Everything Happens To Me
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics


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Black cats creep across my path
Until I'm almost mad
I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
Cause all my luck is bad
I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
I guess I'll go through life
Just catchin' colds and missin' trains

Everything happens to me
I never miss a thing
I've had the measles and the mumps
And every time I play an ace
My partner always trumps
Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps

Everything happens to me
At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
That love would turn the trick to end despair
But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
I've telegraphed and phoned
I send an "Airmail Special" too
Your answer was "Goodbye"
And there was even postage due
I fell in love just once
And then it had to be with you





Everything happens to me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gerry Mulligan's song Everything Happens To Me speak about the singer's constant misfortunes and bad luck. Starting with black cats crossing his path and continuing with the many mishaps that he experiences in his daily life, from cancelled plans to losing at card games, the singer seems to be cursed with an endless stream of bad luck. Even in matters of love, the one thing that he thought could turn his luck around, he is disappointed by rejection. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and resignation towards his difficult fate, as he accepts the fact that he will go through life "just catchin' colds and missin' trains".


The song is a commentary on the idea of fate and the belief that some people are just born unlucky. The singer's tone is one of acceptance, yet there is a hint of bitterness and humor in his words. The use of phrases such as "I guess I'll go through life" and "Guess I'm just a fool" show that the singer has given up hope of changing his situation, but at the same time, he is aware of the absurdity of his situation, as he continues to experience one unfortunate event after another.


Line by Line Meaning

Black cats creep across my path
I always seem to have bad luck.


Until I'm almost mad
My bad luck is so consistent, it's driving me crazy.


I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
I must have done something to anger the forces of the universe.


Cause all my luck is bad
My luck is so consistently bad that it's become the norm.


I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
Whenever I try to plan something, it always seems to go wrong.


I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
Even when I'm doing something innocent, like throwing a party, someone has a problem with it.


I guess I'll go through life
I've come to accept that this is how my life will be.


Just catchin' colds and missin' trains
I'll always be the victim of unfortunate circumstances.


Everything happens to me
No matter what I do, I can't escape my bad luck.


I never miss a thing
My bad luck is so constant that I'm always fully aware of just how bad it is.


I've had the measles and the mumps
I've had every misfortune that life can throw at me.


And every time I play an ace
Even when I have a good hand, something always goes wrong.


My partner always trumps
Even when I should have a clear win, something always gets in the way.


Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps
I'm always diving headfirst into situations without considering the consequences.


At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
I thought that love might be the answer to my bad luck.


That love would turn the trick to end despair
I thought that being in love would finally free me from my streak of misfortune.


But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
Now I realize that my bad luck is something that I can't escape no matter how hard I try.


I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
I've put all my hope and faith into something that will never happen.


I've telegraphed and phoned
I've tried everything to make things better.


I send an "Airmail Special" too
I've tried unconventional methods to change my luck.


Your answer was "Goodbye"
My efforts have all been in vain.


And there was even postage due
Even trying to communicate with others ends up costing me more than it should.


I fell in love just once
I've only been in love once.


And then it had to be with you
And of course, the person I fell in love with was someone who could never bring me good luck.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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