My Man's Gone Now
Ella Fitzgerald / Louis Armstrong Lyrics


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My man's gone now
Ain't no use a listenin'
For his tired footsteps
Climbin' up the stairs
Old man sorrow's
Come to keep me company
Whisperin' beside me
When I say my prayers
When I say my prayers
He come aroud
He come up, he come around
Ain't that I mind workin'
Workin' means travelers
Journeyin' togheter
To the promised land
But old man sorrow
Mountin' all the way with me
Tell' me that I'm old now
Since I lose my man




Since I lose my man
Since I lose my man

Overall Meaning

The song "My Man's Gone Now" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong is a somber ballad about a woman whose man has left her. The lyrics convey her feelings of sadness, loneliness, and despair as she realizes that her life has changed forever. The song begins with the line "My man's gone now, ain't no use a listenin'" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The woman is resigned to the fact that there is nothing she can do to bring back her man, and so she is left to deal with her grief alone.


Through the lyrics, we learn that the woman's man was a traveler who journeyed with her to the promised land. However, now that he is gone, she is left with nothing but the company of old man sorrow. She hears his footsteps climbing up the stairs, and she feels his presence when she says her prayers. This imagery paints a picture of a woman who is haunted by the memory of her man and unable to move on from the loss.


The final lines of the song repeat the phrase "Since I lose my man" which serves to hammer home the point of the song. The repetition of this line emphasizes the finality of the loss and the fact that the woman's life will never be the same again. Overall, "My Man's Gone Now" is a poignant and touching song that captures the pain of losing someone you love.


Line by Line Meaning

My man's gone now
I have lost my partner


Ain't no use a listenin'
I don't hear him anymore


For his tired footsteps
I can't hear his footsteps anymore


Climbin' up the stairs
He used to climb the stairs to reach me


Old man sorrow's
I feel intense grief


Come to keep me company
I feel like my sadness is my only constant companion


Whisperin' beside me
It's like my sorrow is always there, quietly lurking


When I say my prayers
Even when I try to pray, my grief follows me


He come aroud
Sometimes I feel like he's still here


He come up, he come around
Even though he's gone, I still sense his presence


Ain't that I mind workin'
I don't mind hard work


Workin' means travelers
Working allows me to travel and explore


Journeyin' togheter
I wish my partner was here to journey with me


To the promised land
I dream of a better place, without sorrow


But old man sorrow
My grief is still with me


Mountin' all the way with me
It feels like my sorrow is getting worse


Tell' me that I'm old now
My grief makes me feel older than I am


Since I lose my man
I've been consumed by sorrow since I lost my partner


Since I lose my man
I feel like my life ended when he passed away




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: IRA GERSHWIN, GEORGE GERSHWIN, DU BOSE HEYWARD, DOROTHY HEYWARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@tootsierool8624

My man's gone now
Ain't no use a listenin'
For his tired footsteps
Climbin' up the stairs
Old man sorrow's
Come to keep me company
Whisperin' beside me
When I say my prayers
Sint that i mind working working i a travellers journeying together to the promised land I say my prayers
He come aroud
He come up, he come around
Ain't that I mind workin'
Workin' means travelers
Journeyin' togheter
But old man sorrow
Mountin' all the way with me
Tell' me that I'm old now
Since I lose my man
Since I lose my man
Since I lose my man



All comments from YouTube:

@iwpchi303

Spectacular jazz arrangement of the Gershwin classic, performed by an amazing jazz string & horn section arranged by jazz genius Russell Garcia and sung by the immortal Ella Fitzgerald.  Congratulations on your web journey to this location on the Internet where the soul of music never dies!  This version is the standard against which all others must be judged!

Thanks for posting this!

Workers of the World, Unite!

Independent Workers Party of Chicago

@danielboyer3272

Ella Fitzgerald !! La voix d'un Ange !

@justice5992

SANG!!!

@arsenalius6855

Ella & Louis forever!!!
👍❤️
🙏

@EricPeron

Sometimes, the best can born from a combination of many talents. Often, it can't pleasing to everyone...

@MrBassflute

Love Ella and Louis...listen to Audra McDonald's performance of the classical version.

@robertofernandesbastos218

Ella can not have the pathos of Mc Rae, but her voice and sense of the melody are so strong that made her version unpair

@juliolazzagonzalez

RIP #GeorgeGershwin

@larrycohen5830

Just listened to Carmen McRae's and am in total agreement with jazzyscookie (although Ella's voice is that of Hashem.)

@jazzyscookie

Attached Carmen's version to this video

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