotto, had given birth to him when she was 16, and as a result, her parents raised Darin as though he were their son while Vanina was presented off as his elder sister. Darin did not learn the truth about his parentage until he was 32.
For more on Bobby Darin, watch "Beyond the Sea," in which Kevin Spacey portrays the entertainer.
I Guess I'll Have to Chance My Plan
Bobby Darin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should have realized there'd be another man
I overlooked that point completely
Until the big affair began
Before I knew where I was at
I found myself on a shelf
And that was that
I tried to reach the moon
But when I got there
All that I could get was the air
My feet are back upon the ground
I lost the one girl I'd found
Before I knew where I was at
I found myself hung up on a shelf
And that was that
I tried to reach for the moon
But you know, when I got there
All that I could get was the air
My feet have returned the ground
I lost the one girl
I lost the one girl
Lost me the one girl
I had found
The lyrics of the song 'I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans,' by Bobby Darin, depict a story of a man who has lost the love of his life to another man. He admits to not realizing that there would be another man, and he finds himself stuck on a shelf, unable to reach the one thing that he desired. The man uses the metaphorical image of attempting to reach the moon, but instead only grasping for air, to describe his failed attempt at finding love. He understands that his feet need to return to the ground, and he has lost the one girl he'd found. The song is a reflection of a man who is coming to terms with the reality of being rejected.
The lyrics explore the theme of lost love, acknowledging that sometimes we make mistakes, and things don't work out as we plan. The metaphor of reaching for the moon is used to describe the man's ambition in finding love, but it proves to be unattainable. The words "Hung up on a shelf" also represent the idea that the man has become a forgotten object, with no value or purpose. The song portrays the image of a man who is defeated and who has come to accept his loss.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess I'll have to change my plan
I need to come up with a new plan
I should have realized there'd be another man
I should have known that there would be competition
I overlooked that point completely
I didn't even consider that possibility
Until the big affair began
Until I saw how serious the competing relationship was
Before I knew where I was at
Before I even realized what was happening
I found myself on a shelf
I was left out in the open and forgotten about
And that was that
There was nothing else to be done
I tried to reach the moon
I aimed for something far beyond my reach
But when I got there
But when I thought I reached my goal
All that I could get was the air
I was left with nothing
My feet are back upon the ground
I am back to reality
I lost the one girl I'd found
I lost the girl I thought was perfect for me
Before I knew where I was at
Before I even realized what was happening
I found myself hung up on a shelf
I was left out in the open and forgotten about
And that was that
There was nothing else to be done
I tried to reach for the moon
I aimed for something far beyond my reach
But you know, when I got there
But you see, when I thought I reached my goal
All that I could get was the air
I was left with nothing
My feet have returned the ground
I am back to reality
I lost the one girl
I lost the girl I thought was perfect for me
Lost me the one girl
The loss of the girl was entirely my fault
I had found
The girl I thought was perfect for me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel
on Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home
One heck of a entertainer. A life cut way to soon. RIP Mr. Darin. Remember one thing he was one of the first Emmy winners, in the late 50s. When the emmys started.