Dick Haymes (September 13, 19… Read Full Bio ↴Powerful, milky smooth, rich baritone.
Dick Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was one of the most popular American male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s.
He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His Irish-born mother, Marguerite Haymes (1894-1987), was a well-known vocal coach and instructor. He became the vocalist in a number of big bands, worked in Hollywood on radio and in many films throughout the forties and fifties.
He never became a United States citizen and avoided military service during World War II by asserting his non-belligerent status as a citizen of Argentina, which was neutral. Years later (1955), this act of his nearly caused his deportation to Argentina on an unrelated technicality in immigration law. During World War II, he was briefly detained at Ellis Island.
Haymes was married six times and had six children. His most famous marriages were to film actresses Joanne Dru (1941-1949) and Rita Hayworth (1953-1955). His daughter Stephanie Haymes was married to Sir Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin
He died in Los Angeles from lung cancer, at the age of 61.
The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Dick Haymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The boulevard of broken dreams
Where gigolo and gigolette
Can take a kiss without regret
So they forget their broken dreams
You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow
When you behold your shattered schemes
Wake up to find their eyes are wet
With tears that tell of broken dreams
Here is where you'll always find me
Always walking up and down
But I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town
The joy that you find here you borrow
You cannot keep it long it seems
Gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams
Here is where you'll always find me
Always walking up and down
For I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town
The joy that you find here you borrow
You cannot keep it long it seems
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams
In Dick Haymes's song "The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," the lyrics describe a place where people come who have experienced heartache and disappointment. The boulevard is a street of sorrow where gigolos and gigolettes (flirtatious men and women who use their charm to gain attention and gifts) can take a kiss without regret, forgetting their broken dreams. However, the reality catches up with them as they wake up with wet eyes and tears that tell the story of their shattered dreams.
The song emphasizes how fleeting joy can be, and the temporary fixes people seek to console themselves. The persona in the song walks up and down the boulevard, unable to move forward, leaving his soul behind in an old cathedral town. There is no permanent comfort on this boulevard, and people can only borrow the joy they find there, for it cannot be kept long.
The idea behind the song is that everyone has their moment of broken dreams, and the boulevard is a place where they can come together in their sadness, dancing and singing along while trying to find a moment of happiness. It highlights the need for human connection even in times of strife.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk along the street of sorrow
I am wandering through a road where sadness prevails.
The boulevard of broken dreams
It's a place where people's dreams get shattered.
Where gigolo and gigolette
A place where male and female prostitutes come.
Can take a kiss without regret
Where they can kiss anyone without feeling sorry.
So they forget their broken dreams
They indulge in sexual activities to escape from the pain of failure.
You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow
A moment of happiness today may turn into a sad memory tomorrow.
When you behold your shattered schemes
When you realize your plans have fallen apart.
Wake up to find their eyes are wet
They wake up to discover tears in their eyes.
With tears that tell of broken dreams
The tears signify the dreams that couldn't be fulfilled.
Here is where you'll always find me
You can always spot me here.
Always walking up and down
Constantly wandering through the boulevard.
But I left my soul behind me
Part of me is still stuck in a small town I used to know.
In an old cathedral town
The town where the cathedral still holds a special place in my heart.
The joy that you find here you borrow
You might experience happiness here, but it's only temporary.
You cannot keep it long it seems
It's difficult to hold on to this fleeting happiness.
Still sing a song and dance along
Prostitution might be their source of income, but they still cling to joy and entertain themselves.
The boulevard of broken dreams
Despite being a place of despair, it's where they belong.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind