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 Story of My Life
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The story of my life
I'll tell about the night we met
And how my heart can't forget
The way you smiled at me
I want the world to know
The story of my life
And that first exciting time
I held you close to me
The sorrow in our love was breakin' up
The memory of a broken heart
Then later on, the joy of makin' up
Never never more to part
There's one thing left to do
Before my story's through
I've got to take you for my wife
So the story of my life
Can start and end with you
The sorrow in our love was breakin' up
The memory of a broken heart
Then later on, the joy of makin' up
Never never more to part
There's one thing left to do
Before my story's through
I've got to take you for my wife
So the story of my life
Can start and end
Can start and end
Can start and end with you
Burt Bacharach's song "Story of My Life" is a touching ode to love and the desire to share one's journey with the world. The singer describes his intention to write the story of his life, which would include the moment he met his beloved and the way her smile captured his heart. He wants the world to know about the night they first kissed, and the excitement and joy he felt holding her close. Despite the ups and downs they have been through in their relationship, he declares that he cannot forget the sorrows of their love breaking up nor the memory of a broken heart, but he also cherishes the joy of making up and never wanting to part ways again. He concludes the song by expressing his desire to take his beloved as his wife so that the story of his life can begin and end with her.
This song is a moving reflection on the role that love plays in shaping and defining our lives. The singer is eager to share his story with the world, and he recognizes that his love for his partner is central to that story. The ups and downs of their relationship, the memories they share, and the promise of a future together all contribute to the richness of his life's story. Ultimately, the song celebrates the power of love to give meaning to our lives and to make our personal histories worth telling.
Line by Line Meaning
Someday I'm going to write
At some point in time, I plan on documenting
The story of my life
My personal experiences and events that have occurred
I'll tell about the night we met
I will recount the night we first encountered each other
And how my heart can't forget
I am unable to forget the emotions I felt at that moment
The way you smiled at me
The manner in which you expressed happiness towards me
I want the world to know
It is my desire for society to be well-informed
The story of my life
My firsthand accounts of different events that have happened
The moment when your lips met mine
The instance when our mouths met
And that first exciting time
The initial period of enthusiasm
I held you close to me
I clutched onto you tightly
The sorrow in our love was breakin' up
The melancholy in our romantic relationship was causing it to disintegrate
The memory of a broken heart
The recollection of a love ending unhappily
Then later on, the joy of makin' up
Subsequently, the delight of reconciling and repairing the relationship
Never never more to part
Never again to separate or split apart
There's one thing left to do
Only one action remains
Before my story's through
Prior to the completion of my personal record
I've got to take you for my wife
I must marry you
So the story of my life
Thus, my account of life events
Can start and end with you
May initiate and conclude with you
Can start and end
May commence and terminate
Can start and end with you
May initiate and close with you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, HAL DAVID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luis Montecinos
Someday I'm gonna write, the story of my life
I'll tell about the night we met
And how my heart can't forget
The way, you smiled, at me
[Verse 2]
I want the world to know, the story of my life
The moment when your lips met mine
And that first exciting time
I held, you close, to me
[Pre-Chorus 1]
The sorrow when our love was breaking up
The memory of a broken heart
Then later on the joy of making up
Never, never more to part
[Chorus 2]
There's a one thing left to do, before my story's through
I've got to take you for my wife
So the story of my life
Can start, and end, with you
[Pre-Chorus 2]
The sorrow when our love was breaking up
The memory of a broken heart
Then later on the joy of making up
Never, never more to part
Source: public domain
Deborah Dyess
no other singer could top marty robbins. my favorite singer of all time. he is gone , but his music will live on. thanks for posting this and all his music
ALesina Young
just beautiful, Marty Robbins one of the greatest!
malcolm warena
Great music from a very talented man with this great song that's got so much meaning RIP Marty gone but never forgotten.
Leslie Turner
ALesina Young fantastic singing babe love it
dan7509
my deceased grandfather used to sing this song and have me and my sister do the whistle part. man I miss him.
acla9000
Attention at orchestra and chorus - they're Ray Conniff and his singers, and it's one of Burt bacharach's first compostion. A brilliant trio! Happy Easter.
Sherrie Crouch
Nobody can sing like Marty!
Kenzie Livingston
he's the original no one can replace him
michael hampton
You're right. A great singer and entertainer lost to the world
Keturah Wilbourn
My husband sang this sing to me before he asked me to marry him in 2005.