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.
The Niceness of It All
Gilbert O'Sullivan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, it's the niceness of it all,
Whether you are close to me or far,
It doesn't matter in the least,
As long as I can be with you,
Any time I need to, like a baby,
That's just starting to grow,
Makes me love you more and more
And it's the niceness of it all,
Baby, it's the niceness of it all,
That makes me write to you and say
How much I've missed you over the weeks,
That makes me call you on the phone
Whenever there's a chance to speak
And even if there's only time to say hello,
It's the niceness of it all
That makes me love you more and more
I don't know what's come over me
I've hardly touched a drink,
My mother thinks it's marvelous,
He's off the road to sin,
She thinks you're just the tonic,
That I need,
And who am I to argue,
After all, isn't that what I believe
It's the niceness of It all,
Baby, it's the niceness of it all,
If I can't be with you for a week,
Then a day will have to do,
I won't say that that's enough,
But then beggars can't be choosers,
And besides if nothing else at least I know,
It's the niceness of it all,
That makes me love you more and more
Every time I see a shadow,
I think what a blessing it must be,
Not to have to talk with fingers,
Not to have look with nothing to see
You try living your life to the full,
Confined to a chair,
Try and hide your loneliness when no one is there
Yes it's the niceness of it all,
That makes me love you more and more,
It's the niceness of it all babe,
That's what I like, and what I need,
The niceness of it all, it's the niceness of it all,
Whether close to me or far,
It's no matter where you are,
For as far as I can see,
You're the only one for me
It's the niceness of it all,
It's what I like, what I need,
It's the niceness, just the niceness of it all.
Whether close to me or far,
It's no matter where you are,
For as far as I can see,
You're the only one for me
It's the niceness of it all,
It's what I like, what I need,
It's the niceness, just the niceness of it all.
The lyrics to Gilbert O'Sullivan's song The Niceness of It All express a deep appreciation for the simple yet profound pleasures of being with someone we love. The repetition of the phrase "it's the niceness of it all" serves as a reassuring reminder that even though life can be complicated and difficult, there is still beauty and joy to be found in the small moments shared with those we care about.
The singer emphasizes that physical distance is irrelevant as long as they are able to be together when they need to be. They express their love for the other person with tender lyrics, mentioning how the "niceness of it all" inspires them to write letters and make phone calls, even if it's just to say hello.
The final lines of the song, where the singer acknowledges the struggle of living with a physical disability, add a layer of poignancy to the song's message. The "niceness of it all" is then elevated to a higher level, underscoring the beauty of human connection and compassion in the face of personal hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, it's the niceness of it all,
The kindness of our relationship is what makes it special
Baby, it's the niceness of it all,
My dear, it's the generosity of our feelings for each other
Whether you are close to me or far,
It doesn't matter if we are physically close or not
It doesn't matter in the least,
It is completely insignificant
As long as I can be with you,
As long as we have each other's company
Any time I need to, like a baby,
Just like a child needs their loved ones, I too need you
That's just starting to grow,
My affection for you is only beginning to develop
It's the niceness of it all that,
Our kind connection is what
Makes me love you more and more
Drives me to keep loving you more every day
And it's the niceness of it all,
Our kindness to each other is what
Baby, it's the niceness of it all,
My dear, our generosity to each other is what
That makes me write to you and say
That inspires me to write and tell you
How much I've missed you over the weeks,
How much I long for you when we are apart for weeks
That makes me call you on the phone
That motivates me to reach out and call you on the phone
Whenever there's a chance to speak
Whenever I get an opportunity to talk to you
And even if there's only time to say hello,
Even if we only have time to say hello
It's the niceness of it all
It's our kindness towards each other
That makes me love you more and more
That makes me love you deeper and deeper
I don't know what's come over me
I don't understand what's happening to me
I've hardly touched a drink,
I haven't been drinking much lately
My mother thinks it's marvelous,
My mother thinks it's great
He's off the road to sin,
I am no longer prone to sinful behavior
She thinks you're just the tonic,
She thinks you are the remedy
That I need,
That I require
And who am I to argue,
And what right do I have to disagree?
After all, isn't that what I believe
In the end, don't I believe that too?
If I can't be with you for a week,
If we can't be together for a week
Then a day will have to do,
Then only a day of being together will have to suffice
I won't say that that's enough,
I won't claim that it is adequate
But then beggars can't be choosers,
But then again, I can't be too picky
And besides if nothing else at least I know,
But anyway, if nothing else, I am certain of one thing
It's the niceness of it all,
It's our kindness to each other
That makes me love you more and more
That makes me love you deeper and deeper
Every time I see a shadow,
Every time I see a dark figure
I think what a blessing it must be,
I think how much of a blessing it is
Not to have to talk with fingers,
Not to have to communicate via sign language
Not to have look with nothing to see
Not to have to look at things with nothing to see
You try living your life to the full,
Try living your life to the fullest
Confined to a chair,
Stuck in a wheelchair
Try and hide your loneliness when no one is there
Try to conceal your loneliness when you're alone
Yes it's the niceness of it all,
Yes, it's our kindness to each other
That makes me love you more and more,
That makes me love you even more deeply
It's the niceness of it all babe,
It's our kindness to each other, babe,
That's what I like, and what I need,
It's what I crave and what I require
The niceness of it all, it's the niceness of it all,
The kindness of it all, it's all about kindness
Whether close to me or far,
Whether we are close or far apart
It's no matter where you are,
It doesn't matter where you are
For as far as I can see,
As far as I am concerned
You're the only one for me
You are my only one
It's the niceness of it all,
It's our kindness to each other
It's what I like, what I need,
It's what I desire and what I require
It's the niceness, just the niceness of it all.
It's all about kindness, solely about kindness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martin Cunningham
This is one of my favourite Gilbert tracks. Just beautiful. Thanks Gilbert!
terry alejandria
I really really love to listen to this song over and over again
terry alejandria
I've been searching for this song. I love the melody and the lyrics of it
Karla naranja
La vuelta de Gilbert después de pelear en tribunales por bastante tiempo, por la autoría de sus canciones !!!!! Finalmente se hizo justicia y O'Sullivan ganó pero también perdió algunos años de creación musical. O'Sullivan gran artista y compositor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EmilianoX3000
Aproximadamente 7 años sin lanzar un nuevo albúm a nivel global.
Se perdió el auge de los 80's
Stephen Grieve
Sitting here alone again naturally. And I'm listening to these songs I haven't heard before. Love and peace ☮️
Donna L. Carl Kuchinski
Gilbert is truly the nicest of them all!
Valentino Valentini
How is wonderful this delicate and romantic song...i was 24 when I heard it for the first time...
Sonny Cannon
ANOTHER MUSICAL GEM FROM G.S.!!!!
Valentino Valentini
Wonderful song