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".
On My Own
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said it was forever
Said our love would always be true
Something in my heart always knew
I'd be lying here beside you
On my own
On my own
On my own
So many promises never should be spoken
Now i know what loving you cost
Now we're up to talking divorce
And we weren't even married
On my own
Once again now
One more time
By myself
No one said it was easy
But it once was so easy
Well i believed in love
Now here i stand
I wonder why
I'm on my own
Why did it end this way
On my own
This wasn't how it was supposed to be
On my own
I wish that we could do it all again
So many times
I know i should have told you
Losing you it cut like a knife
You walked out and there went my life
I don't want to live without you
On my own
On my own
On my own
Chorus repeat
This wasn't how it was supposed to end
I wish that we could do it all again
I never dreamed i'd spend one night alone
On my own, i've got to find where i belong again
I've got to learn how to be strong again
I never dreamed i'd spend one night alone
By myself by myself
I've got to find out what was mine again
My heart is saying that it's my time again
And i have faith that i will shine again
I have faith in me
On my own
On my own
On my own
Burt Bacharach's song "On My Own" is a powerful ballad about the heartbreak and loneliness of a failed romantic relationship. The lyrics describe the pain of realizing that promises made in love can be broken, and the devastating aftermath of a separation. The chorus echoes the sentiment of being alone and on one's one, highlighting the desperation of the situation. The verse emphasizes the end of a romantic relationship and the loss felt by the singer. The singer states that they should have been more open with their partners, but never did until it was too late. They wonder why love had to end between the two of them and that they would do it all over again. However, they come to the realization that they need to move on, find themselves, and be strong once again.
There are several interpretations of the lyrics of "On My Own", but one of the most common understandings is that it speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and loss. The song reminds us that love is complex, and we cannot always control its outcome. At the same time, it encourages us to find the strength within ourselves to move forward and start over. The themes of love, loss, and resilience are timeless, and the lyrics of "On My Own" continue to resonate with audiences today.
* As the co-writer with Carole Bayer Sager, Burt Bacharach penned this song. It was Sager’s idea to compose a song about a woman who was singing about the break-up of her relationship.
* Dionne Warwick was Bacharach's preferred choice to record the song, but she was unavailable due to contractual obligations with Arista Records. So, Burt and his team decided on Patti LaBelle.
* “On My Own” was released on March 21, 1986, and it was LaBelle's only #1 hit of her career.
* After Dionne Warwick, other singers like Gladys Knight and Cher also recorded their versions of the song.
* “On My Own” spent 3 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and held the top spot of the R&B chart for a week.
* The video of “On My Own” features Patti LaBelle and actor Billy Dee Williams.
* Patti LaBelle's closing notes at the end of the song were added spontaneously during the recording, and it is now a significant feature of the song.
* "On My Own" was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1987, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
* In 1987, Patti LaBelle performed “On My Own” as a duet with Michael McDonald and the recording became a hit.
* "On My Own" remains one of Bacharach and Sager's most recognizable compositions.
Chords (Key of C):
Verse: C, F, G, Am, Dm, G, C
Chorus: F, G, Am, Em, F, G, C.
Line by Line Meaning
So many times
The singer has gone through this situation many times before
Said it was forever
The singer promised that their love would never end
Said our love would always be true
The singer believed that their love would never be in doubt
Something in my heart always knew
The singer had an intuition that their love would not last forever
I'd be lying here beside you
The singer thought they would always be with their partner
On my own
Now, the singer is alone
So many promises never should be spoken
The singer realizes that some promises should never be made
Now I know what loving you cost
The singer knows the price of being in love with their partner
Now we're up to talking divorce
The relationship has become so difficult, that they are discussing filing for divorce
And we weren't even married
It's surprising that they weren't even married, and they're already considering divorce
Once again now
The situation has happened before, and it's happening again
One more time
This is the last time this will happen
By myself
The singer is alone in this situation
No one said it was easy
No one said that being in a relationship was easy
But it once was so easy
The relationship used to be easy, but it's not anymore
Well, I believed in love
The singer had faith in love
Now here I stand
The singer is alone and doesn't understand how the relationship ended
I wonder why
The singer is confused and doesn't know the reason behind their break-up
This wasn't how it was supposed to be
The singer thought that things would turn out differently
I wish that we could do it all again
The singer regrets not doing things differently and wishes that they could redo everything
Losing you it cut like a knife
The singer felt pain and sorrow when they lost their partner
You walked out and there went my life
The singer feels like their life is over after their partner walked out on them
I don't want to live without you
The singer doesn't want to continue living without their partner
This wasn't how it was supposed to end
The singer didn't think their relationship would end like this
I've got to find where I belong again
The singer needs to find their place in the world after the break-up
I've got to learn how to be strong again
The singer needs to learn how to be strong on their own without their partner
I never dreamed I'd spend one night alone
The singer never thought that they would be alone
By myself by myself
The singer emphasizes that they're truly alone now
I've got to find out what was mine again
The singer needs to rediscover themselves after the relationship ended
My heart is saying that it's my time again
The singer feels like it's time for them to move on and find love again
And I have faith that I will shine again
The singer believes that they will be happy and shine again someday
I have faith in me
The singer has faith in themselves and their future
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carolynpefley2596
Perfection all around. We will miss you Burt, but your music will live on.
@ssuncin
This song 🎵 got my girlfriend and I back after a break up… how powerful a song 🎶 can be ..
@christymarie1413
Amazing! 😍 Me and my late sisters special song!I never knew this song was written by the Great Burt Bacharach! Floored but Not Surprised
@JoyMcGowan-t1o
Wonderful ❤
@clah399
Love Michael Mac and the combination of Burt Backarack.... Amazing.
@stephaniecarlson6689
Ohhh my, how beautiful 💕❤️💖❤️💖🥳 Burt, Carol and the amazing Michael Mcdonald.
NSW AUSTRALIA ❣️ 🌟 💝🥳
@telescopista745
qué dulce canción,el gran Barachach,un genio de la música de los 60' a los 80'..
@lorrainec.3163
One of the most recognizable male singing voices, and feels like a warm sweater in front of the fireplace.
@peternemeth1777
Fantastic song, fantastic singer, fantastic composer.
@sittingbull1903
Soon as I heard that warm knife cutting through the cold butter AKa Michael McDonald I clicked the like button