Brook Benton (born Benjamin Franklin Peay on September 19, 1931; died April… Read Full Bio ↴Brook Benton (born Benjamin Franklin Peay on September 19, 1931; died April 9, 1988) was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote.

When Benton was young he enjoyed gospel music and wrote songs and in 1948 he went to New York to pursue his music career.

He was a member of several gospel groups including "The Langfordairies", "The Jerusalem Stars", and "The Golden Gate Quartet".

After returning to his home state he joined a R&B singing group, "the Sandmen", and soon went back to New York to try for a big break. Eventually the record company decided to drop The Sandmen and push Brook as a solo artist.

Benton wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter, and Roy Hamilton. Soon he released his first minor hit A Million Miles From Nowhere, and later he joined the Mercury label, which would later bring him big success.

In 1952 he got his big break with It's Just a Matter of Time and Endlessly.

It's Just a Matter of Time made it to #3 on the U.S. Pop charts, while Endlessly made it to #12 . Both hits were written by Benton himself.

Benton had many #1 hits including Rainy Night in Georgia and Hotel Happiness. According to Songfacts, his version of the blues standard The Boll Weevil Song has the unique distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.

Altogether, Benton had 38 hit singles through out his career. His last album was "Fools Rush In", released posthumously in 2005. He died on April 9, 1988.

Hey There
Brook Benton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey there you with the stars in your eyes
Love never made a fool of you, you used to be too wise.

Hey there you on that high flying cloud
Tho' she won't throw a crumb to you
You think someday she'll come to you.

Better forget her, her with her nose in the air

She has you dancing on a string, break it and she won't care.

Won't you take this advice I hand you like a brother
Or are you not seeing things too clear
Are you too much in love to hear
Is it all going in one ear and out the other.

Better forget her, her with her nose in the air
She has you dancing on a string, break it and she won't care.

Won't you take this advice I hand you like a brother
Or are you not seeing things too clear

Are you too much in love to hear
Is it all going in one ear and out the other.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Brook Benton's "Hey There" are a gentle warning to a smitten person, possibly a friend or brother, who is blinded by love and willing to put up with mistreatment from a woman who doesn't reciprocate his affections. The first two lines establish the addressee as someone with a hopeful demeanor and possibly a romantic streak, but who hasn't been burned by love yet. The lyrics suggest that this person used to be wiser before he fell in love, but now he sees the object of his desire as an idealized figure, above reproach or fault. This is symbolized by the metaphor of "stars in your eyes," which implies looking at someone with a sense of awe and wonder, rather than a critical eye.

The second stanza contrasts the addressee's hopeful attitude with the unrequited love object's aloofness and indifference. She is described as being on a "high flying cloud," which connotes a sense of superiority or lofty position, but also a lack of grounding or connection to reality. The addressee's desperate hopefulness is also conveyed by the line "Tho' she won't throw a crumb to you, You think someday she'll come to you," which suggests unrealistic expectations and a willingness to suffer disappointment repeatedly.

The next stanza shifts the tone of the lyrics to a more cautionary and practical one. The addressee is instructed to "Better forget her, her with her nose in the air," meaning that he should stop pursuing someone who is not interested in him and who treats him poorly. The line "She has you dancing on a string, break it and she won't care" implies that the love object enjoys manipulating the addressee and will not feel any remorse or regret if he stops chasing her. The final two stanzas repeat the advice to forget this woman and offer the addressee the perspective of a caring friend or brother who wants him to avoid getting hurt. The last line of the lyrics, "Is it all going in one ear and out the other," suggests that the addressee is stubborn or not receptive to this advice, and may continue to hope against all reason.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey there you with the stars in your eyes
You are infatuated with someone and it is evident from the way you look at them

Love never made a fool of you, you used to be too wise.
In past, you were wise enough to understand the ways of love but now, you are blinded by infatuation

Hey there you on that high flying cloud
You are on cloud nine because of your feelings for that person

Tho' she won't throw a crumb to you
She is not interested in you at all and ignores you despite your feelings

You think someday she'll come to you.
You still have hope that someday she'll reciprocate your feelings

Better forget her, her with her nose in the air
It's better if you forget about her because she is too proud of herself and isn't worth your time and emotions

She has you dancing on a string, break it and she won't care.
She manipulates you and doesn't care about how you feel. Once you break free, she won't feel any remorse

Won't you take this advice I hand you like a brother
I advise you as a friend to forget about her because it's not worth your time and emotions

Or are you not seeing things too clear
Do you not understand what I'm saying? Are you too blinded by your emotions to understand reality?

Are you too much in love to hear
Are you so in love that you are unable to see the truth or hear my advice?

Is it all going in one ear and out the other.
Are you ignoring my advice as if you never heard it, and only want to hear what you want to hear?

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORG CHRISTIAN DOLIVO, GREG FIELDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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