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.
Don't Bother At All
Gilbert O'Sullivan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said you don't want me round anymore
Found some other fool to come and care for you
Now you're back and though my heart is sad
You still want me but girl I'm still mad at you
So baby don't bother at all
I feel so sorry for the one you meet
Now I know what you are like and what you can do
That was then and now you're at my door
What can I tell you that I haven't before, we're through
So baby don't bother at all
From a bird's eye view to a T-bone steak
From above to below the human race
Have about as much respect for each other as we demand
To the moon to the wrong southside of you
Still remember how you used to care
Take you with me almost everywhere
Seems so funny to think that you'd be untrue
But the day you ran away with him
You made a fool of me and that I think is cruel
So baby don't bother at all
A bed of roses suppose it doesn't exist
would you believe,I believe that believing in this
is like a suit on a groom and the bride he's going to wed
Well instead go asleep in separate beds
Went and left me on my own before
Said you don't want me 'round anymore
Found another fool to come and care for you
Now you're back and though my heart is sad
You still want me but honey I'm still mad at you
So baby don't bother at all
So baby don't bother at all
So baby don't bother at all
The lyrics of "Don't Bother At All" by Gilbert O'Sullivan tell a story of heartbreak and betrayal. The song begins with the singer expressing how their significant other left them and said they don't want them around anymore. The ex has found someone else to care for them, which adds to the singer's pain. Despite the ex's return, the singer's heart is still sad, and they are still angry at the ex for what they did. The chorus reiterates the singer's plea for the ex to not bother them anymore.
As the song progresses, the singer observes the ex walking down the street and feels sorry for the person they are with now. The singer has gained insight into the ex's true nature and what they are capable of. The singer reflects on the past, referring to a time when they were together and the ex seemed caring and trustworthy. It now seems ironic to think that the ex could be untrue. The day the ex ran away with someone else, they made a fool out of the singer, which the singer finds cruel.
In the bridge, the lyrics take on a more abstract and metaphorical tone. The singer compares the relationship to a bird's eye view and a T-bone steak, emphasizing the drastic change from a lofty perspective to a harsher reality. The lack of respect between people is highlighted, possibly suggesting that the ex did not treat the singer with the respect they demanded. The mention of going to the wrong southside and references to the moon evoke a sense of confusion and being led astray. The singer still remembers how the ex used to care for them, taking them everywhere. It now seems amusing to think that the ex could betray their trust.
The song concludes with a repetition of the earlier verses and chorus. The singer acknowledges that the ex is back and still wants them, but they make it clear that they are still angry. They express that the ex shouldn't bother them anymore. The lyrics suggest that the relationship is irreparable, and the hurt inflicted by the ex's actions has left a lasting impact on the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Went and left me on my own before
You abandoned me and left me alone in the past
Said you don't want me round anymore
You explicitly stated that you no longer want me in your presence
Found some other fool to come and care for you
You discovered someone else foolish enough to take care of you
Now you're back and though my heart is sad
Now you have returned, but my heart is still filled with sadness
You still want me but girl I'm still mad at you
You may still desire me, but I am still angry with you
So baby don't bother at all
So please refrain from troubling me entirely
When I see you walking down the street
Observing you stroll down the street
I feel so sorry for the one you meet
I feel great sympathy for the person who encounters you
Now I know what you are like and what you can do
I now have a clear understanding of your true nature and capabilities
That was then and now you're at my door
That was a past occurrence, and now you have arrived at my doorstep
What can I tell you that I haven't before, we're through
I have nothing new to say to you; our relationship is over
From a bird's eye view to a T-bone steak
From a distant perspective to a substantial challenge
From above to below the human race
From a superior position to the entire human population
Have about as much respect for each other as we demand
We possess only as much respect for one another as we insist upon receiving
To the moon to the wrong southside of you
To an unreasonable extent, far from your true nature
Still remember how you used to care
I still recall how you used to show concern
Take you with me almost everywhere
I used to bring you along with me almost everywhere
Seems so funny to think that you'd be untrue
It appears amusing to consider that you could be unfaithful
But the day you ran away with him
However, the day you eloped with him
You made a fool of me and that I think is cruel
You humiliated me and I find that act to be unkind
So baby don't bother at all
So please refrain from troubling me entirely
A bed of roses suppose it doesn't exist
Imagine a perfect and comfortable situation that may not actually exist
Would you believe, I believe that believing in this
Do you find it plausible that I believe in the existence of this?
Is like a suit on a groom and the bride he's going to wed
It is comparable to a suit worn by a groom who is about to marry his bride
Well instead go asleep in separate beds
Instead, let us sleep in separate beds
So baby don't bother at all
So please refrain from troubling me entirely
So baby don't bother at all
So please refrain from troubling me entirely
So baby don't bother at all
So please refrain from troubling me entirely
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tiger Rogers
Missed this one Brian. This is VERY different for Gilbert O'Sullivan! Cheers Tiger.
flatop47
Thanks Tiger...Yes Different This
flatop47
Top 1982 B-Side..
Gilbert O'Sullivan
Christine Anne
never heard this one brian,pretty different, good songwriter was gilbert,thumbs up.
flatop47
Cheers J/B...Yes Different For Him This One....MS Likes Gilbert
Music Selection
Terrific upload Brian , never done a bad song has Gilbert, even his b sides are top notch , liked and shared , getting warmer today :)ms
flatop47
Cheers MMMMSSSS I'm Frezzing...lol Thanks Mate ..More Gilbert To Come
Family LifeVlog
cool video! like 4 and sub
flatop47
Thanks For Looking & Subed