His singing style, particularly for the blues, was strongly influenced by his idol, the American Blues singer Bessie Smith. While many British musicians of the time treated jazz and blues with almost religious solemnity, Melly rejoiced in their more bawdy side, and this was reflected in his choice of songs and exuberant stage performances. He recorded a track called 'Old Codger' with The Stranglers in 1978 especially written for him by the band.
Technically, Melly was bisexual, but moved from strictly homosexual relationships in his teens and twenties to largely heterosexual relationships from his thirties onwards. He married twice and had a child from each marriage.
He was still active in music, journalism, and lecturing on Surrealism and other aspects of modern art until his death, despite worsening health problems such as vascular dementia, incipient emphysema and lung cancer.
In addition to age-related health problems, Melly suffered from environmental hearing loss due to long-term exposure to on-stage sound systems, and his hearing in both ears became increasingly poor. On Sunday 10 June 2007, George Melly made an appearance, announced as his last ever performance, at the 100 Club in London. This was on the occasion of a fund-raising event to benefit the charity supporting his carers.
He died at his London home of lung cancer aged 80 on 5 July 2007.
Much of George's music was in collaboration with others and hence you will find him on last.fm often as "George Melly and..." rather than in his own name. Use the search facility to find many of the jazz bands he worked with
It Had to Be You
George Melly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
With all your faults, I love you still,
It had to be you, wonderful you,
It had to be you.
It had to be you, it had to be you.
I wandered around and finally found somebody who
Could make me be true, could make me be blue,
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
But they wouldn't do.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
With all your faults, I love you still.
It had to be you, wonderful you
It had to be you.
The lyrics to George Melly's song "It Had To Be You" tell the story of a person who has been searching for someone to truly love and be devoted to. The singer has been wandering around, looking for someone who can make them feel blue and even glad to be sad just by thinking of them. Finally, they have found that person in the object of their affections. The singer acknowledges that there are other people out there who are nice and easy to get along with, but they wouldn't do. The person they have found is flawed, but they still love them despite everything.
The theme of the song is the idea that love is unpredictable and often unexpected. The singer didn't know that they were going to fall in love with the person they did, but it happened anyway. The song also suggests that true love can't be manufactured or forced. The singer had to search and wait for the right person to come along, and when they did, everything fell into place.
Line by Line Meaning
It had to be you, it had to be you.
Out of all the people in the world, it was inevitable that I would end up falling in love with you.
I wandered around and finally found the somebody who
I spent a lot of time searching, but eventually I found someone who was just right for me.
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,
You have the power to make me honest and vulnerable, even if it sometimes makes me feel sad.
And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.
Despite the sadness that sometimes comes with thinking of you, I find a strange sense of joy in our connection.
Some others I've seen might never be mean
I've met plenty of people who are kind and gentle.
Might never be cross or try to be boss,
These people might never get angry at me or try to exert control over me.
But they wouldn't do.
However, they wouldn't be the right fit for me.
For nobody else gave me a thrill.
No one else excites me or fills me with the same sense of anticipation as you.
With all your faults, I love you still,
Despite your imperfections, I still love you just the same.
It had to be you, wonderful you,
Once again, I marvel at the fact that it could only be you - the wonderful person I can't imagine living without.
It had to be you.
There's simply no question that you're the one for me.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Isham Jones, Gus Kahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind