Pitney, a pop rock pioneer, had his greatest success overall in Britain, first travelling there after his first self penned hit in 1961. "I Wanna Love My Life Away" hit #26 on the UK singles chart & just broke into the top 40 in the US.
His early music recorded for the "musicor" label was romantic, lonely and dramatic, fitting in alongside contemporaries like Buddy Holly, Neil Sedaka, Roy Orbison & serves as an audio time capsule of a more innocent time.
Gene Pitney - Yesterday's Hero...
Gene was a Brill Building songwriter who even before his singing career took off, had written one of Ricky Nelson's biggest hits "Hello Mary Lou". He had been helped out initially in his career by Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and later recorded some of their songs which became big hits like "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and the classic "Only Love Can Break A Heart". At the time his "Only Love..." recording was a #2 chart hit, he had written the number 1 song that week; "He's A Rebel" (A Phil Spector production recorded by The Crystals). All in all Pitney himself recorded 16 top 40 songs in the US from 1961 to 1968.
Gene's biggest popularity was in England, where he used the Rolling Stones publicist Andrew Loog Oldham to get his fame established, which lasted there to the day of his death. In the UK, Gene had 40 top-40 charting hits through 1974. He finally hit #1 in the UK in 1990, performing a duet with Marc Almond of Soft Cell. Pitney died April 5 on tour in 2006. He was found by his tour manager fully clothed on his bed at a Hilton Hotel in Cardiff , shortly after performing a concert.
Just One Smile
Gene Pitney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There`s nobody to notice it
Can`t I cry if I want to
No one cares
Why can`t I pretend
That you love me again
All I've had has been taken from me
Just one smile the pain`s forgiven
Just one kiss the hurt`s all gone
Just one smile to make my life worth living
A little dream to build my world upon
How I wish I could say
All the things that I want to say
If some way you could see what`s in my heart
I don`t ask for much
A look, a smile, a touch
Try to forget Lord knows I`m trying
But it`s hard to forget when your whole world is dying
(2x fading on 2nd)
Just one smile the pain`s forgiven
Just one kiss the hurt`s all gone
Just one smile to make my life worth living
A little dream to build my world upon
The lyrics of Gene Pitney's song "Just One Smile" express a plea for comfort and understanding. The singer is heartbroken and feels alone, with nobody to turn to. The first lines of the song reveal the character's vulnerability, as he asks himself if it is okay to cry. He then goes on to make a wishful statement, asking if he can pretend that the person he loves still loves him back. He laments his situation of loss, which has left him in such a state that he must cry even though tears do not become him.
The chorus is the central theme of the song, as it encapsulates the singer's desires. He believes that just one smile can forgive all the pain he feels, just one kiss can make the hurt go away. He yearns for a little dream to make life worth living, and to build his world upon. He acknowledges that he does not ask for much, just a look, a smile, a touch. He is trying hard to forget his pain, but he admits that it is hard to forget when his whole world is dying.
Overall, the song expresses the universal message of human vulnerability and the need for comfort and understanding. In its simplicity, it resonates strongly with listeners, as it captures the essence of heartbreak and the hope for a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Can`t I cry? A little bit
Is it not okay for me to show my emotions and cry a little?
There`s nobody to notice it
No one is there to see and acknowledge my sadness.
Can`t I cry if I want to
Why can't I express my emotions the way I need to?
No one cares
I feel like nobody is there to support me in my time of need.
Why can`t I pretend
Is it not acceptable for me to pretend that things are better than they really are?
That you love me again
To imagine that the person I love still has feelings for me.
All I've had has been taken from me
Everything that brought me joy has been lost.
Now I`m crying and tears don`t become me
I'm trying to hold back tears, but it's not easy.
Just one smile the pain`s forgiven
If you would just smile at me, all the pain I'm feeling would disappear.
Just one kiss the hurt`s all gone
A single kiss would heal all of the pain I'm experiencing.
Just one smile to make my life worth living
If I could just see you smile, it would make my life meaningful again.
A little dream to build my world upon
All I need is a small hope or dream to help me rebuild my life.
How I wish I could say
I have so many things I want to express, but I can't find the words to do so.
All the things that I want to say
There's so much that's going on inside my head and heart that I want to tell you.
If some way you could see what`s in my heart
If only you could understand what I'm feeling inside and how much I love you.
I don`t ask for much
I'm not asking for anything big or extravagant, just a little bit of kindness.
A look, a smile, a touch
All I want is a simple gesture of love and affection from you: a look, a smile, a touch.
Try to forget Lord knows I`m trying
I'm doing my best to move on and forget, but it's not easy.
But it`s hard to forget when your whole world is dying
It's difficult to think about anything else when my heart is broken into pieces.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Randy Newman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kyzrsze
It is so amazing that this song never reached higher in the charts than it did. I think it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Pitney was so underrated and will always be one of my favorites......
john francis
Top ten smash here in the UK where he was adored.
Diana Hershberger
What a wonderful song. GENE PITNEY is a fantastic singer. I enjoyed him as a teenager and throughout my life. So sorry I was not able to see him perform live in Las Vegas. He died shortly thereafter. Thank goodness for record albums and YouTube. His great voice and music lives on.
Martin Brady
Written by Randy Newman, also recorded by BS&T and Dusty Springfield
Irene Hill
I am in my 70's and whenever I hear "Just one smile " I am back at my old dance hall in Carluke reliving my teenage years all over again.Lovely memories and a fantastic singer .R.I.P Gene X
Jaristandbeeld
Such a unique voice. So effortlessly emotional. This is probably the one I like the most.
Phaedrax2
I got to know Gene in the early 60's through work, and he was the nicest, kindest, friendliest, funniest guy ever, and amazingly, we met up again 30 years later! Broke my heart when i heard of his death. But his music lives on!
Witchybitch106
My mother was a big Gene Pitney fan. We played this at her funeral almost a year ago. I hope she's gone to the same place he has.
Doris May
dartsstar1 I’m sure she is my friend my mum love gene Pitney as well bless them both
Bob Wiacek
Having lost my wife to cancer, this song hits straight into my heart. Thank you, Gene. It was a distinct pleasure and a blessing to listen to your music growing up.