His hit "It's Too Late (She's Gone)" was covered by many, including Otis Redding, Roy Orbison, Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominos and the Grateful Dead. In 2005, it was heavily sampled by Kanye West on Late Registration's "Gone."
It's Too Late
Chuck Willis Lyrics
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There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'.
One of us is changin', or maybe we've just stopped tryin'.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no.
It used to be so easy, livin' here with you.
You were light and breezy, an' I knew just what to do.
Now you look so unhappy, and I feel like a fool.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no.
There'll be good times again for me and you,
But we just can't stay together; don't you feel it too?
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it. (we can't make it)
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It's too late baby, it's too late now darling
It's too late.
Chuck Willis's song "It's Too Late" is a heartbreaking love song that speaks about the end of a relationship that had once been loving and easy but that had somehow gone wrong. The first verse of the song mentions how one person in the relationship is changing, or both people have stopped trying to make things work. The singer knows that something is wrong, and they cannot deny that there has been a shift in their relationship.
In the chorus, the singer emphasizes that it's too late to save what was once there. Even though both parties tried to make it work, something inside them had died, and they can't pretend that everything is okay anymore. The singer can't hide their feelings, and it's evident to both parties that things have come to an end. The second verse speaks of how the relationship was once easy and comfortable, but now there is an evident unhappiness that cannot be ignored. The singer feels foolish for pretending that everything will be okay.
The final verse leaves the listener with a glimmer of hope as the singer mentions that there will be good times for both parties, but that they cannot stay together. The memories of their love will always be cherished, but they know deep down that they must go their separate ways. The song is poignant, emphasizing the sadness that comes with ending a relationship and the difficulty of knowing when to let go.
Line by Line Meaning
Stayed in bed all mornin' just to pass the time.
I have no motivation to do anything, so I am wasting my time laying in bed.
There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'.
I can feel that there is something not right in our relationship, I cannot ignore it.
One of us is changin', or maybe we've just stopped tryin'.
Either you or I are changing, or we both have given up and stopped trying to make our relationship work.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Our relationship is past the point of no return, it's over now.
Though we really did try to make it.
We made a genuine effort to make our relationship work, but it didn't.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
There is no love or passion left between us, and I can't pretend anymore.
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no.
I can't continue to pretend that everything is okay between us when it's not.
It used to be so easy, livin' here with you.
Our relationship used to be easy and effortless, but it's not anymore.
You were light and breezy, an' I knew just what to do.
You used to be carefree and easy-going, and our relationship was uncomplicated.
Now you look so unhappy, and I feel like a fool.
You seem miserable, and I feel foolish for not being able to make you happy anymore.
There'll be good times again for me and you,
Even if our relationship ends, I believe that there will be good times in our future.
But we just can't stay together; don't you feel it too?
Even though there might be good times ahead, our relationship cannot continue, and I hope you can see that too.
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you.
Even if our relationship is over, I am grateful for what we had and the love we used to share.
It's too late baby, it's too late now darling
Our relationship is over, and there's nothing we can do to fix it now.
It's too late.
Our relationship is beyond repair, and it's too late to salvage it.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID JOHANSEN, JOHNNY THUNDERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@capitalism2557
It's too late, she's gone.
It's too late, my baby's gone.
Wish I had told her she was my only one.
It's too late, she's gone.
It's a weak man that cries,
So I guess I've gotta hide my eyes.
Yes, I will miss her more than anyone.
It's too late, she's gone.
She's gone, yes she's gone.
She's gone, my baby's gone.
She's gone, yes she's gone.
Where can my baby be?
And I wonder does she know
When she left me, it hurt me so.
I need your love babe, please don't make me wait.
Tell me it's not too late.
It's too late, she's gone.
It's too late, my baby's gone.
Wish I had told her she was my only one.
It's too late, she's gone.
And I wonder does she know
When she left me, it hurt me so.
I need your love babe, please don't make me wait.
Tell me it's not too late
@MarkGreenly
Great Song!
@bits362
Pistoia Blues Festival, July 1st, 1988
Ronnie Wood with Bo Diddley 's band ( my fav cover)
But nobody can touch Mr Chuck Willis
@evie00sleep68
💞All my love right here Mr. Willis. My generation. 🐞🎧🎼🎶. Cheers 🥂. Thanks for sharing
@oicsaywhat
Always knew this as Clapton playing it, so nice to hear where this song came from, this one is spot on beautiful
@karlmay1949
You just can't beat this style of music.
@JeryTillotson123
great ballad sung by a great artist. that female chorale group is so unique and so blusy--unforgettable.
@johnnyguitar42
One of the great old songs from the 1950's.
@barryhossin2000
Fantastic, i first got into this Music when i was 16 years old, going to the various clubs and pubs around London, with an amazing Scene around 1976, some pubs had record dealers, i would dance all Night, and by Music, i ended up selling original American clothes from the 1940s, and 1950s, for 5 years which was great fun, again in London on the kings road, lots of cool shops around then, sadly not anymore, and since the age of 16, i have been listening to it ever since,!!
@darrylevans4401
One of the greatest from the late and great Chuck Willis play it on my internet radio show Classic Soul me the Masterblaster.
@paulgentile1024
also one of the great songwriters of his day..