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
All by Myself
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
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What'll I do?
I long for somebody who
Will sympathize with me
I'm growing so tired of living alone
I lie awake all night and cry
Nobody loves me
That's why
All by myself in the morning
All by myself in the night
I sit alone with a table and a chair
So unhappy there
Playing solitaire
All by myself I get lonely
Watching the clock on the shelf
I'd love to rest my weary head on somebody's shoulder
I hate to grow older
All by myself
The lyrics of Jackie Gleason Bobby Hackett's song "All By Myself" convey the pain of loneliness and yearning for companionship. The singer expresses his unhappiness and desire for someone who can empathize with him. He is tired of living alone and spends his nights crying, feeling unloved and isolated from the world around him. The loneliness he feels is palpable, evident from the scene he describes, where he sits alone with just a table and a chair, playing solitaire. He watches the clock on the shelf, hoping for someone to come and rest his weary head on somebody's shoulder. The singer hates growing older, and the thought of living all by himself terrifies him.
The song is a beautiful representation of the human struggle for love and companionship. The lyrics express how the human heart wants to connect with others, and without that connection, one can feel isolated and in pain. The song evokes empathy from the listener as it reminds us that we have all experienced loneliness at some point in our lives, and it is a universal human emotion. The song's melancholic tone and the slow melody capture the essence of being alone and provide solace to those who feel lonely.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so unhappy
I'm feeling very sad and miserable right now.
What'll I do?
I don't know what to do or how to make myself feel better.
I long for somebody who
I want someone who can understand and relate to me.
Will sympathize with me
Someone who can show me empathy and share my feelings with me.
I'm growing so tired of living alone
I'm getting exhausted with being on my own all the time.
I lie awake all night and cry
I can't fall asleep because I'm too upset and I end up crying.
Nobody loves me
I feel unloved and unwanted by everyone around me.
That's why
This is why I'm feeling so unhappy and lonely.
All by myself in the morning
I start my day feeling lonely and isolated.
All by myself in the night
I end my day feeling just as lonely and isolated as I did in the morning.
I sit alone with a table and a chair
I'm sitting by myself at a table with just a chair for company.
So unhappy there
I'm feeling very unhappy and uncomfortable in this situation.
Playing solitaire
I'm passing the time by playing a solitary card game.
All by myself I get lonely
Being alone makes me feel very sad and isolated.
Watching the clock on the shelf
There's nothing else to do but watch the clock ticking away the time.
I'd love to rest my weary head on somebody's shoulder
I wish I could find someone I could lean on and share my burdens with.
I hate to grow older
Getting older makes me feel even more lonely and isolated.
All by myself
Ultimately, I'm completely by myself with my thoughts and my feelings.
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MEMPHIS SLIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind