In 1966 he signed with Andrew Loog Oldham, releasing an Immediate label EP featuring the tracks - In the Midnight Hour, Mr Pitiful, Satisfaction and Who Can I Turn To. Followed by the his first Album, 14 Things to Think About. The summer of 1966 saw the release of his biggest hit - Out of Time.
In the later part of the sixties he did the classic - Handbags and Gladrags, written by his friend Mike d' Abo of Manfred Man and recently covered by the Stereophonics. This was to be his last solo chart success. In the 70's Chris sang with the band Colosseum before he moved on to the group Atomic Rooster.
He was involved in a serious road accident which stopped him recording and performing for a couple of years.
He worked with various bands/musicians througout the 80's and 90's and
he still performs live today.
Birth name John Henry Deighton
Also known as Little Joe Cook Born October 13, 1940 (age 68)
Origin Islington, North London, England
Genre(s) Rhythm and Blues Jazz rock
Instrument(s) Vocals
Label(s) Columbia, Immediate
Associated acts The Chris Farlowe Band
The Thunderbirds
The Johnny Burns Rhythm and Blues Quartet
The John Henry Skiffle
Group Colosseum Atomic Rooster
Website chrisfarlowe.co.uk
Career
Farlowe's musical career began with a skiffle group, The John Henry Skiffle Group in 1957, then The Johnny Burns Rhythm and Blues Quartet in 1958. He met lead guitarist Bob Taylor (born Robert Taylor, 6 June 1942, London) in 1959 and he joined the band Taylor was in (The Thunderbirds), recording five singles for the Columbia label, without much success. He then moved to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label and recorded another eleven singles, five of them cover versions of Rolling Stones songs; ("Paint It, Black", "Think", "Ride On, Baby", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Out of Time"). His most successful was "Out of Time" which was number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966. His next four singles were also well received. The most famous was "Handbags and Gladrags" (which was written by Mike d'Abo), later covered by Rod Stewart and more recently by the Stereophonics).As an English R&B star of the early 1960s, Farlowe released one single, "Stormy Monday Blues", under the pseudonym, 'Little Joe Cook', which helped perpetrate the myth that he was black.His association with jazz rock group Colosseum began in the 1970s, recording a live album and three studio albums Daughter of Time, Bread and Circuses and Tomorrow's Blues (2006).Farlowe continues to tour extensively throughout the UK and Europe with band Colosseum, and also with his own band. Farlowe also deals in antiques and has a showroom in Islington. In 1972 he joined Atomic Rooster and is featured on the albums Made in England and Nice and Greasy. He also sang on three tracks of Jimmy Page's Death Wish II soundtrack 1982 and Outrider album Hummingbird, Prison Blues & Blues Anthem in 1988.
Thunderbirds
In the beginning, Farlowe was backed by the band 'The Thunderbirds', which featured guitarist Albert Lee and Dave Greenslade, (later with him again in Colosseum), Bugs Waddell (bass), Ian Hague (drums) Bernie Greenwood (sax) and Jerry Temple (percussion).
Albums
Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds (February 1966)
14 Things to Think About (June 1966)
The Art of Chris Farlowe (December 1966)
Tonite Let's All Make Love In London (Soundtrack) (July 1968)
The Last Goodbye (August 1969)
From Here to Mama Rosa (September 1970)
Chris Farlowe Band Live (November 1975)
Out of the Blue (July 1985)
The Live EP: Live in Hamburg (March 1986)
Born Again (June 1986)
Chris Farlowe & Roy Herrington Live in Berlin (17/18 October 1991)
Superblues (Recorded live 1991, released 1994)
Farlowe: Waiting in the Wings (May 1992)
Swinging Hollywood (1994)
Lonesome Road (September 1995)
BBC in Concert (January 1996)
As Time Go By (October 1996)
The Voice (April 1998)
Glory Bound (March 2001)
Farlowe That! (May 2003)
Hungary for the Blues (November 2005)
At Rockpalast (October 2006)
Hotel Eingang (2008)
Singles
Singles & EPs on Immediate Records (1965-70)
IM016 "The Fool" / "Treat Her Good" 7"
IM023 "Think" / "Don't Just Look At Me" 7"
IM035 "Out of Time" / "Baby Make It Soon" 7"
IM038 "Ride On Baby" / "Headlines" 7"
IM041 "My Way of Giving" / "You're So Good To Me" 7"
IM049 "Yesterday's Papers" / "Life is But Nothing" 7"
IM056 "Moanin'" / "What Have I Been Doing" 7"
IM065 "Handbags and Gladrags" / "Everyone Makes a Mistake" 7"
IM066 "The Last Goodbye" / "Paperman Fly in the Sky" 7" (B-side with Thunderbirds)
IM071 "Paint It Black" / "I Just Need Your Loving" 7"
IM074 "Dawn" / "April was the Month" 7" (With Thunderbirds)
IM078 "Out of Time" / "Ride On Baby" 7"
IMEP001 "Farlowe in the Midnight Hour" EP
IMEP004 "Chris Farlowe Hits" EP
Mr. Pitiful
Chris Farlowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby thats my name now
They call me Mr. Pitiful Thats how I got my fame
But people just don`t seem to understand
How someone can feel so blue
They call me Mr pitiful cause I lost someone just like you.
