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.
Portofino
Engelbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
WRITERS MARK SPIRO, JACK WHITE
Long ago I used to know where love was found, A place in the sun
Long before this heart of mine had broken down You were the one
But now you're a lonely memory My heartache will never end
Though all of those nights are far away I wish I were with you again. Portofino I still remember the sun in your hair
Portofino I want you back in my arms
'Cause every time I close my eyes I'm holding you in the dark
In Portofino where you broke my heart.
I think of your face and still it can take my breath away After so long
And though I'll be lonely living for only yesterday I'll get along
Though now you're a faded memory My heartache will never end
This unforgotten melody keeps playing over and over again
Portofino I still remember the sun in your hair
Portofino mariachi music that danced in the air
Portofino I want you back in my arms
'Cause every time I close my eyes I'm holding you in the dark
In Portofino where you broke my heart
In Portofino where you broke my heart.
In Engelbert Humperdinck's "Portofino," the lyrics talk about a place of nostalgia and heartbreak, specifically, Portofino. The singer reflects on "long ago" memories of love found in a "place in the sun" and laments the loss of the person who was once "the one." The memories are bittersweet and evoke feelings of longing, as the singer wishes they could go back to those moments in Portofino where they were with the person they love. The descriptions of Portofino paint a picture of warm sun, mariachi music, and the feeling of holding the person close.
Despite knowing that the memories and the person are long gone and faded, the singer cannot forget them, and their heartache continues. The unforgotten melody of their time in Portofino keeps playing over and over again in their mind, reminding them of what they lost. Even though the person broke their heart in Portofino, the singer still wants to be there with them, holding them in the dark. Overall, the song talks about a person trying to come to terms with their loss and reminiscing about a time when they were in love in Portofino.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago I used to know where love was found, A place in the sun
I once knew where love could be found, a beautiful and happy place.
Long before this heart of mine had broken down You were the one
Before my heart was shattered, you were the one for me.
But now you're a lonely memory My heartache will never end
You are now just a memory that makes me feel lonely, and my heartache will never stop.
Though all of those nights are far away I wish I were with you again.
Despite the fact that those nights are long gone, I still long to be with you again.
Portofino I still remember the sun in your hair
I remember Portofino where I saw the mesmerizing sight of the sun in your hair.
Portofino mariachi music that danced in the air
In Portofino, there was mariachi music floating in the air that made everything feel more magical.
Portofino I want you back in my arms
I want to hold you in my embrace again while in Portofino.
'Cause every time I close my eyes I'm holding you in the dark
When I close my eyes, I imagine holding you in the darkness.
In Portofino where you broke my heart.
Portofino is where you broke my heart, and it still hurts.
I think of your face and still it can take my breath away After so long
Even after so much time has passed, the thought of your face still leaves me breathless.
And though I'll be lonely living for only yesterday I'll get along
Although I will be lonely living in the past, I will find a way to manage.
Though now you're a faded memory My heartache will never end
Even though you're just a blurry memory now, my heartache will never go away.
This unforgotten melody keeps playing over and over again
The unforgettable melody of our past plays repeatedly in my mind.
In Portofino where you broke my heart
In Portofino, you shattered my heart into a million pieces.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK WHITE, MARK SPIRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
john egbers
Long ago I used to know where love was found, A place in the sun
Long before this heart of mine had broken down You were the one
But now you're a lonely memory My heartache will never end
Though all of those nights are far away I wish I were with you again. Portofino I still remember the sun in your hair
Portofino mariachi music that danced in the air
Portofino I want you back in my arms
'Cause every time I close my eyes I'm holding you in the dark
In Portofino where you broke my heart.
I think of your face and still it can take my breath away After so long
And though I'll be lonely living for only yesterday I'll get along
Though now you're a faded memory My heartache will never end
This unforgotten melody keeps playing over and over again
Portofino I still remember the sun in your hair
Portofino mariachi music that danced in the air
Portofino I want you back in my arms
'Cause every time I close my eyes I'm holding you in the dark
In Portofino where you broke my heart
In Portofino where you broke my heart.
Repiblik Wanament (Federalizasyon Ayiti)
Long ago I used to know where love was found,
A place in the sun
Long before this heart of mine had broken down
You were the one
But now you're a lonely memory
My heartache will never end
Though all of those nights are far away I wish I were with you again.
Portofino I still remember the sun in your hair
Portofino mariachi music that danced in the air
Portofino I want you back in my arms
'Cause every time I close my eyes I'm holding you in the dark
In Portofino where you broke my heart.
I think of your face and still it can take my breath away
After so long
And though I'll be lonely living for only yesterday I'll get along
Though now you're a faded memory
My heartache will never end
This unforgotten melody keeps playing over and over again
Portofino I still remember the sun in your hair
Portofino mariachi music that danced in the air
Portofino I want you back in my arms
'Cause every time I close my eyes I'm holding you in the dark
In Portofino where you broke my heart
In Portofino where you broke my heart.
Gillian Jenkins
What a fabulous voice Engelbert has and love all his songs. No one quite like him xxx
nancyjoe5158
I'd never heard this song until I found it here on You Tube - - it's beautiful! One among many, many favorites. Everything that comes out of him is perfection!
Cecylia Krl
Wanda Król jakże piękna jest ta piosenka,,Portofino,,dziękuję za piękno Sir Engelbert klasyka Tak wspaniałego Artysty Sir dziękuję za piękno i ten piękny głos kłaniam sie nisko przed tak wspaniałym Artystą dziękuję pięknie pozdrawiam z Poland dziękuję ♥️💔♥️🕊🍀🕊🌹🌹🌹🕊🌍
Delfin D
Piękna z lat 80 ,wszystko co wykonuje jest przecudne❤
Cecylia Krl
Wanda Król jakże piękna jest ta piosenka Portofino ortofinodziękuję pięknie Gratulacje za piękno Sir Engelbert klasyka Tak wspaniałego Artysty Sir dziękuję za piękno pozdrawiam z Poland dziękuję ♥️💔♥️🕊🍀🕊🌹🌹🌹🌍
Ann-Marie Sylvester
A Beautiful man with a beautiful voice singing a beautiful song. God bless you Engelbert. Continue singing what you love doing in Jesus name.
Charmaine Jonck
Beautiful song. I love you so much Engelbert.
Sonia Urriola
canciones más hermosas que éstas no hay....grande Engelbert Humperdinck.
Kenneth Marquez
I never tired to listening my favorite singer artist Engelbert Humperdinck forever and ever the best singer artist and king of heart and king of romantic love song & romance
ada chimienti
Che meraviglia ascolto Engelbert con tanta gioia e stupendo lui e i suoi brani a topppp🔝🔝🔝