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.
Sally
Gracie Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sally, Sally
Don't ever wander
Away from the alley and me
Sally, Sally
Marry me Sally
And happy forever I'll be
You're beguiling
And when they're grey
You're still smiling, smiling
Sally, Sally
Pride of our alley
You're more than
The whole world too 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, smiling
Sally, Sally
Pride of our alley
You're more than
The whole world too me
The song Sally, sung by Gracie Fields, is an ode to the titular character. Sally is described as the pride of their alley and the love interest of the singer. The singer begs Sally not to wander away from him or the alley, proposing that they get married so they can be happy forever. Sally is portrayed as a beguiling woman who is able to smile even when the skies are grey, bringing light and happiness to the singer's life. The lyrics convey a deep sense of love and devotion, with Sally being the center of the singer's world.
The song is a representation of the working-class culture of the time, with Sally being seen as the embodiment of the community. Sally, in the song, is a symbol of loyalty, hope, and joy - values that are highly regarded in the working-class culture. The singer's affection for her is not just romantic but also a representation of the community's closeness and support for each other. The song's lyrics are simple yet powerful, conveying an unchangeable bond between two people who deeply care for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Sally, Sally, pride of our alley
Sal, you're simply the best, no one can equal you
Sally, Sally
Sally, Sally
Don't ever wander Away from the alley and me
Don't leave our neighbourhood, Sally, never make us feel the absence of your charm
Sally, Sally Marry me Sally And happy forever I'll be
Sal, be mine forever and living with you will keep me happy always
When skies are blue You're beguiling And when they're grey You're still smiling, smiling
Sal, your personality is so captivating, that it doesn't matter what's going around you
Sally, Sally Pride of our alley You're more than The whole world too me
Sally, you always will be the apple of my eye, the sunshine of my life
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
When I saw you, Sal, I knew you were my one true love, my companion, my soulmate. With you by my side, my life feels like a dream. Can't even imagine a life without you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRY LEON, LEO TOWERS, WILL E HAINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sallymccain3666
my granddad would always sing this to me growing up. i miss him a lot, this is so beautiful to hear now <3
@yupouttathat4132
Nice song, appreciated your help over the phone. We spoke about this song, it’s old school, with a good meaning, was it Liverpool or Cardiff, no it’s Yorkshire,. Al Johnson era music, 🇮🇪
@donnaschneider8911
My mom's name was Sally
@donnaschneider8911
Beautiful song
@private_joy
I had it sang to me too haha
@ritabarhagi3445
My parents loved thi song . I vaguely remember it . Such a long time ago .
@christtheanchorchurch6053
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to hear this rendition. I’m so glad I stumbled upon it. I just heard Ms. Fields sing this very song in 1978 at 80 years of age! As wonderful as this recording absolutely is, her performance at 80 years old mesmerized me. As an older singer myself, I can appreciate the extraordinary quality, pitch, and tone in both so very much! Thanks again!
@sylviaanne1198
My daughter is sally and it always brings me to tears.
@russellcandy9850
This was one of my Mom's favorites to sing in the shower. Rest in Peace Dear Mother 🙏
@davidwalsh3439
This is my childhood in a song. Brings back very happy memories. A true great of our musical heritage.