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 Sundance Kid
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You and I fought against stupidity
We went together to our city of dreams
Wind in hair, and our vision was clear
We sure knew about boys' hubris
Our blind faith was a dangerous weapon
Once upon a time, in another life
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Can you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
All of this is for you
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Can you hear me?
All we said, all we did, became a song for you
The ambition was a slow poison
You've endured a long time, but at last you fell
And I'm the weak one, I stand alone
One last remnant of an extinct species and I
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Can you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
All of this is for you
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Can you hear me?
All we said, all we did, became a song for you
The ammunition ran out at last
Now you (plural) can call me the Sundance Kid
Free will was our teenage dream
But we are just instinct, just animals and everything is a lie
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Can you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
All of this is for you
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Can you hear me?
All we said, all we did, became a song for you
The lyrics to Burt Bacharach's song "The Sundance Kid" tell a story of two individuals who once had a strong bond and fought against the nonsense that surrounded them. They were young and ambitious with a vision to make their dreams come true. They dared to challenge the status quo and had a strong connection that helped each other overcome the obstacles they faced. However, their blind faith and arrogance began to erode their foundation, making them vulnerable to the dangers of their ambitions. They eventually fell, one before the other, and the remaining one now feels alone and stands as a remnant of a once strong bond.
The repeated refrain of "Do you hear me?" is a call to the other person, asking them if they understand the shared history and the sacrifices made along the way. There is a sense of urgency in these lines, as if the singer is running out of time to make themselves heard to the other person. Despite the fall, the singer still believes that all they said and did together mattered, and it "became a song" for the other person. The song symbolizes the memories and experiences they shared that are still meaningful and can still be shared with others.
Overall, the lyrics to "The Sundance Kid" are about the struggles and connections that people have in life, and how those bonds and shared experiences can still matter even after everything has fallen apart. It shows the fragility of human relationships and the danger of hubris, but also the power of memories in keeping those relationships alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time, so long ago
This story happened a while ago
You and I fought against stupidity
We tried to fight against foolishness and ignorance
We went together to our city of dreams
We traveled to a city where we hoped to achieve our dreams
Wind in hair, and our vision was clear
We felt free and had a clear sense of purpose
We sure knew about boys' hubris
We were aware of the arrogance of young men
Our blind faith was a dangerous weapon
Our unwavering belief in ourselves could be harmful
Once upon a time, in another life
In a past life, things were different
Another them against another us and me
Different people who were not like us
Do you hear me?
Are you listening to me?
All of this is for you
This is all dedicated to you
All we said, all we did, became a song for you
Our experiences have inspired a tribute to you
The ambition was a slow poison
Our drive to succeed was a gradual poison to us
You've endured a long time, but at last you fell
You persisted for a while, but eventually, you failed
And I'm the weak one, I stand alone
I am the vulnerable, isolated one
One last remnant of an extinct species and I
We are the only ones left of a group that no longer exists
The ammunition ran out at last
We ran out of resources
Now you (plural) can call me the Sundance Kid
You can refer to me as the Sundance Kid
Free will was our teenage dream
We wanted the freedom to choose our fate when we were younger
But we are just instinct, just animals and everything is a lie
We are driven by our instincts and everything we believe in may be false
Contributed by Hannah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.