Gleason could not read or write music in a conventional sense; he was said to have conceived melodies in his head and described them vocally to staff help. He did likewise with the well-remembered themes of both The Jackie Gleason Show ("Melancholy Serenade") and The Honeymooners ("You're My Greatest Love"). There has been some controversy over the years as to how much credit Gleason should have received for the finished products; it has been written that beyond the possible conceptualizing of many of the songs, Gleason had no direct involvement such as conducting in the making of these recordings. However, his main musical companion, cornetist and trumpeter Bobby Hackett once said: "Jackie knows a lot more about music than people give him credit for. I have seen him conduct a sixty-piece orchestra and detect one discordant note in the brass section. He would immediately stop the music and locate the wrong note. It always amazed the professional musicians how a guy who technically did not know one note from another could do that. And he was never wrong."
Born February 26, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He died on June 24, 1987
After You've Gone
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
Don't say that we must part,
Don't break your baby's heart
You know I've loved you for these many years,
Loved you night and day,
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
Someday, when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You're gonna feel bad
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
But baby, think what you're doin'
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
It's gonna drive you to ruin
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
The lyrics of Jackie Gleason's song "After You've Gone" convey the feelings of heartbreak and longing after a loved one leaves. The singer pleads with their partner not to break their heart and expresses their deep love and devotion.
In the first verse, the singer addresses their partner directly, asking them to listen and questioning why they would leave. They implore their partner not to end the relationship, afraid of the pain it will cause. The singer emphasizes the duration of their love, stating that they have loved their partner for many years, consistently and intensely.
The chorus reinforces the emotional impact of the partner's departure. It conveys a sense of inevitability, implying that the partner will feel the consequences of their choice. The chorus suggests that the partner will experience feelings of sadness and regret, emphasizing the loss of a dear companion.
The second verse continues to express the singer's anticipation of the partner's regret. It suggests that there will come a time when the partner realizes the mistake they made by leaving. The lyrics imply that the partner will grow lonely and yearn for the singer's presence, paralleling the singer's own heartbreak.
The bridge further emphasizes the consequences of the partner's departure. The singer warns that they will haunt and taunt their partner, leading them towards ruin. This suggests that the singer's absence will have a profound impact on the partner, causing them to regret their decision even more.
Overall, the lyrics of "After You've Gone" depict the singer's deep love and emotional turmoil as they anticipate the partner's departure. They express a sense of inevitability and suggest that the partner will eventually recognize the loss they've incurred by leaving.
Line by Line Meaning
Now won't you listen honey, while I say,
Please pay attention to what I'm about to say, my dear.
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
Why did you inform me that you're planning to leave?
Don't say that we must part,
Please refrain from uttering that we have to separate.
Don't break your baby's heart
Avoid shattering your lover's heart.
You know I've loved you for these many years,
You are aware that I have cherished you all these years,
Loved you night and day,
Cared for you every moment, day and night,
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
Oh, my dear, can't you perceive the sadness in my eyes?
Listen while I say
Pay attention to my words
After you've gone and left me cryin'
Once you have departed, leaving me in tears
After you've gone there's no denyin'
It's undeniable that once you've left
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You will experience melancholy, and you will feel sorrowful
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
You will long for the closest friend you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There will be an occasion, so don't overlook it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
There will be a moment when you'll deeply regret your decision
Someday, when you grow lonely
At some point in the future, when you feel isolated
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
Your heart will shatter just like mine, and you'll desire me exclusively
After you've gone, after you've gone away
Once you've departed, once you've left for good
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You are bound to experience sadness and a sense of loss
You're gonna feel bad
You will undoubtedly feel regretful
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you will yearn, and you will yearn
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
And you will long for the closest friend you have ever had
But baby, think what you're doin'
But darling, consider the consequences of your actions
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
I will haunt you relentlessly, I will torment you endlessly
It's gonna drive you to ruin
It will lead you to ultimate destruction
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
Once you've left for good, once you've disappeared forever.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Henry Creamer, Turner Layton, Ray Sherman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe Gilly
Jackie Gleason was a legend .He did a lot of movies and sitcoms Still great reruns and movies
60gator
Genius has it's perks.Mr.Gleason was a legend in his own time,and a great many depression era survivors go-to entertainers.He lived an outsized life.
James Brown
Will never forget this man !
Gino Bernier
My favorite Jackie Gleason performance was "Requiem for a Heavyweight" , where Jackie plays a corrupt boxing manager. In my opinion, Jackie showed his incredible acting ability in this very serious role. If you haven't seen it, you have a memorable treat waiting for you.
Mr Right
Gleason was one of the best entertainers that the World has ever known.
Catherine Hazur
@Mickey N Getting back to you, I checked this out and the actress who played Ralph's M.I.L. was Ethel Waite Owen. Yes, she was not a household name, but had extensive stage acting credits and was kept very busy during the Golden Age of Television, when they performed a lot of stage productions before the cameras. I also was sure I had seen her before on 50's TV, because yes , she seemed familiar. Gotta admit, she was well cast on HONEYMOONERS!! She passed away in 1997 at the age of 103
Mickey N
@Catherine Hazur Cathy, I don't believe she did. I can picture the actress that did, I just don't know her name.
Catherine Hazur
@Mickey N yes, you're right......it was Pert Kelton! She played Alice's wisecracking mom, later on didn't she?
Mickey N
@Catherine Hazur Pert KELTON
Bill Rodetsky
he knows nothing about the great one