The call me Mr. Pitiful
This everybody know now
But nobody seems to understand now,
How can a man sing such a sad song
When he lost everything that he had.
How can I explain to you
How somebody con get so very blue
How can I tell you about my past
If all things won`t end.
Mr Pitiful
Thats my name now
They call me Mr. Pitiful Thats how I got my fame
But nobody seems to understand
what make a man can feel so very blue
They call me Mr. Pitiful cause I m in love with you
Can I explain to you
Everything is going wrong
I`ve lost everything i had
I have to sing this sad song
To get back to her
And I m gonna sing this song to you
And i want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
[And I wanna tell you everything is going through my mind]
And I want to sing
And I want to sing
And I want to sing
And I want to sing this song with you
[And I wanna sing this song to everyone]
Cause I want them to understand what I talkin about
I want you to understand what I`m sayin......
Chris Farlowe's song "Mr. Pitiful" is a song about a man who has lost everything, including the love of his life. He has become known as Mr. Pitiful, and the song explores his feelings of sadness and despair. Throughout the lyrics, he asks how he can explain to others how he feels and what he has been through.
The repeated use of the name Mr. Pitiful adds to the sense of the man's hopelessness and despair. He has become known as this name, and it has become his identity. The lyrics suggest that he feels that nobody understands what he is going through, and he is struggling to find a way to cope with his pain.
The final verses suggest that the man is singing this song to try and win back the love of his life. He wants the listener to understand what he is saying and to join in with him, using the power of music to heal his broken heart. Overall, the song is a moving exploration of the pain of loss and the power of music to help us cope with our sorrows.
Line by Line Meaning
They call me Mr. Pitiful
My name has become synonymous with being pitiful
Baby thats my name now
That's how people refer to me
They call me Mr. Pitiful Thats how I got my fame
My fame came from singing songs about feeling blue
But people just don`t seem to understand
People don't comprehend how low one can feel
How someone can feel so blue
How can anyone feel this way
They call me Mr pitiful cause I lost someone just like you.
I'm called Mr. Pitiful because I lost someone just like you
This everybody know now
Everyone is aware of my nickname
Most everyplace I go.
It follows me wherever I go
But nobody seems to understand now,
But no one seems to understand
How can a man sing such a sad song
How is it possible for a man to sing such a sad tune
When he lost everything that he had.
After having lost everything he possessed
How can I explain to you
How am I supposed to explain to you
How somebody con get so very blue
How someone can feel so hopeless and down
How can I tell you about my past
How am I supposed to talk about my history
If all things won`t end.
If all things can't come to an end
what make a man can feel so very blue
What can cause a man to feel so despondent
They call me Mr. Pitiful cause I m in love with you
I'm nicknamed Mr. Pitiful because I'm in love with you
Can I explain to you
Can I make you understand
Everything is going wrong
Everything is falling apart
I`ve lost everything i had
After losing everything I owned
I have to sing this sad song
I have to sing this mournful melody
To get back to her
In order to be with her once more
And I m gonna sing this song to you
I'm going to sing this song for you
And i want you
I desire you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
[And I wanna tell you everything is going through my mind]
I want to share what's on my mind with you
And I want to sing
I want to sing
And I want to sing
And I want to sing
And I want to sing
And I want to sing
And I want to sing this song with you
I want to sing this song together with you
[And I wanna sing this song to everyone]
I want to perform this song for everyone
Cause I want them to understand what I talkin about
I want them to comprehend what I am expressing
I want you to understand what I`m sayin......
I want you to comprehend what I'm saying
Lyrics © Royalty Network
Written by: OTIS REDDING, STEVE CROPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind