born: 02-05-1936
birth place: Madras, India
… Read Full Bio ↴Engelbert Humperdinck
born: 02-05-1936
birth place: Madras, India
Starting out life as Arnold George Dorsey, Engelbert spent the early years of his life in India, until his family returned to England in 1947. He first worked as an engineer and then developed his singing and performance skills on the club circuit.
In the early fifties, he took some time out from professional singing whilst he did his national service, and returned to performing in 1956. He continued to sing in clubs and recorded some unsuccessful material for Decca in 1958.
His big break as a singer came in 1965. It was at this point that Gordon Mills, the then manager of Tom Jones, gave Arnold the new name of Engelbert Humperdinck. The new name meant that he was given another chance at recording with Decca records.
Engelbert's recording of the country standard ‘Release Me’ reached number one in the UK chart and number four in the US. His version of this song is perhaps the most famous, and it is certainly the song that he is most remembered for.
Other chart hits on both sides of the channel followed in the shape of ‘There Goes My Everything’ and ‘The Last Waltz’.
He had sixteen hit albums in America between 1967 and 1979 and released his greatest Hits in 1974, which reached number one in the UK. However, his cabaret style of singing started to go out of fashion in the 1970s, and he found it hard to maintain a presence in the British charts.
He has, however, continued to sing live and has maintained success in this arena. Unlike his natural rival, Tom Jones, he has not chosen to adapt his style to breathe new life into his recording career.
Goodbye Maria
Engelbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I still hear her voice in my head
The boxes of books
That she never took
And pictures that hang by the bed
With so many promises broken
I'll place all my dreams on the shell
To put her to rest
Though I can't believe it myself
Goodbye Maria, I love you
How long will you stay in my heart
I'll try every day
To get myself to say
Goodbye Maria, goodbye
I'll try to forget how she loved me
And hope that her memory will end
But one love around
My world starts tumbling down
And here comes that feeling again
Goodbye Maria, I love you
How long will you stay in my heart
I'll try every day
To get myself to say
Goodbye Maria, goodbye
I never know why
You had to leave me here
Without a rime of reason left to try
Goodbye Maria, I love you
How long will you stay in my heart
I'll try every day
To get myself to say
Goodbye Maria, goodbye
In "Goodbye Maria," Engelbert sings about the lingering memories of a lost love, Maria. He admits that her memory still surrounds him and her voice still echoes in his head. He enumerates the boxes of books that she never took and the pictures that are still hung by the bed, reminders of what they once shared. Despite their broken promises, the singer still hopes to put her memory to rest and move on with his life, but it's not that easy. The feeling of love and heartbreak returns whenever he tries to forget, and he can't seem to escape the hold she has on him.
The song is an emotional ballad that explores the pain of losing love and the struggle to move on. It's a common theme in music but Engelbert delivers it with sincerity and raw emotion. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man who is grappling with the memories of a past love and trying to come to terms with the fact that she is no longer there. It's a relatable experience that many people who have gone through a break-up can relate to.
In conclusion, "Goodbye Maria" is a touching love song that captures the difficulty of letting go of a lost love. Engelbert's powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics make it an emotional journey worth taking. The song remains a classic and a true testament to the artistry of Engelbert.
Line by Line Meaning
I still keep her memory around me
I can't let go of the memories of the person that has left me
I still hear her voice in my head
The person's voice echoes in my mind, reminding me of what once was
The boxes of books
That she never took
And pictures that hang by the bed
The things that belonged to the person are still in my possession and they serve as constant reminders of that person
With so many promises broken
I'll place all my dreams on the shell
And give it my best
To put her to rest
Though I can't believe it myself
Despite the broken promises, I'll try to forget and move on. It's hard but I'll try my best to do it.
Goodbye Maria, I love you
How long will you stay in my heart
I'll try every day
To get myself to say
Goodbye Maria, goodbye
Saying goodbye to the person that has left me is tough but I know it needs to be done. It will be a daily struggle but I will try my best to say goodbye.
I'll try to forget how she loved me
And hope that her memory will end
But one love around
My world starts tumbling down
And here comes that feeling again
I want to forget the love we shared and move on, but whenever I see something that reminds me of the person, it feels like my whole world is falling apart again.
I never know why
You had to leave me here
Without a rime of reason left to try
I can't comprehend why the person left me and it seems like there was no reason for it. I'm left here without any closure or resolution.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK WHITE, MARK SPIRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind