She was born Gisèle Marie-Louise Marguerite LaFlèche in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and studied violin and voice at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Ontario. She had her own Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio program, Meet Gisèle, before moving to Los Angeles, California in 1951.
MacKenzie recorded albums and 45rpm singles on various record labels, most notably Capitol and RCA. Her biggest selling song was "Hard To Get" in 1955.
MacKenzie was an accomplished violinist and performed many comedic musical duets with mentor Jack Benny. She sang frequently on early television shows such as The Jack Benny Program and The Ed Sullivan Show. She appeared often at Las Vegas venues and in numerous North America concerts.
In the U.S., she appeared on radio on such stars' programs as Bob Crosby and Mario Lanza. She also hosted a radio show entitled Airtime.
In 1952 and 1953 she toured with Benny, who recommended her for Your Hit Parade. During her tenure on that show, "Hard to Get" became a hit. MacKenzie appeared on the show for several years, finally leaving in 1957 to head her own short-lived variety program, The Gisèle MacKenzie Show. She returned to television in 1963 on The Sid Caesar Show and was a panelist on many quiz programs.
In later years MacKenzie performed widely in musical theater in such shows as Mame, Gypsy, The Sound of Music, and Hello, Dolly! She turned to acting in the 1990s, making guest appearances on television series including Murder, She Wrote and MacGyver.
MacKenzie has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 1601 Vine.
She died from colon cancer, aged 76, in 2003. Her daughter is contemporary jazz artist Gigi MacKenzie.
Seven lonely days
Gisele Mackenzie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Oh, my darlin′ I'm cryin′, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It′s your favorite pastime, makin′ me blue
Seven hankies blue I filled with my tears
Seven letters true I filled with my fears
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
Oh, my darlin I'm cryin′, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
Now, there's no use in denyin′ I cried for you
It's your favorite pastime, makin′ me blue
Last week was the last time I cried for you
Last week was the last time I cried for you
The lyrics of Gisele Mackenzie's "Seven Lonely Days" tell the story of heartbreak and the aftermath of a breakup. The singer is counting the days since the relationship ended, crying and feeling lonely without their former partner. The chorus repeats the idea that "seven lonely days make one lonely week" and "seven lonely nights make one lonely me." It's a powerful metaphor for the time passing and the emptiness left behind in the wake of love lost.
In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that crying over their ex has become a "favorite pastime" of theirs. They've filled seven hankies and seven letters with their emotions. But they also realize that it "never pays to make your lover blue," suggesting that perhaps they regret something they did to cause the relationship to end. The final lines of the song reveal that the singer has finally decided to move on: "last week was the last time I cried for you."
Overall, "Seven Lonely Days" is a poignant and relatable song about heartbreak and healing. The lyrics capture the feeling of being stuck in a rut after a breakup, but also the gradual process of moving on and finding closure.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven lonely days make one lonely week
A week feels lonely when spent without someone who was once close to your heart
Seven lonely nights make one lonely me
Nights feel lonelier when spent without someone whom you still love
Ever since the time you told me we were thru
The heartbreak began the moment you said we were no longer together
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
I cried and grieved for seven consecutive days for the love that was lost
Oh, my darlin' I'm cryin', boo-hoo-hoo-hoo
My tears continue to flow for dear love and loss
There's no use in denyin' I cried for you
It's pointless to lie about the depth of the heartache you caused me
It's your favorite pastime, makin' me blue
You seem to derive pleasure from making me suffer in sorrow
Last week was the last time I cried for you
I have moved on from the pain and the tears; last week was the last time you made me cry
Seven hankies blue I filled with my tears
So many tears were shed that I used seven blue handkerchiefs to dry them all
Seven letters true I filled with my fears
I poured my fears, doubts and anxieties and wrote them all down in seven letters to you
Guess it never pays to make your lover blue
You shouldn't mistreat someone that loves you deeply or you'll end up alone and unhappy
Seven lonely days I cried and I cried for you
The grieving continues for the lost love that was so dear, even after a week
Last week was the last time I cried for you
I have finally let go of the heartbreak and stopped crying over the love that was lost
Writer(s): Earl Shuman, Alden Shuman, Marshall R Brown
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tarquin45
Someone as luminary as Jo Stafford described Gisele as the singer who had perect pitch; that coming from someone as great as Jo was one heck of a compliment.
CarlDuke
Thanks for posting this one. Recently someone sent me a link to a video of Dorothy Colins singing Seven Days, which was not what I had wanted. Guess the mix up was on the similar title and that both Dorothy and Gisele appeared on Your Hit Parade.
Henry Gladstone
We used to have this on an old 78 rpm. Flip side was Till I Waltz Again With You. Great double sided hit.
Di La
Great german cover "Sieben einsame Tage" from Illo Schieder & Max Greger Orchestra!
Alan Fox
the 7 days I have this week has been a dreadful saga with my brother been offered a new place to live in
GoldenOldiesOn45RPM
@CarlDuke Glad to oblige !
tom kielty
thank you