ln Waterford, O'Sullivan's father worked in a meat factory while his mother ran a sweet shop. In 1958, at the age of 11, he moved with his family to Swindon in England in search of a better life. He attended St. Joseph's Comprehensive school in Swindon. While there he developed an interest in both music and amateur boxing. Musically he began with the guitar and progressed to the piano. In the boxing ring he had nearly 50 bouts. Meanwhile his painting and drawing had won him a place at Swindon Art College. He started there in September 1963. His aim was to be a graphic designer. He played drums in his first group The Doodles and left them to join The Prefects while attending Swindon Art College. It was while at college that he met Rick Davies, who was later a member of Supertramp. While at college he began writing songs and sending out demo tapes, alas they were always returned unopened. The first song he remembers writing was Ready Miss Steady.
After finishing college, O'Sullivan moved to London in 1967 to try and further his musical career. He took a part-time job as a salesman at the C & A department store in Oxford Street. Mike Ward who also worked at C & A, had a contract with CBS and Gilbert went with him one day and played his tapes for some of the CBS executives. Gilbert signed a five year publishing contract with CBS which called for one single a year, and released two singles Disappear/You in 1967 and What Can I Do/You in 1968. Gilbert was disappointed that he was not allowed any input into the arranging or production of the singles. Neither single did well. Disillusioned with CBS, O'Sullivan signed with the Major Minor label and released I Wish I Could Cry/Mr. Moody's Garden in 1969.
O'Sullivan came to the attention of BBC Radio 1 disc jockey, John Peel, who gave him a slot on his radio show Top Gear, little of note resulted, and O'Sullivan spent part of 1969 applying to other record labels and management companies. It was at this time that O'Sullivan formulated his 'Bisto Kid' image; grey flannel suit, flat cap, school boy tie, football socks and hobnail boots. In search of a manager he sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, an ex-pop singer and himself a songwriter of repute, who had successfully guided the careers of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. Gordon Mills recognised something unique in the young Irishman and signed him for management as well as to a songwriting contract.
O'Sullivan made an irresistible impression with Nothing Rhymed, his first Top 10 hit and an introduction to his witty lyrics and original approach as a singer/songwriter. Signed to MAM Records, the label launched by Gordon Mills, who was also his record producer, great friend and surrogate older brother, O'Sullivan enjoyed four years of major success, incorporating a dozen more hit singles, ten of which reached the UK Top 10, and four Top 5 albums: Himself (1971), Back To Front (1972), I'm A Writer Not A Fighter (1973) and A Stranger In My Own Back Yard (1974).
Both Clair (written about Mills's infant daughter for whom Gilbert occasionally babysat) and Get Down were number one hit singles in Britain, and additionally, Back To Front topped the UK LP chart in 1972, emulating the success of the two million seller Alone Again (Naturally), a six week US chart-topper in 1972. O'Sullivan made his live debut in The National Stadium in Dublin in October of '72. Around this time, the singer jettisoned his so-called "Bisto Kid" image in favour of an endless series of collegiate-styled sweaters embossed with the letter "G". As quickly as O'Sullivan ascended to fame, however, his star began to fall , although singles like Ooh Baby and Happiness Is Me and You continued to chart, they sold increasingly fewer copies, and after 1973 his overseas popularity essentially ceased altogether. At home, he notched his final Top 20 hit with 1975's I Don't Love You But I Think I Like You. After a Greatest Hits album in 1976, and Southpaw in 1977, by which time the hit singles had dried up, disagreements over future direction led to a bitter split between O'Sullivan and Mills, which effectively sidelined the former as a recording artist for five years. The gruelling court case between O'Sullivan and his erstwhile manager, producer, music publisher and record company boss finally gave him control of his own recordings and the copyright in his songs, although it exacted an inevitable toll on his energy and his creativity during it's precedent-setting course.
Gilbert returned to CBS in 1980 and released Off Centre (1980) and Life & Rhymes (1982) but maintained a low profile during much of the 1980s, recharging his batteries and moving to Jersey, where he still lives with his wife and two children. Off Centre provided his 13th UK Top 20 single, What's In A Kiss?, after which legal proceedings monopolised his time. However, he continued writing songs, performing what he called "concepts within four walls" rather than starting back on the road before it was appropriate. He later recalled that the lyrics he wrote during that period were too heavily influenced by his personal emotions - having been extremely close to Mills before their disagreement, he was highly distressed to discover that his dear friend had been guilty of considerable financial greed at Gilbert's expense. Even so, he applied himself to his lonely creativity, working from 9 to 5 each day "just like Goffin & King and people like Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield at the Brill Building in New York used to do", although he later confessed "Really, the words were no good, because my mind was cluttered with all the problems". Lyrics have always been O'Sullivan's most unique facet, reflecting what's going on in his mind, and the strain under which he found himself was hardly conducive to much positive artistic or commercial creativity.
The first release for five years was Frobisher Drive and was only available in Germany. The same album with a slightly different track listing was released in the UK in 1989 under the title In The Key Of G, and included So What, his first chart single in almost a decade. Since the low-key comeback, the pace has increased, with five more albums. Gilbert also made a return to live performances in the early nineties, playing regularly in both Europe and Japan. In 1991, Gilbert was again in court, this time he sued American rapper Biz Markie and won the decision after Markie's unauthorized sample of "Alone Again (Naturally)" on his 1991 album I Need a Haircut. A 1992 single, Tomorrow Today had topped the Japanese charts for nine weeks, and this success led to a tour of Japan in early 1993 with his newly formed backing group, during which he recorded and filmed his first ever live album Tomorrow Today. Gilbert's newfound success in Japan led to the Japanese only release of The Little Album (1992) and Rare Tracks (1992). 1993's critical acclaimed Sounds Of The Loop (Daily Telegraph's Record Of The Week) included a duet with the legendary Peggy Lee on Can't Think Straight and even a solo version of the same song in Japanese. This album was recorded almost entirely at his home in Jersey in the Channel Islands.
By Larry (with a similar track listing to the Japanese released The Little Album) was released in 1994. Larry is a famous English cartoonist, much admired by Gilbert. Larry provided original cartoons for the album sleeve and booklet. Every Song Has It's Play was released the following year and was the soundtrack of the semi-autobiographical stage show that Gilbert had acted and sang in, in 1991. Singer Sowing Machine was released in 1997. The title is a humorous reaction by Gilbert to being constantly referred to as a singer/ songwriter. Irlish was released in 2000 and yielded three singles, Have It, Say Goodbye and Two's Company (Three Is Allowed). The album title Irlish, combination of the words Irish and English, appropriate for someone born in Ireland and raised in England. Gilbert's family was part of this migration. In 2001 The Official Gilbert O'Sullivan Website was launched as well as his own record label ByGum Records.
Gilbert continued to tour and he played a series of concerts in Ireland in 2001 and in the UK in 2002 to promote the Irlish album. A new studio album Piano Foreplay followed in 2003. In 2004 Rhino Handmade Records released a 3 CD anthology in the USA of Gilbert's music entitled Caricature: The Box. It contains 73 tracks which span the years 1967-2001. This is the first in-depth survey of Gilbert's lengthy career. It contains numerous singles and B-sides, tracks from 16 of his albums, and five previously unreleased tracks. A b-side collection entitled The Other Sides of Gilbert O'Sullivan was released in Japan in 2004 and contained many tracks available on CD for the first time. A series of concerts followed in Japan in June 2004 followed by a 20 date European Tour of the UK, Ireland, Norway and Denmark in November and December. In February 2005 a DVD/CD set of the 2004 Japanese show was released in Japan. Gilbert returned to Japan in June 2005 for a series of 13 shows. Gilbert spent the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006 recording his next studio album "A Scruff At Heart" which was released in Japan on 25 October 2006.
Alone Again
Gilbert O'Sullivan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I'm not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top
Will throw myself off
In an effort to
Make it clear to whoever
Left standing in the lurch, at a church
Where people saying, "My God, that's tough
She stood him up
No point in us remaining"
"We may as well go home"
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to, but who wouldn't do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about God and His mercy
Oh, if He really does exist
Why did He desert me
In my hour of need?
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally
It seems to me that
There are more hearts broken in the world
That can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do?
What do we do?
Alone again, naturally
Now looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start
With a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally
The Gilbert O'Sullivan's song "Alone Again (Naturally)" is a lament about the hardships of life, love, and loss. The song talks about feelings of isolation, abandonment, and disillusionment. The opening verse details the singer's suicidal thoughts, promising to "throw myself off" a nearby tower if he doesn't start feeling better soon. He feels shattered, emotionally and mentally, and can't seem to find a way out of his despair.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on a recent loss, where he was left standing alone at a church, abandoned by the woman he had hoped to marry. Others around him suggest they should all leave together, but he chooses to stay on his own. The chorus repeats, "Alone again, naturally," emphasizing the isolation and loneliness he feels.
The final verse reflects on the singer's past losses, the death of his father and, later, his mother's passing. Despite trying to offer comfort to his mother, he was unable to articulate his grief, and she had to start over with a broken heart.
Overall, the song narrates a story of despair, sadness, and grief. It is a melancholic reflection on the human experience and how the tragedies of life can leave us feeling isolated and alone.
Line by Line Meaning
In a little while from now
In a short time from now
If I'm not feeling any less sour
If I do not feel any better emotionally
I promise myself to treat myself
I am determined to do something good for myself
And visit a nearby tower
And go to a tower near me
And climbing to the top
And when I reach the top
Will throw myself off
I will jump off
In an effort to
To try and
Make it clear to whoever
Show someone
What it's like when you're shattered
What it feels like when you are completely broken
Left standing in the lurch, at a church
Abandoned at church without any support
Where people saying, "My God, that's tough
With people commenting on how difficult it must be
She stood him up
She did not show up for the date
No point in us remaining"
We might as well leave
"We may as well go home"
We should head back home
As I did on my own
Just like I did alone
Alone again, naturally
I am alone once again
To think that only yesterday
It seems like only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
When I was happy and carefree
Looking forward to, but who wouldn't do
Anticipating something exciting
The role I was about to play
The part I was going to act out
But as if to knock me down
But then, to bring me down
Reality came around
The harsh truth presented itself
And without so much as a mere touch
And without warning
Cut me into little pieces
Broke me into little bits
Leaving me to doubt
Making me unsure of everything
Talk about God and His mercy
Discussions about faith and divine help
Oh, if He really does exist
If God really exists
Why did He desert me
Why did He abandon me
In my hour of need?
