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.
In Love in Vain
Bobby Darin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But who wants to be in love in vain
At night you hang around the hall
And eat your heart out
And cry your eyes out
And rack your brains
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as she
I thought that I would be in Heaven
But I'm only up a tree
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as he
Should cause you such misery and pain
I thought that I would be in Heaven
But I'm only up a tree
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
Bobby Darin's "In Love in Vain" captures the feeling of unrequited love. The lyrics express the universal desire to be in love and the pain of loving someone who doesn't love you back. The opening lines, "It's only human for anyone to want to be in love / But who wants to be in love in vain," capture this sentiment perfectly. The singer is in love with someone who is wonderful, but for some reason, the love is one-sided.
The second stanza depicts the desperation and sadness that comes with unrequited love. The singer hangs out at night, eating their heart out and crying their eyes out. They are consumed with the pain and misery caused by their unreturned love. The final lines of both stanzas contain the central theme: "Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain." Despite their hopes and desires, the singer remains stuck in their unrequited love.
The choice of the "tree" metaphor in the final lines is interesting. It could be seen as a reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, where the Tree of Knowledge led to mankind's downfall. The singer believes that they should be in heaven or paradise because of love, but instead, they find themselves stuck up a tree, unable to move forward or get the love they desire. Overall, Bobby Darin's "In Love in Vain" captures the agony and heartbreak of one-sided love.
Line by Line Meaning
It's only human for anyone to want to be in love
It's natural for everyone to desire love.
But who wants to be in love in vain
No one wants to be in love without it being reciprocated.
At night you hang around the hall
You spend your evenings in a place, likely a dance hall or club.
And eat your heart out
You suffer in sorrow.
And cry your eyes out
You sob uncontrollably.
And rack your brains
You think and contemplate deeply.
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as she
You question why someone so incredible would cause you such pain.
Should cause you such misery and pain
She causes you to feel distress and sorrow.
I thought that I would be in Heaven
You hoped to be happy and fulfilled.
But I'm only up a tree
You're in a difficult or unfavorable situation.
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
You feel it's unfortunate that your love is not returned.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEROME KERN, LEO ROBIN
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.