Burt Freeman Bacharach(May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American com… Read Full Bio ↴Burt Freeman Bacharach(May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, and musician who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music.

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".

Look of Love
Burt Bacharach Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The look of love
Is in your eyes
A look your smile can't
disguise

The look of love
Is saying so much more than
Just words could every say

And what my heart has heard
Well it takes my breath away

[Chorus]
I can hardly wait to hold you
Feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you
Now that I have found you

You've got the look of love
It's on your face
A look that time can't erase
Baby be mine, tonight

Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lovers vow
And seal it with a kiss

[Chorus]

Don't ever go
Don't ever go
I love you so
The look of love

Let this be just the start of
So many nights like this
Let's take a lover's vow
And baby we'll seal it with a kiss

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

Burt Bacharach's song 'The Look of Love' is a song about the intensity of love and desire. The lyrics talk about how the look in someone's eyes can convey so much more than words ever could, and how it takes the singer's breath away. The chorus speaks to the singer's feelings of anticipation and longing, and how they can hardly wait to hold their love and feel their arms around them. The song is a tribute to the power of love and how it can transform one's life.

The use of romantic imagery such as the eyes, smile, and kiss in the song helps to create an atmosphere of love and intimacy. The repeated lines 'Let this be just the start of so many nights like this' and 'Don't ever go, I love you so' further emphasize the depth of the singer's feelings. The song communicates the idea that love is something that should be celebrated and cherished, and that it can bring immense joy to one's life.

Line by Line Meaning

The look of love
The expression of love

Is in your eyes
Visible in your eyes

A look your smile can't disguise
Smiling doesn't hide it

The look of love
The expression of love

Is saying so much more than
Implying more than

Just words could ever say
Could be said with words alone

And what my heart has heard
What I feel in my heart

Well it takes my breath away
It's breathtaking

I can hardly wait to hold you
Eager to embrace you

Feel my arms around you
With a tight embrace

How long I have waited
For how long I've been anticipating