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".
I Wake Up Crying
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After tossin' and turnin'
And yearnin' the whole night long
Pretty baby, since you went away
I haven't spent a happy day
I wake up crying
After sobbin' and sighin'
Pretty baby, I was good to you
Why'd you go and make me blue?
I need your arms to hold me tight
I need your lips to kiss me goodnight
I'm so unhappy on my own
Don't, don't leave me sad and lonely
I wake up crying
After tossin' and turnin'
And yearnin' the whole night long
Pretty baby, please come back to me
Save me from this misery
Oh baby, won't you save me from this misery?
Oh baby, won't you save me from this misery?
The lyrics of Burt Bacharach's song, I Wake Up Crying, tell the story of a heartbroken protagonist who is unable to forget about their lover. The opening line "I wake up crying" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is unable to move on from the relationship and is constantly tormented by thoughts of their lover. The line "After tossin' and turnin'" is a vivid expression of the singer's restlessness and inability to sleep peacefully at night.
The singer expresses their deep yearning for their lover with the line "and yearnin' the whole night long" which adds to the sense of desperation in the lyrics. The singer wonders what went wrong with their relationship and why their lover left them. They are baffled by the fact that they were good to their lover, yet they were still left heartbroken. The singer pleads with their lover to come back to them and make them happy again.
In the final lines of the song, the singer makes a desperate plea to their lover, asking them to "save me from this misery". These lines are particularly poignant and demonstrate the depth of the singer's suffering. The lyrics of I Wake Up Crying are a powerful and emotive portrayal of heartbreak and lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up crying
I open my eyes in tears
After tossin' and turnin'
After struggling to fall asleep
And yearnin' the whole night long
And longing for you all through the night
Pretty baby, since you went away
My dear, ever since you left me
I haven't spent a happy day
I haven't had a single day of joy
After sobbin' and sighin'
After crying and sighing
And wonderin' just what went wrong
And pondering on what went awry
Pretty baby, I was good to you
My dear, I treated you well
Why'd you go and make me blue?
Why did you choose to make me sad?
I need your arms to hold me tight
I crave for your embrace
I need your lips to kiss me goodnight
I require your kisses to send me to sleep
I'm so unhappy on my own
I'm miserable by myself
Don't, don't leave me sad and lonely
Please, don't desert me in sorrow and solitude
Pretty baby, please come back to me
My dear, please return to me
Save me from this misery
Rescue me from this wretchedness
Oh baby, won't you save me from this misery?
Oh my love, won't you release me from this plight?
Oh baby, won't you save me from this misery?
Oh my love, won't you release me from this plight?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BURT F. BACHARACH, HAL DAVID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
June Murry-Cordova
Wonderful voice!
patriot hammer
Loving Chuck Jackson ♥
MikeBlitzMag
One of the all time great voices of R&B. If you like this one, then seek out his like minded 1965 single, If I Didn't Love You. You will be permanently in his corner once you hear it!
Daniel Kubacki
Wow, this one is very good!
Steve
I agree. ** This song didn't seem to fit solidly in either the pop or r&b camp. I bought it new and several releases afterward. Once you hear Chuck Jackson, you're hooked.
Derrick Sutton
GREAT SONG
Steve
the best!!
Liz Robbins
@srercrcr Chuck Jackson has the right voice for this one. Nice mystical sound.
patriot hammer
I still have 4x 78s too (my Dad's) buddy Holly Peggy sue that'll be the day maybe baby and raining in my heart 🙏
Selections From a Music Historian
Chuck Jackson was the best concert ticket you could have. He was so SMOOTH, handsome and a voice like.... realize, I was only about 7 or 8!