Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.
He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.
In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).
Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.
During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".
A Girl Like You
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you there with another girl instead of me?
I hear your laughter and there's something I've got to know
Are you there with another girl instead of me?
Well, I'm standing on your doorstep and I don't know what to do
Should I ring your doorbell or just walk away?
My friends all say that you were never true
I see two silhouettes in the back of your window shade
Are you there with another girl when I am gone?
I can't believe you'd break the promises that you made
If you're there with another girl, I can't go on
Oh, I only know I love you and I couldn't say goodbye
So if there's another, I don't want to know
If you should go, oh, I would surely die
Love requires faith, I've got a lot of faith but
I hear the music comin' out of your radio
Oh, I only know I love you and I couldn't say goodbye
So if there's another, I don't want to know
If you should go, oh, I would surely die
You would never leave me, hurt me or deceive me
I'm a fool to doubt you, worry so about you
Love requires faith, I've got a lot in me but
I hear the music coming out of your radio
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
The lyrics to Burt Bacharach's "Are You There" are a plea for clarity and honesty from a lover who suspects that their partner is seeing someone else. The song begins with the singer hearing music playing on their partner's radio and wondering if they are listening to it with another woman. The second verse describes the singer standing outside their partner's house, unsure whether to knock or leave. The third verse finds the singer peering through the window shades and seeing what looks like two people's silhouettes. The chorus repeats the refrain that if the partner is with someone else, the singer "couldn't say goodbye" but doesn't want to know if it's true.
The song is an example of the Brill Building sound, a style of pop music that emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s from offices in the Brill Building in New York City. Many of the songwriters who worked there, including Bacharach and his frequent collaborator Hal David, wrote hits for teenage audiences that dealt with love, heartbreak, and the drama of dating. "Are You There" fits well into this mold, with its catchy melody and lyrics that express the pain of a relationship in crisis.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear the music coming out of your radio
I'm aware that you're out there somewhere and music is the only signal I have
Are you there with another girl instead of me?
I suspect that there might be someone else and I need to know the truth
I hear your laughter and there's something I've got to know
The sound of you laughing upsets me because I have concerns
Well, I'm standing on your doorstep and I don't know what to do
I have a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about approaching you
Should I ring your doorbell or just walk away?
I'm unsure if I should confront you or just try to forget about it
My friends all say that you were never true
People close to me are trying to convince me that you've been dishonest
Hiding in the shadows
You've been acting secretive and avoiding me
I see two silhouettes in the back of your window shade
I observed something suspicious through your window and it's making me jealous
Are you there with another girl when I am gone?
I'm wondering if you're spending time with someone else while I'm not around
I can't believe you'd break the promises that you made
I find it hard to accept that you would betray my trust and disregard our shared commitments
If you're there with another girl, I can't go on
The thought of you being with someone else is too much for me to handle and it would ruin our relationship
Oh, I only know I love you and I couldn't say goodbye
Despite everything, my feelings for you are so strong that I can't bear the thought of losing you
So if there's another, I don't want to know
If you're involved with someone else, I'd rather not know because it would be too painful for me to confront
If you should go, oh, I would surely die
If you were to leave me, it would devastate me and I wouldn't know how to go on without you
Love requires faith, I've got a lot of faith but
I understand that relationships sometimes require trust and faith, but I'm struggling to maintain it in this situation
You would never leave me, hurt me or deceive me
Despite my fears and doubts, I want to believe that you would never intentionally harm me
I'm a fool to doubt you, worry so about you
I acknowledge that my fears and doubts may not be rational and I feel foolish for worrying so much
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind