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".
Any Day Now
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
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And you'll be on your way
Then my wild beautiful bird, you will have flown, oh
Any day now I'll be all alone, whoa
Any day now, when your restless eyes meet someone new
Oh, to my sad surprise
Then the blue shadows will fall all over town, oh
Oh my wild beautiful bird, you will have flown, oh
Any day now I'll be all alone
I know I shouldn't want to keep you
If you don't want to stay-ay
Until you go forever
I'll be holding on for dear life
Holding you this way
Begging you to stay
Any day now when the clock strikes "Go"
You'll call it off
And then my tears will flow
Then the blue shadows will fall all over town, oh
Any day now love will let me down 'cause you won't be around
Don't fly away, my beautiful bird
Don't, don't fly away
The song "Any Day Now" by Burt Bacharach expresses the fear and sadness that comes with the realization that a loved one may soon be leaving. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of impending heartbreak as the singer anticipates the moment when the object of his affection will say goodbye and depart. The repeated refrain of "Any day now" emphasizes the inevitability of this outcome, adding to the overall sense of helplessness and desperation.
The metaphor of a "wild beautiful bird" is used to describe the object of the singer's affection, highlighting her free-spirited nature and the fact that she is not tied down by anyone. The line "Then the blue shadows will fall all over town" adds to the sense of foreboding, as if the world itself will be affected by the departure of this person from the singer's life. The plea "Don't fly away, my beautiful bird" adds an extra dimension to the song, as the singer desperately tries to hold onto the relationship, despite knowing that it may already be over.
Overall, "Any Day Now" is a poignant and emotional song that embodies the pain and heartbreak of a relationship coming to an end. It evokes a strong sense of nostalgia and longing for what has been lost, making it a favorite for anyone who has ever experienced the pain of lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
Any day now I will hear you say "Goodbye, my love"
I know that the day will come when you'll decide to leave me, and you'll tell me that you don't want to continue our relationship.
And you'll be on your way
You'll leave, and I won't be able to stop you from going.
Then my wild beautiful bird, you will have flown, oh
You'll be like a bird that can't be tamed, and you'll fly away from me, leaving me alone.
Any day now I'll be all alone, whoa
I'll be left by myself without you, and it will be a painful experience for me.
Any day now, when your restless eyes meet someone new
I know that you're looking for someone else, and the day will come when you'll find him.
Oh, to my sad surprise
I'll be sad when I realize that you've found someone else and you're no longer interested in me.
Then the blue shadows will fall all over town, oh
I'll be surrounded by darkness and sadness, and it will be hard for me to keep going.
Any day now love will let me down, whoa
I know that I'll be disappointed in love when you leave me for someone else.
I know I shouldn't want to keep you
I know that I shouldn't try to prevent you from leaving, but I can't help how I feel.
If you don't want to stay-ay
If you've made up your mind that you want to leave me, then there's no point in me trying to change your mind.
Until you go forever
As long as you're still here, I'll hold onto you as tight as I can.
I'll be holding on for dear life
I'll hold onto you with all my strength, because I don't want to let you go.
Holding you this way
I'll keep you close to me to try and stop you from leaving.
Begging you to stay
I'll plead with you to reconsider your decision and stay with me.
Any day now when the clock strikes "Go"
I know that you'll leave me soon, and it could happen at any moment.
You'll call it off
You'll tell me that you want to end our relationship.
And then my tears will flow
I'll cry when I realize that I've lost you and you're not coming back.
Don't fly away, my beautiful bird
I don't want you to leave me, even though I know that you will.
Don't, don't fly away
I'm desperately hoping that you'll change your mind and stay with me.
Lyrics © BOURNE CO., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Bob Hilliard, Burt Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind