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".
No One Remembers My Name
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one remembers
I ever walked these streets before
The people I once knew
Don't seem to live herre anymore
I feel like a stranger
Outside the house
It seems so small now
And everything that once looked new to me
Now looks old
And not like it used to be
And no one remmbers my face
No one remembers the things I promised
I would do
I came back to show them
I really made my dreams come true
I'm dying to tell them
But there's no one to tell it to
They just rush by me
And now I know that the past
Is just a memory
I belong where people smile back at me
They know me and show me they care
That's why I'm so happy here
They all remember my name
My smile, my face
And that's the place for me
The only place for me
In "No One Remembers My Name," Burt Bacharach sings about a person who returns to their hometown after a long time and feels like a stranger. The song is full of nostalgia and regret as the singer wanders through the streets of their childhood, looking for people they once knew, only to find out that nobody remembers them.
When the singer sees their old house, everything seems smaller and less familiar. They realize that time has passed, and the people they once knew have moved on or passed away. This causes the singer to feel like they have lost a part of themselves, as if they no longer belong in their old hometown.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's desire to have someone recognize them and their accomplishments. They want to tell people that they have made something of themselves, but no one is listening. As the singer continues to wander through the streets, they find a place where people smile at them and recognize them for who they are. This is where they feel they belong and where they can be happy.
Overall, "No One Remembers My Name" is a poignant song about loneliness, nostalgia, and the need for human connection. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt like a stranger in their own hometown, and it provides a sense of hope that there is a place where we can belong and be remembered.
Line by Line Meaning
No one remembers my name
I feel forgotten and unimportant to the people around me.
No one remembers
I ever walked these streets before
The people who used to know me and my history no longer seem to be here.
I feel like a stranger
Outside the house
Where I was born
Even the place where I come from doesn't feel familiar anymore and I feel disconnected.
And no one remembers my face
No one remembers the things I promised
I would do
The people around me have forgotten not only my name, but also the things I said I would accomplish.
I'm dying to tell them
But there's no one to tell it to
Despite my success, there is no one around to share my accomplishments with.
And now I know that the past
Is just a memory
I realize that the past is unchangeable and all I have now is the present.
I belong where people smile back at me
They know me and show me they care
I feel at home when I'm around people who recognize me and genuinely care about me.
They all remember my name
My smile, my face
And that's the place for me
The only place for me
The place where people remember me is the only place where I feel truly happy and accepted.
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.