Born over a fish and chip shop owned by her grandmother in Molesworth Street, Rochdale, Lancashire, she made her first stage appearance as a child in 1905. Her two sisters, Edith and Betty, and brother, Tommy, all went on to appear on stage, but Gracie was the most successful. Her professional debut in variety took place at the Rochdale Hippodrome theatre in 1910 and she soon gave up her job in the local cotton mill.
She met comedian Archie Pitt and they began working together. Pitt would come to serve as her manager and the two married in 1923. Their first revue in 1915 was called Yes I think so and the two continued to tour Britain together until 1922 in the revue Mr Tower of London.
Her most famous song, which became her theme, "Sally," was worked into the title of her first cinema film, Sally in Our Alley (1931), which was a major box office hit. She went on to make several films initially in Britain and later in the United States (for which she was paid a record fee of US$200,000 for four films), despite never performing without a live audience.
Ironically, the final few lines of the song 'Sally' were written by her husband's mistress, and Gracie sang this song at nearly every performance she made from 1931 onwards.
Red Sails in the Sunset
Gracie Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't ever wander
Away from the alley and me
Sally, Sally
Marry me Sally
And happy forever I'll be
When skies are blue
And when they're grey
You're still smiling, smi-i-iling
Sally, Sally
Pride of our alley
You're more than
The whole world too-oo me
The skies were blue
When he met you, Sally
You were his gal
His little pal, so true
You came along
Made life a song, Sally
If he lost you
He wonders what he'd do
Sally, Sally
Don't ever wander
Away from the alley and me
Sally, Sally
Marry me Sally
And happy forever I'll be
When skies are blue
You're beguiling
And when they're grey
You're still smiling, smi-i-iling
Sally, Sally
Pride of our alley
You're more than
The whole world to-oo me
The song "Red Sails in the Sunset" by Gracie Fields tells the story of a man named Sally who is deeply in love with a woman. He addresses his love interest by reminding her not to wander away from him and the alley where they spend time together. He asks her to marry him so that he can be happy forever. The man thinks very highly of his love interest and thinks that she is the pride of their alley. In his eyes, she means more to him than the whole world.
The song is beautifully written and it captures the sentiment of a man in love. The repetition of Sally's name adds a personal touch to the lyrics and emphasizes how much he loves her. The imagery of the red sails in the sunset adds a romantic touch to the song and adds to the overall nostalgic and dreamy tone.
Line by Line Meaning
Sally, Sally
Addressing Sally twice for emphasis
Don't ever wander
Asking Sally to never leave
Away from the alley and me
Asking Sally to stay with the singer
Sally, Sally
Addressing Sally twice for emphasis
Marry me Sally
Asking Sally to become the singer's wife
And happy forever I'll be
Promising to be happy forever with Sally as his wife
When skies are blue
Referring to happy times
You're beguiling
Sally is charming and attractive
And when they're grey
Referring to sad times
You're still smiling, smi-i-iling
Even during tough times, Sally remains positive
Sally, Sally
Addressing Sally twice for emphasis
Pride of our alley
Sally is well-regarded by everybody in the alley
You're more than
Sally is worth more than
The whole world to-oo me
Sally is extremely valuable to the singer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Wilhelm Grosz, Jimmy Kennedy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lizdoyle7158
Super fab song Gracie fieds ⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵
⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘
@MrNeluka
So love the olden day songs
@royalt3690
I have this on 45, didnt know who she was but now I do! What a voice!
@eugenemurray2940
Awww
Me a Londoner..
I am wooing an Englishwoman...
With this song...
I have planned a trip...
To Galway Bay...
@gf1001
Thank you all for the comments hope that Gracie brings back long happy memories, Gracie does for me with my late parents who loved her very much. I think thats why I became a fan as Gracie reminds all of so much and happier times than today. My friends all tell me their parents loved Gracie talk about an institution thanks all of you.
@TheRAFfc
Never forget GRACIE singing to us at a forces gathering during the war glad you carry on, thanks for the memory
@kylalablastpipe
gf1001-Thank you so much for putting this on. It was my late grandmother's favourite,she would sing this song so beautifully to us when we were children-a long time ago now.She too was a "Lancashire Lass" and worked in the mills right up to her death in 1966.Sadly those days have long gone but her memory carries on.Gracie is an angel indeed. Thanks again.
@denisesmith2675
Bellissima
@remotewall
i am 48. i copped al jolsen, gracie fields, vera lynn and slim dusty from my mum when i was growing up. got to know all their tunes and loved them. those were the days hey?
@gf1001
I wanted to share this, Gracies Decca recordings are some of her finest for sheer vocal with her voice, which had matured,and with the great Robert Farnon on many of these recordings, they are a sheer joy, hope you agree?