Clark was born Samuel Goldberg to Jewish parents in Boston, Massachusetts. He made his Big Band singing debut in 1934 with Benny Goodman on the Let's Dance radio program. In 1936 he started to perform on the show, Your Hit Parade, and lasted until 1938. In the mid-1930s he signed with Vocalion Records, having a top-20 hit with "Spring Is Here". He did not have another hit until the late 1940s, but continued recording, appearing in movies, and dubbing other actors' voices.
In 1946 he signed with Columbia Records and scored his biggest hit with the song "Linda" recorded in November of that year, but hitting its peak in the following spring. Linda was written especially for the six-year-old daughter of a show business lawyer named Lee Eastman, whose client, song-writer Jack Lawrence, wrote the song at Lee’s request. Upon reaching adulthood and becoming famous as a photographer, Linda was, for a while, something of a musician, later became a prominent spokeswoman for vegetarianism and animal rights, and broke a generation of teenage girls' hearts when she married Beatle Paul McCartney.[citation needed]
1947 also saw hits for Clark with such titles as "How Are Things in Glocca Mora" (from the musical Finian's Rainbow), which made the Top Ten, "Peg O' My Heart", "An Apple Blossom Wedding", and "I'll Dance at Your Wedding". The following year he had another major hit with "Love Somebody" (a duet with Doris Day, selling a million and reaching #1 on the charts) and nine more chart hits, and extended his success into 1949 with a number of hits, both solo and duetting with Day and Dinah Shore. He was fatally injured in a private plane crash in Los Angeles, returning from a college football game, when the craft ran low on fuel and crash-landed on Beverly Boulevard. A month after his death, his recording of "A Dreamer's Holiday" hit the charts.
Buddy Clark and five other friends had rented a small plane to attend a Stanford vs. Michigan football game. After the game on the way back to Los Angeles, the plane developed engine problem, due to lack of gas, and lost altitude and crashed on Beverly Boulevard, in California. Clark didn't survive the crash. At that time, he was 37 years old reaching new heights of popularity, when tragedy struck.
That Old Gang Of Mine
Buddy Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For that old gang that has drifted apart
They were the best pals that I ever had
I never thought that I'd want them so bad
Gee but I'd give the world to see
That old gang of mine
I can't forget that old quartette that sang "Sweet Adeline"
Goodbye forever, old fellows and gals
(God bless them)
Gee but I'd give the world to see
That old gang of mine
Gee but I'd give the world to see
That old gang of mine
I can't forget that old quartette that sang "Sweet Adeline"
Goodbye forever, old fellows and gals
Goodbye forever, old sweethearts and pals
(God bless them)
Gee but I'd give the world to see
That old gang of mine
Last night I strolled to that old neighborhood
There on that corner I silently stood
I felt so blue as the crowds hurried by
Nobody knew how I wanted to cry
Gee but I'd give the world to see
That old gang of mine
I can't forget that old quartette that sang "Sweet Adeline"
Goodbye forever, old fellows and gals
Goodbye forever, old sweethearts and pals
(God bless them)
Gee but I'd give the world to see
That old gang of mine
Recitation:
Last night 'neath a street lamp I silently stood
On the same corner back in that old neighborhood
As I gazed at the houses, unchanged by the years
In my throat came a lump and my eyes filled with tears
I looked at the lamppost, the pump and the stoop
And again I could picture us kids in a group
There was Shorty, and Yeller and Skinny and Mike
And the rich kid who had ball bearing skates and a bike
And down near the school I could see the brick wall
Where we used to go for a game of handball
And the crabby old janitor who chased us away
Say, what I wouldn't give to just see him today!
And then came the parties and dances-- that's why
We didn't notice the years going by
And the first thing we knew we were all twenty-one
But the Gang stuck together in a fight or in fun
-And then came the War- the crowds in the street
-The blast of the Bugle- the tramp of the feet
And the gang, that old gang of mine
Was the first gang that hit the Von Hindenburg line.
