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
Cabaret
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come hear the music play
Life is a cabaret, old chum,
Come to the cabaret.
Put down the knitting, the book, and the broom.
Time for a holiday.
Life is a cabaret, old chum,
Come to the cabaret.
Come hear the band,
Come blow your horn,
Start celebrating,
Right this way,
Your table's waiting.
No use permitting
Some prophet of doom to wipe every smile away
Life is a cabaret, old chum,
So come to the cabaret!
I used to have this girlfriend known as Elsie,
With whom I shared four sorbid rooms in Chelsea.
She wasn't what you'd call
A blushing flower.
As a matter of fact
She rented by the hour.
The day she died the neighbours came to snicker
"Well, that's what comes from
Too much pills and liquor."
But when I saw her laid out like a queen,
She was the happiest, corpse,
I'd ever seen
I think of Elsie to this very day
I remember how she'd turned to me and say:
"What good is sitting alone in your room?
Come hear the music play
Life is a cabaret, old chum,
Come to the cabaret.
And as for me,
As for me
I made my mind up, back in Chelsea,
When I go, I'm going like Elsie
Start by admitting from cradle to tomb
Isn't that long a stay
Life is a cabaret, old chum,
It's only a cabaret, old chum,
And I love the cabaret.
In Jackie Gleason's song Cabaret, the lyrics convey the message that one should live life to the fullest and enjoy everything that it has to offer. The opening lines encourage the listener to leave their mundane activities such as knitting, reading, and cleaning and indulge in the entertainment of a cabaret. The refrain "Life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret" emphasizes the idea that life is a celebration and people should make the most of it.
The song has an interesting twist with the story of Elsie, a former girlfriend of the singer who lived a life of dubious morals, having rented rooms by the hour. Elsie's death, caused by pills and liquor, is viewed as a happy moment by the singer as she lived her life to the fullest and enjoyed every moment of it. The message conveyed through Elsie's story is that even though people may not approve of one's choices, it's important to make the most of the time one has and seize every opportunity to celebrate and be happy.
Line by Line Meaning
What good is sitting alone in your room?
Why isolate yourself when there is so much to experience in the world?
Come hear the music play
Join in the celebration of life and enjoy the sounds around you.
Life is a cabaret, old chum,
Life is full of joy, and you should embrace it with open arms (and a glass of wine).
Come to the cabaret.
Experience the excitement and happiness that comes with living life to the fullest.
Put down the knitting, the book, and the broom.
Leave your mundane life behind and come join the party.
Time for a holiday.
It's time to take a break from your responsibilities and have some fun.
Come taste the wine,
Enjoy the finer things in life and indulge yourself by drinking wine with friends.
Come hear the band,
Listen to the music and let it fill you with joy and happiness.
Come blow your horn,
Show off your talents and let your personality shine through.
Start celebrating,
Get the party started and enjoy the good times that life has to offer.
Right this way,
Follow me, I'll show you the way to the fun and excitement.
Your table's waiting.
There's a place for you at the party, come join us.
No use permitting
There's no point in allowing someone to ruin your happiness.
Some prophet of doom to wipe every smile away
Don't let negative people bring you down and ruin your good mood.
So come to the cabaret!
Join us in the celebration of life and happiness.
I used to have this girlfriend known as Elsie,
Once, I had a friend named Elsie.
With whom I shared four sorbid rooms in Chelsea.
We used to live together in a less than ideal situation in Chelsea.
She wasn't what you'd call
She was not what society considers to be socially acceptable.
A blushing flower.
She was not innocent, meek or shy.
As a matter of fact
In reality,
She rented by the hour.
She worked as a prostitute to make money.
The day she died the neighbours came to snicker
The day Elsie passed away, the neighbors came to make fun of her.
"Well, that's what comes from
That is what usually happens as a result of
Too much pills and liquor."
Excessive use of drugs and alcohol can lead to tragic consequences.
But when I saw her laid out like a queen,
When I saw her dead body, she looked happy and peaceful, like royalty.
She was the happiest, corpse,
Even in death, Elsie was still filled with joy and happiness.
I'd ever seen
I had never seen anyone so content, even in death.
I think of Elsie to this very day
I remember Elsie fondly, even today.
I remember how she'd turned to me and say:
I recall how Elsie would tell me:
It's only a cabaret, old chum,
Life is not meant to be taken too seriously.
And I love the cabaret.
I live for these moments of happiness and joy, it's what makes life worth living.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: Fred Ebb, John Kander
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind