Along with a successful recording career in the 1960s and early 1970s, Black hosted her own eponymous variety show, Cilla, for the BBC between 1968 and 1976. After a brief time as a comedy actress in the mid-1970s, she became a prominent television presenter in the 1980s and 1990s, hosting hit entertainment shows such as Blind Date (1985–2003) and Surprise Surprise (1984–2001).
In 2013, Black celebrated her 50 years in show business. British television network ITV honoured this milestone with a one-off entertainment special which aired on 16 October 2013. The show, called The One & Only Cilla Black, featured Black herself and was hosted by Paul O'Grady.
Black died at her holiday home near Marbella, Spain, on 1 August 2015. She was 72.
Alfie
Cilla Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is it just for the moment we live?
What's it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give?
Or are we meant to be kind?
And if only fools are kind, Alfie
Then I guess it is wise to be cruel
What will you lend on an old golden rule?
As sure as I believe there's a heaven above, Alfie
I know there's something much more
Something even non-believers can believe in
I believe in love, Alfie
Without true love we just exist, Alfie
Until you find the love you've missed, you're nothing, Alfie
When you walk let your heart lead the way
And you'll find love any day, Alfie
Alfie
Cilla Black's song Alfie is a poignant exploration of the meaning of life, delivered as a warning to the titular character, who the singer deems to be living life without much thought to the bigger picture. The song opens with a series of questions posed to Alfie, urging him to question the meaning of his existence. The singer wonders if life is fleeting or if there is some deeper purpose to it.
As the lyrics unfold, the song takes a more philosophical turn. The singer ponders the idea of taking more than one gives and the value of kindness. They note that if only fools are kind, then maybe it is better to be cruel. The lyrics suggest that life only belongs to the strong and that there is no real guiding principle to follow.
But the singer then offers a glimmer of hope in the belief that there is something more to life than what we see. They express their belief in love as a force that can transcend even the most skeptical of hearts. Without it, the singer suggests, we are merely existing, rather than truly living. They conclude by urging Alfie to follow his heart, as it will ultimately lead him where he needs to be.
Line by Line Meaning
What's it all about, Alfie?
What is the purpose of our existence, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
Are we only meant to live in the present, Alfie?
What's it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?
When we try to understand the bigger picture, what is it really all about, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give?
Should we be selfish and seek more for ourselves than we give to others, Alfie?
Or are we meant to be kind?
Or should we aim to be kind, Alfie?
And if only fools are kind, Alfie
If only foolish people are kind, Alfie
Then I guess it is wise to be cruel
Then being cruel must be the wise choice, Alfie
And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie
And if life is only for the powerful, Alfie
What will you lend on an old golden rule?
What value will you place on the old golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated, Alfie?
As sure as I believe there's a heaven above, Alfie
I am confident that there is a heaven above, Alfie
I know there's something much more
But I also know that there is something much greater than that, Alfie
Something even non-believers can believe in
Something that even those who don't believe can find worth in, Alfie
I believe in love, Alfie
I believe that love is the answer, Alfie
Without true love we just exist, Alfie
Without genuine love, we are only surviving, Alfie
Until you find the love you've missed, you're nothing, Alfie
Without finding the love that you missed out on, you are incomplete, Alfie
When you walk let your heart lead the way
When you walk through life, follow your heart, Alfie
And you'll find love any day, Alfie
And you will find true love one day, Alfie
Alfie
Alfie
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JG Bach
Having lived through that era as a teenager not knowing what was coming next at times, Burt and Hal's songs were definite high-spots when radio and vinyl were kings and there was no other way to hear the latest releases. Living in a small town with one mono AM radio station that signed off at 11PM and only played pop songs after 7PM - most of this fare was heard through a small transistor radio speaker of 2 1/2 inches. This song was a bit of an exception as it was part of a popular motion picture - but none of this studio session was seen by the movie audience - unfortunately. Video like this was unknown by most of us at the time with no way to vidi it - except on B&W TV. But music videos in the 1960's weren't usually available to the public. Being able to watch this so many decades later is truly a miracle. For some reason TV execs didn't seem to think there was a market for "you are there" studio sessions like this back then. Many of us got bored watching the often awkward dancers on American Bandstand or The Lloyd Thaxton Show as there was nothing to see there really. Sometimes popular artists would lip/finger sync their music, but it was very low budget and often so obviously faked.
This piece is an honest representation of how life progressed on the other side of the world in a studio that became internationally famous - simply because excellence was the norm, not the exception. It's thrilling to see Bacharach share duties as Concert Master and suddenly sit down at the piano for a few brilliant embellishments all the while under the careful scrutiny of producer Sir George Martin next to his sound engineer. Interesting to note Martin by this time had suffered a considerable amount of hearing loss and was sometimes totally dependent on others to assess the high frequency integrity of a take. What his ears couldn't detect, he more than made up for with his gut and the solid pros he surrounded himself with.
Notice also the mixing "desk" (as the Brits call it) at Abbey Road. Employing vacuum tubes and pristinely maintained in typical Brit "ship-shape" order it remains today - having been used to record countless sessions with some of the world's most talented musical artists and comics. Another factor in allowing the original masters to sound so good are the Neumann microphones. Cilla stands before a very new (at the time) Neumann U-87 - with a transistorized pre-preamp - or motor as some refer to it as. Interesting to note the improvised "pop shield" in front of it. U-87's have a gain reduction pad switch in the base for use in high volume environments. I would think the reduction setting was used with Cilla working it that closely and such volcanic projection. No doubt the tube limiters in the CR meter needles were fully deflected at times - set to quickly recover when Cilla turned "kind" to the mike as the piece progressed. The choral group is miked with an older style, warmer U-47 that is just as crisp as the 87, but softer on the bottom end because of the vacuum tube it possesses in its "barrel." 47's sell on eBay today for upwards of $20 grand for a mint one!
Another reason for Abbey Roads' proliferation is the fact that it was built by masters of acoustic design. A sound engineer who toiled in the early days of radio and later designed and built world-class studios told me back in 1985: "Some of the equipment changes, but the sound principles remain the same."
Thank you for this posting. Truly.
Tyreman Guitars
Cilla makes your heart just melt, RIP Burt and Cilla Black, both legends.
Rev Rotunda
Along w/her producer George Martin shown here in the session. RIP
Ron Globe
How true...how true, and if you haven't watched the whole story of this recording coming together...you must!
julie clegg
Beautiful
Brent Nicholas
@Rev Rotunda I thought the shot of George giving the performance his deepest attention was amazing.What a performance.In another youtube clip Cilla explains Burt made her do 28 takes and how much energy each take took.
Audrey Hall
Agreed. 100 per cent.
David Muldrew
I am 65 and I am in tears. My Mom would sing this song I can remember my Mom si ging her heart out in the living room.
CatMacE
God bless her memory❤
BCassandra Thornton
My mother used to play this song on her piano and sing it too. I was just sharing it with my youngest sister who was not born during those times. RIP Mama we love & miss you ❤
Diane Larkin
Absolutely beautiful, my favorite song.