Gilbert O'Sullivan (born Raymond Edward O'Sullivan in Waterford, Ireland, o… Read Full Bio ↴Gilbert O'Sullivan (born Raymond Edward O'Sullivan in Waterford, Ireland, on 1 December 1946) is an Irish-English singer-songwriter, best known for his early 1970s hits "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Clair", and "Get Down".
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.
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.
I'll Guess I'll Always Love You
Gilbert O'Sullivan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
Que tiempos pasábamos al iniciar la aventura
Tu recuerdas el amor entre llanto y alegria
Aunque nuestras vidas son, como islas en el mar
El sentimiento sigue aquí en mi corazón
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
Looking back over the years and the memories they hold
One thing always gets to me; why did I ever let you go?
Though it’s easy to be wise, once events have taken place
When I think about those times and I see your face
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
If it wasn’t for the fact
That I think if you like that
I don’t think I could explain
Ever seeing you again
If it wasn’t for the time
That had passed since you were mine
I don’t think you could deny, even with goodbye
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
Que tiempos pasábamos al iniciar la aventura
Tu recuerdas el amor entre llanto y alegria
Aunque nuestras vidas son, como islas en el mar
El sentimiento sigue aquí en mi corazón
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
Looking back over the years and the memories they hold
One thing always gets to me; why did I ever let you go?
Though it’s easy to be wise, once events have taken place
When I think about those times and I see your face
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
If it wasn’t for the fact
That I think if you like that
I don’t think I could explain
Ever seeing you again
If it wasn’t for the time
That had passed since you were mine
I don’t think you could deny, even with goodbye
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
I guess Ill always love you
I guess Ill always care
The song "I'll Guess I'll Always Love You" by Gilbert O'Sullivan is a heartfelt ballad about a person's undying love and care for someone even after they have parted ways. The four lines of the chorus, "I guess I'll always love you, I guess I'll always care," repeat throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's feelings of enduring love. The second verse reflects on memories and the regret of letting someone go.
The bridge of the song is a bit of a departure from the rest of the lyrics, as it switches to Spanish, "Que tiempos pasábamos al iniciar la aventura, Tu recuerdas el amor entre llanto y alegria, Aunque nuestras vidas son, como islas en el mar, El sentimiento sigue aquí en mi corazón." Translated to English, it reads, "What times we had at the beginning of the adventure, Do you remember love between tears and joy, Although our lives are, like islands in the sea, The feeling is still here in my heart." The use of Spanish adds a layer of emotion and diversity to the song, emphasizing the universal nature of love and heartbreak.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'll Guess I'll Always Love You" express the idea that true love never truly fades away. Even if people go their separate ways, the memories and feelings remain. It is a poignant reminder of the power of love and its lasting impact.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess Ill always love you
My feelings for you will never fade
I guess Ill always care
I will always hold concern for your well-being
Que tiempos pasábamos al iniciar la aventura
We had good times when we began our journey together
Tu recuerdas el amor entre llanto y alegria
You remember the love we shared through ups and downs
Aunque nuestras vidas son, como islas en el mar
Although our lives are like islands in the sea
El sentimiento sigue aquí en mi corazón
The feeling remains in my heart
Looking back over the years and the memories they hold
Reflecting on memories of the past and how they shape the present
One thing always gets to me; why did I ever let you go?
I regret letting you go and often wonder why I did
Though it’s easy to be wise, once events have taken place
Hindsight makes it easy to understand after the fact
When I think about those times and I see your face
Remembering the past and how it relates to seeing you now
If it wasn’t for the fact
The only reason
That I think if you like that
I assume that's how you feel too
I don’t think I could explain
I wouldn't be able to articulate it
Ever seeing you again
The possibility of being reunited
If it wasn’t for the time
The only reason
That had passed since you were mine
The time that's gone by since we were together
I don’t think you could deny, even with goodbye
I believe you still have feelings for me, even if we said goodbye
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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S MacLaren
I shall always love you. My One and Only, that I believe God gave to me; His perfect gift of all beautiful gifts. My Always and Forever. Joy! My Sophs. Please forgive me fully, and allow me to come in out of this cold place. At the very mention of Your Name I become alive again! There could never be anyone in this vast Universe who could ever touch my heart as you do. Will you speak to me? I shall listen, and I shall remain silent; to understand. Until you need something of me.
"At the very mention of your name
Get shivers down my back and in my brain
The parts that used to function normally
Are now as you can see
Acting very strange ..
Oh at the very mention of your name
Don't know why but if I were tied up in chains
I would somehow be released
All problems too would cease
My heart would never feel no pain
At the very mention of your name ..
At the very moment you arrive
I stop living and I start to feel alive
You have the power that's taken over me
Led me to believe
Call it what you like ..
At the very moment you arrive
I suspect that I will pinch myself to find
That it really isn't true
It really can't be you
Walking up the garden drive
At the very moment you arrive."
Gilbert
For you. From me. Always and forever.
Stephen Ryder
As big a star as McCartney Tom Jones and all the big singers. He's brilliant and kept true to himself. I've listened to him since he started out in 1968. Keep going ray..xx
Ian Davidson
I've followed Gilbert from the beginning. Over the years he has written some wonderful songs - and here's another one! There's just something special about a good duet,
藤野秀和
@K D is
Rob van der Vaart
@K D listen to 'Don't Let It Get To You', 'I'll Never Love Again', 'I Wanna Know', 'The Allergy Song', 'My Front Door Is', 'Permissive Twit', 'Showbiz', 'There Are Others', 'You Were The Best Fun I Ever Had, 'Get Out Of My Life', 'You Don't Have To Tell Me' and 'In My Hole'.
K D
@carlos gibson thanks.
carlos gibson
@K D We Will, I Can't Think Straight, Why oh Why, Clair.
K D
suggest me some of his less popular good songs, i recently discovered him. he is awesome.
Judy Benyacov
I really love this Gilbert O’Sullivan❤️ Music makes me so happy😍 it’s real Music🎵
Vincent Crici
Wow! This is so simple yet so moving- the melody, the voices- today’s music is so boring melodically-young people take a lesson from Gilbert! Love you man, Keep em coming❤️
Yuri Nosarev
Beautiful song & amazing duet!!!