Who?
Frankie Newton And His Orchestra Lyrics


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[Chorus]
Who, stole my heart away
Who, makes me dream all day
Dreams I know can never come true
Seems as though I'll ever be blue
Who, means my happiness
Who, would I answer yes to
No one, but you!

A woman's intentions, her famine inventions
A seldom if ever defined
And I am no different, why should I be different?
I simply can't make up my mind
How can I solve this situation
Except by the process of elimination

[Chorus]

Can it be, can it be, who can it be?
You'll never guess who has stolen my heart away Dreamin' dreams I know
Can never come true

Seems as though
I'll never be blue!
Oh who, means my happiness
Who, would I answer yes to




Well you oughta guess who, who...
No one but you!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Frankie Newton And His Orchestra's song Who? explore the confusion and indecision that often comes with being in love. The chorus repeatedly asks "Who?" as a reference to the person who has stolen the singer's heart and causes them to dream all day. The dreams, however, are acknowledged as ones that can never come true, leading to a sense of longing and melancholy ("Seems as though I'll ever be blue"). Despite this, the singer is clear that it is only this person who brings happiness and to whom they would answer yes to.


The verse follows with an introspective look at the singer's own intentions and struggles with decision-making. The comparison is made between a woman's "famine inventions" (meaning unclear or excessive desires) and the singer's own inability to make up their mind. The only solution presented is the process of elimination, which could imply a logical or pragmatic approach to choosing a partner.


Overall, the lyrics capture the complex emotions and uncertainties that come with love, and the nostalgia that often accompanies the realization that a particular relationship cannot be pursued.


Line by Line Meaning

Who, stole my heart away
I am wondering who has captured my heart


Who, makes me dream all day
I am always daydreaming about someone


Dreams I know can never come true
I understand that my dreams are unrealistic


Seems as though I'll ever be blue
It appears that I will always be melancholy


Who, means my happiness
Someone is the source of my happiness


Who, would I answer yes to
Who is the one that I would say 'yes' to


No one, but you!
There is nobody else but you


A woman's intentions, her famine inventions
A woman's motives are often mysterious


A seldom if ever defined
They are usually not clearly stated


And I am no different, why should I be different?
I am in the same situation, why should I be any different?


I simply can't make up my mind
I cannot decide who to choose


How can I solve this situation
I need to figure out how to solve this problem


Except by the process of elimination
The only way to decide is by eliminating options


Can it be, can it be, who can it be?
I am wondering who it could possibly be


You'll never guess who has stolen my heart away
It's unlikely that you will figure out who I am in love with


Well you oughta guess who, who...
You should be able to guess who it is


No one but you!
It's only you who has captured my heart




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADIDJA PALMER, CHRISTOPHER BIRCH, KARIM THOMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Joe Carbery

The magnificent Pete Brown, a unique voice on alto saxophone!

Pops Coffee

Many thanks, Andy. Very interesting. Certainly demonstrates well why James P Johnson's reputation was deserved.

Andy LeMaitre

Thanks Pops, totally agree.

John Llewlyn Davies

James P., having inspired Fats, shows he can also swing with power!

Trombonology Erstwhile

The presence of Al Casey adds to the "and His Rhythm" effect created by Fats' mentor, James P.

Barry Gordon

James p Johnson was the best,we see why here, not just swing but a brilliant improvasation ,many stride pianists while great players were not great improvisers,j p on the otherhand had it all,and was a great improviser,and check out his use of harmony...and how he stretches out his lines,ya he was the boss of this stuff.

blackpoolbarmpot

Never heard "Who" played like that before.... It's certainly different to Binnie Hale & Jack Buchanan's version from "Sunny" in 1926 🤣. A very nice updated version though !
Thanks for posting.

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