When I needed Him most
I truly am indeed
In reality, I really am
Alone again, naturally
Alone once more, as usual
It seems to me that
I believe
There are more hearts broken in the world
There are more people with broken hearts globally
That can't be mended
That cannot be fixed
Left unattended
Left alone without anyone taking care of them
What do we do?
What should we do?
Alone again, naturally
Once more, all by myself
Now looking back over the years
When I reflect on my past
And whatever else that appears
And anything else that comes to mind
I remember I cried when my father died
I recall shedding tears when my father passed away
Never wishing to hide the tears
Without wanting to conceal my sadness
And at sixty-five years old
And at the age of sixty-five
My mother, God rest her soul
My mother, who is now at peace
Couldn't understand why the only man
Could not comprehend why the only person
She had ever loved had been taken
She has ever loved was taken away
Leaving her to start
Which caused her to have to begin
With a heart so badly broken
With a heart that was shattered
Despite encouragement from me
In spite of my efforts to comfort her
No words were ever spoken
She did not say a word
And when she passed away
And when she died
I cried and cried all day
I wept for an entire day
Alone again, naturally
Once again, I was alone
Alone again, naturally
Alone once again, as usual
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Raymond Edward O'Sullivan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidallardyce-ni8jn
I'm a 67 yr old guy..
My twin brother Daniel died at 35...
Our father passed away when
Danny and I were 19.
Gilbert thank you..
Also to
Sir Elton
John who
sang Daniel
Both you
inspire me
to be my best in life..
and treat
people in the world
with kindness
and
Respect..
@FrancisMcAnarney
"Alone Again (Naturally)"
(originally by Gilbert O'Sullivan)
In a little while from now
If I'm not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top
Will throw myself off
In an effort to
Make it clear to whoever
Wants to know what it's like
When you're shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Were people saying, My God, that's tough
She stood him up
No point in us remaining
We may as well go home
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to who wouldn't do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about, God in His mercy
Oh, if he really does exist
Why did he desert me
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally
It seems to me that there are more hearts
Broken in the world that can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do
What do we do
[Instrumental Interlude]
Alone again, naturally
Looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start
With a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever [Spoken]
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally
@kip1475
I'm 14, this is one of my favorite songs. Along with several other songs more falling in to the genre of Swing, Jazz, or Disco.
But I'm still able to enjoy more modern music and some rock, luckily.
(Side Rant)
It's saddening that some people close themselves off to very specific genres and ages of music. I remember how much of a pain it was to get my mother to stop calling me weird for not liking "The Cure" nearly as much as "The Ronettes" or Cole Porter.
I cannot exactly disagree with her on certain modern music-
But I got her to like Billie Eilish, Shakira, and Olivia Rodrigo.
@fernandosampaio6019
In a little while from now
If I'm not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top
Will throw myself off
In an effort to
Make it clear to whoever
Wants to know what it's like when you're shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Were people saying, My God, that's tough
She stood him up
No point in us remaining
We may as well go home
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to who wouldn't do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about, God in His mercy
Oh, if he really does exist
Why did he desert me
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally
It seems to me that
There are more hearts broken in the world
That can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do
What do we do
Alone again, naturally
Looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start
With a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally
@n.ashworthdean6953
In a little while from now
If I'm not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top
Will throw myself off
In an effort to
Make it clear to whoever
Wants to know what it's like when you're shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Were people saying, My God, that's tough
She stood him up
No point in us remaining
We may as well go home
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to who wouldn't do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about, God in His mercy
Oh, if he really does exist
Why did he desert me
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally
It seems to me that
There are more hearts broken in the world
That can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do
What do we do
Alone again, naturally
Looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start
With a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally
@markmarkyyy5632
Was 13 yrs. old in '71 when this song came out.... Didn't realize I'd be 65 and alone as I am today. Sad that my happiest years 60's-70's are gone..... but BLESSED to have grown up in that era and hearing songs like this as they were being played on the radio....
@archangelslayer529
well you are not alone someone care for you...
@jorgesalro
me too
@yolandanb-a4840
I was two years, but I discovered him when I was 10 and I loved him
@abe0705
Wish you happiness❤
@philippaperinski1428
I hear you! In the same boat.. How lucky we were though
@yza7479
Virtual hugs to everyone here that has a void in their heart right now. I hope life would be better for all of you :)
@crlpxz
♡
@shelleykrier7417
Thank you. The world seems to be letting us down but not so. God is with each and everyone of us.
@pattiharkness1704
Too much sadness. Haunting lyrics of a song that touched my ♥️at a very early age. A no d then my dad died leaving my 65 year old mom to get through her 9 tensing years. 😥