But the war is all over and last night as I stood
On the same corner back in that old neighborhood
I couldn't help brushing a tear from my eye
For I knew not a face in the crowds that went by
Gone forever are the pals that I love
There isn't a trace or a sign
Of that regular honest to goodness old bunch
That I call that old gang of mine
The lyrics to Buddy Clark's "That Old Gang of Mine" is a nostalgic and sentimental reflection on the past. The singer is lamenting the loss of his old group of friends, the "old gang," who he hasn't seen in a long time. The singer remembers the four-part harmony of the old quartet that sang "Sweet Adeline," and he yearns for the good old days. He longs to see his old friends and sweethearts again, to relive those memories and to reminisce about the past.
The second half of the lyrics reveals that the singer has returned to his old neighborhood in hopes of finding his old friends. He recalls the old corner, the lamppost, the pump, and the stoop where the gang of friends used to meet. He vividly describes his old friends and recollection of their happy times together: playing handball, dancing at parties, and fighting through the war. He expresses his deep sadness in losing touch with his friends and how much he misses that old gang of his.
"That Old Gang of Mine" is a timeless classic that speaks to the human condition of nostalgia and loss. It captures the sentiments of those who long to reunite with old friends and to reconnect with their past.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a longing way down in my heart
I have a deep yearning in my heart.
For that old gang that has drifted apart
I miss that group of close friends who have all gone their separate ways.
They were the best pals that I ever had
Those friends were the closest and most important people in my life.
I never thought that I'd want them so bad
I never imagined that I would miss them as much as I do now.
Gee but I'd give the world to see
I would do anything to reunite with them and relive those memories.
That old gang of mine
That group of friends from my past that I hold so dearly in my heart.
I can't forget that old quartette that sang "Sweet Adeline"
That quartet who sang that particular song is a distinct and important memory for me.
Goodbye forever, old fellows and gals
I have said farewell to those friends and acquaintances who were once so dear to me.
Goodbye forever, old sweethearts and pals
I have bid farewell to those special friends and former romantic partners I've had in my life.
(God bless them)
I hope they are all doing well and living fulfilling lives.
Last night I strolled to that old neighborhood
Recently, I walked around my old neighborhood.
There on that corner I silently stood
I found myself quiet and still at that very same corner.
I felt so blue as the crowds hurried by
As people moved quickly around me, I couldn't help but feel sad and melancholic.
Nobody knew how I wanted to cry
I was torn up inside, but no one around me could tell.
Gee but I'd give the world to see
I would sacrifice anything just to be reunited with those friends.
That old gang of mine
That particular group of friends who were once so close to me.
And then came the parties and dances-- That's why
We all became so busy and engaged with parties and social events. This is why time seemed to slip away from us.
We didn't notice the years going by
We were all so caught up in our own lives that we didn't even realize how time was passing us by.
And the first thing we knew we were all twenty-one
We were young and then suddenly, we were all adults at twenty-one years old.
But the Gang stuck together in a fight or in fun
Despite our individual obligations and priorities, our group remained united through everything.
And then came the War- the crowds in the street
The war greatly affected us all and we watched as the world around us changed dramatically.
-The blast of the Bugle- the tramp of the feet
The war took over everything and even the sounds of daily life changed.
And the gang, that old gang of mine
Even though we had all changed in our own ways, we were still close and united as that same old group.
Was the first gang that hit the Von Hindenburg line.
Our group was the first of its kind to make it to that line during the war.
I couldn't help brushing a tear from my eye
I couldn't stop myself from crying just a little.
For I knew not a face in the crowds that went by
I realized that I didn't recognize any of the people around me anymore.
Gone forever are the pals that I love
The group of dear friends that I had grown up with were simply gone and I could never get them back.
There isn't a trace or a sign
Anything that would remind me of our past memories was simply gone.
Of that regular honest to goodness old bunch
The specific unique group of friends that I had lost touch with.
That I call that old gang of mine
The special group of friends from my past who will always hold a place in my heart.
Lyrics © BOURNE CO., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, RAY HENDERSON MUSIC CO., INC.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind