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'm Good for Nothing but the Blues
Bobby Darin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lonesome feeling that I just can't lose
When baby said she'd leave me, they walked right in to grieve me
Guess I'm good for nothing but the blues
I think I'll pack my things and go away
It's much too rough here so I shouldn't stay
The things around here haunt me, they're startin' in to haunt me
There isn't anyone who can help me
Not a single thing I can do
I just sit and moan waiting for the phone
To tell me she's coming back again
I wish my baby hurries home to me
Our love was somethin' wonderful to see
My empty arms are achin', I feel my poor heart breakin'
Guess I'm good for nothing but the blues
In the song "I Guess I'm Good for Nothing but the Blues," Bobby Darin sings about heartbreak and the feeling of being helpless without the support of his ex-lover. The lyrics convey a sense of loneliness and desperation that comes with the realization that the relationship is over.
He sings about how he’s good for nothing except for feeling the blues. The loss of his relationship has hit him hard, and he can’t seem to shake this feeling. The chorus is the most prominent and serves to reinforce the helplessness that he is feeling. He says that he is good for nothing but the blues - in other words, he is so consumed by the pain and sadness of the situation that he is unable to function normally.
His thoughts are consumed with the events that transpired, and he’s having trouble moving on. He decides that he should pack up his belongings and move away to escape the memories of his past relationship. However, he realizes that no matter where he goes, the memories will always follow him. He can't seem to escape them, no matter how hard he tries. He’s left alone with nothing but his thoughts and his feelings, waiting for the phone to ring and for his lover to return.
Overall, the song perfectly captures the pain of heartbreak and the feeling of being stuck, unable to move on from a relationship that has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess I'm good for nothing but the blues
I feel like the only thing I'm good at is feeling sad and singing the blues
A lonesome feeling that I just can't lose
I'm always lonely and no matter what I do, I can't shake the feeling
When baby said she'd leave me, they walked right in to grieve me
When my girlfriend said she was leaving, all my sad feelings came back and hit me hard
Guess I'm good for nothing but the blues
I'm starting to think that the only thing I'm good at is feeling sad and singing the blues
I think I'll pack my things and go away
I'm considering leaving this place because it's too hard to be here without my girlfriend
It's much too rough here so I shouldn't stay
Everything around me reminds me of my sadness and it's too hard to handle
The things around here haunt me, they're startin' in to haunt me
Everything around me reminds me of my sadness and it's starting to get overwhelming
Guess I'm good for nothing but the blues
I'm starting to feel like the only thing I'm good at is feeling sad and singing the blues
There isn't anyone who can help me
I feel like no one can help me get over my sadness
Not a single thing I can do
I feel helpless and like there's nothing I can do to improve my situation
I just sit and moan waiting for the phone
All I can do is sit around and wait for my girlfriend to call and hopefully come back to me
To tell me she's coming back again
I'm desperate for her to come back and I'm waiting for that confirmation from her
I wish my baby hurries home to me
I desperately want my girlfriend to come back to me as soon as possible
Our love was somethin' wonderful to see
When we were together, our love was something special and beautiful
My empty arms are achin', I feel my poor heart breakin'
Without her, I feel incomplete and heartbroken
Guess I'm good for nothing but the blues
I'm starting to feel like the only thing I'm good at is feeling sad and singing the blues
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.