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".
Do You Know the Way to San Jose
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been away so long. I may go wrong and lose my way.
Do you know the way to San Jose?
I'm going back to find some peace of mind in San Jose.
L.a. is a great big freeway.
Put a hundred down and buy a car.
In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star
And all the stars that never were
Are parking cars and pumping gas
Do you know the way to San Jose?
They've got a lot of space. there'll be a place where I can stay
I was born and raised in San Jose
I'm going back to find some peace of mind in San Jose.
Fame and fortune is a magnet.
It can pull you far away from home
With a dream in your heart you're never alone.
Dreams turn into dust and blow away
And there you are without a friend
You pack your car and ride away
I've got lots of friends in San Jose
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Can't wait to get back to San Jose.
The lyrics of Burt Bacharach's song "Do You Know The Way To San Jose" reminisce about the singer's time spent in Los Angeles pursuing fame and fortune, and his eventual decision to return home to San Jose in search of peace of mind. The song talks about how L.A. is a big and fast-paced city, where people come to make it in show business. The allure of fame and potential stardom has brought many to the city with dreams in their hearts. However, the harsh reality is that many of these dreams turn into dust, leaving the dreamers alone without a friend. The lyrics remind us that it is important not to forget our roots and where we came from, and that sometimes, the peace of mind we seek can only be found by returning home.
The lyrics are rich in metaphorical meaning, as they use the idea of driving on a freeway, buying a car, and pumping gas to represent the pursuits of fame and fortune that the singer and many others in L.A. are involved in. The contrast between L.A.'s fast-paced life and San Jose's relaxed lifestyle is also a major theme in the lyrics, as the singer seeks refuge from the chaos of the city in San Jose's more peaceful atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Asking for directions to San Jose
I've been away so long. I may go wrong and lose my way.
Being away for so long may result in getting lost on the way to San Jose
I'm going back to find some peace of mind in San Jose.
Going back to San Jose to find inner peace
L.A. is a great big freeway.
Describing the city of Los Angeles as a vast network of highways
Put a hundred down and buy a car.
You can purchase a car in Los Angeles for a small sum of money
In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star
It's possible to become famous in Los Angeles in a relatively short amount of time
Weeks turn into years. How quick they pass
Time passes quickly in Los Angeles
And all the stars that never were Are parking cars and pumping gas
Many aspiring actors and musicians in Los Angeles end up working in menial jobs
You can really breathe in San Jose
San Jose has a lot of fresh air
They've got a lot of space. There'll be a place where I can stay
San Jose has plenty of room to accommodate me
I was born and raised in San Jose
The singer is originally from San Jose
Fame and fortune is a magnet.
The promise of fame and money is a strong lure
It can pull you far away from home
The desire for fame and fortune can take you away from your hometown
With a dream in your heart you're never alone.
Having a dream can provide comfort when you're far away from home
Dreams turn into dust and blow away
Sometimes dreams are not realized and disappear
And there you are without a friend
Without achieving success, you may find yourself alone
You pack your car and ride away
You may leave Los Angeles feeling defeated
I've got lots of friends in San Jose
The singer is looking forward to reuniting with friends in San Jose
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Repeating the initial question, still seeking directions to San Jose
Can't wait to get back to San Jose.
Excited to return to San Jose
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Burt F. Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Apollocreed2076
R.I.P. Burt Bacharach
@davidpcarroll6080
R.I.P Champion Burt Bacharach God Bless.
@VIVIANECORREIACAMPOSALMEIDA
Como amo essa canção....
@MrArt8man
Thanks for writing a song about San Jose Burt. Rest in Peace.
@walterpoluzzi9846
Da bambino, quando la vita era la vita ascoltavo inconsapevolmente queste canzoni alla rado per non dimenticarle mai più.
@Marcel20658
A real Masterpiece....in the way how it is written and performed. Such Tremendous Trio is was Burt, Hal and Dionne. The tringle marriage in music history
@walterpoluzzi9846
Bravo...these are the right words to describe this masterpiece.
@user-jq7fz4tm7n
This piece is the one which makes our heart leap with joy at any time. I have to go to San Jose!
@colinhepworth7920
I have liked this song since 1968, I never thought I would be playing it while driving down I-80 from Sacramento then on to I-680 heading to San Jose, California is a beautiful state, especially when you go north over the golden gate bridge, very much like the south of France.
@oscar77541
Happy 86 youngs years!!, idol and genius!!