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".

The Balance Of Nature
Burt Bacharach Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once to every bird there comes along
The one bird that sings her a sweeter song
And the balance of nature goes on
Forever and ever with true love

Once to every deer there comes a deer
And from that first moment it's very clear that
The balance of nature goes on

Forever and ever with true love

Day by day we search for love
The way we all were born to do
Not one by one but two by two

And so, as long as there's a you and me
Together that's how we will always be
And the balance of nature goes on
On and on, with true love

And the balance of nature goes on
On and on, with true love

And the balance of nature goes on

Overall Meaning

The Balance Of Nature by Burt Bacharach is a song about the natural order of things, particularly about love and relationships. The opening lyrics state that every bird has a special someone that sings sweeter to her, and every deer has a deer meant for it. This implies that every being has its own counterpart, its other half that makes it complete. These pairs maintain the balance of nature, with their love and companionship being the driving force.

The song then speaks of the search for love, how we are all born with the desire to find someone to share our lives with. And once we find love, we are meant to stay together, just like every bird and deer, to maintain the balance of nature. The chorus repeats that the balance of nature goes on forever, as long as there is true love.

What makes the song interesting is how it personifies nature, particularly with the use of animals as symbols of love and companionship. It creates a beautiful imagery of how nature works in harmony, with everything having its own place to keep the balance. The song's simple melody, coupled with its profound message, makes it a timeless classic that resonates with many people.

Line by Line Meaning

Once to every bird there comes along
Every bird has a special someone who sings them a more beautiful song.

The one bird that sings her a sweeter song
This special someone is the bird that sings a particularly sweet song.

And the balance of nature goes on
This pairing maintains the equilibrium of nature.

Forever and ever with true love
Their love is eternal.

Once to every deer there comes a deer
Similar to birds, every deer also has a special partner.

And from that first moment it's very clear that
Upon meeting, it's evident that this is their other half.

Day by day we search for love
We are all constantly searching for love in our lives.

The way we all were born to do
This is a natural part of our being.

Not one by one but two by two
We are meant to find love as pairs, not alone.

And so, as long as there's a you and me
As long as there are two people in love,

Together that's how we will always be
They will always be together.