Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb, 1940-10-14, in Lucknow, India) m… Read Full Bio ↴Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb, 1940-10-14, in Lucknow, India) moved as an 8-year-old to the UK, where it would be 10 more years before he and his group The Drifters emerged in the UK charts for the first time with 'Move It'. Cliff was heavily influenced by Elvis, imitating him shamelessly during the first couple of years of his career. Something which he openly admits, and fully acknowledges that without Elvis, he and many others would never have happened. 'Move It' was a classic British Rock 'n' Roll song, peaked at number two, and was followed by a long string of hits like 'Living Doll' and 'Please Don't Tease'. By then The Drifters turned into The Shadows. After 'A Girl Like You' from 1961, the bond between Cliff and The Shadows loosened a bit, and solo singles of Cliff like 'When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart' started to appear alongside Cliff & The Shadows singles like 'Do You Wanna Dance'.

'Congratulations' was a global hit as it became a much bigger hit than 'La, La, La', which beat Cliff in the 1968 Eurovision song contest. Shortly after 'Congratulations', which was one of his solo efforts, Cliff recorded his last single with The Shadows. Again in 1973, with 'Power to All Our Friends', he entered the Eurovision song contest--this time reaching 3rd place.

The most sold artist in British Pop history - with over 40 top hits.

Worked with Stock Aitken Waterman in 1989 and the single "I Just Don't Have The Heart".

Sixty appearances at Wembley, plus sellout tour to celebrate 50 years in the business.

First hit: Move It, 1958, first no. 1: Living Doll

As big as he is in the UK, he has only had 3 Top 10 hits in the USA with the biggest still being his breakthrough 1976 single "Devil Woman" which made it all the way to #6.

Has also worked with Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Julian Lennon, Freddie Mercury, Stevie Wonder, Phil Everly, Janet Jackson, Sheila Walsh, Van Morrison, and Olivia Newton-John.

Joanna
Cliff Richard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Please don't ask me what went wrong
I never planned it to come out like this
Silent moments, thoughtless words
I never wanted these memories

Joanna
I love you so

Don't wait for me Joanna
I never meant to hurt you so
But now i have to let you go
Don't wait for me Joanna
I'll always say a prayer for you
And hope some day that you
Will found true love

When as children we used to play
We sat and wondered where we'd be today
I said we'd never be apart
But now we lie among the broken hearts

Joanna
I love you so

Don't wait for me Joanna
I never meant to hurt you so
But now i have to let you go
Don't wait for me Joanna
I'll always say a prayer for you
And hope some day that you
Will found true love

Don't wait, no no
Joanna
I can't let go, no

Don't walk away Joanna
I never meant to hurt you so
But now i know i can't let you go
Don't walk away Joanna
I'll always say a prayer for you

And i hope that you will find
In me true love

Overall Meaning

The song Joanna by Cliff Richard is an emotional and heartfelt ballad about a broken relationship. The lyrics speak of regret and longing for a lost love, as the singer asks for forgiveness and understanding. The opening lines of the song, "Please don't ask me what went wrong, I never planned it to come out like this," suggest that the break-up was not intended and perhaps was caused by a lack of communication between the two partners. The singer describes the pain of the memories of the relationship, saying "Silent moments, thoughtless words, I never wanted these memories."

The name of the song, Joanna, is the name of the person the singer is addressing throughout the lyrics. He tells her not to wait for him, as he never intended to hurt her. He acknowledges the pain he has caused, but also expresses his hope that she will find true love. The chorus of the song, which repeats several times throughout, declares the singer's love for Joanna, and his desire to make things right. He begs her not to walk away, knowing he cannot let go of his feelings for her.

Overall, the song Joanna is a poignant and honest reflection on the pain of lost love and the desire to reconcile. It speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the struggle to let go of a past relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Please don't ask me what went wrong
I cannot explain why our relationship ended

I never planned it to come out like this
This outcome was not anticipated or intentional

Silent moments, thoughtless words
Our conversations lacked depth and meaning

I never wanted these memories
These memories are now painful and unwanted

Joanna I love you so
My feelings for you are strong

Don't wait for me Joanna I never meant to hurt you so But now i have to let you go
Our relationship is over, and I do not want to cause you more pain by holding on

I'll always say a prayer for you And hope some day that you Will found true love
I will always think of you and wish you happiness with someone who loves you

When as children we used to play We sat and wondered where we'd be today I said we'd never be apart But now we lie among the broken hearts
We imagined our future together, but now our love has failed

Don't wait, no no Joanna
My decision is firm, and you should not hold on to hope

I can't let go, no
I still have feelings for you and find it difficult to move on

Don't walk away Joanna I never meant to hurt you so But now i know i can't let you go
I regret the hurt I caused you, but I cannot live without you

And i hope that you will find In me true love
I want to prove my love for you and hope you will give me a chance

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EATON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS