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
I Got It Bad
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
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Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him
Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad
My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good
But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some
He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good
Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good
The lyrics of Jackie Gleason's song "I Got It Bad" are about a woman who is deeply in love with a man who does not treat her well, but she cannot help but love him anyway. The song describes her emotional state as "poor heart so sentimental, not made of wood," indicating that she is highly emotional and susceptible to falling in love deeply. Despite being advised to "save her tears" by well-meaning individuals, she cannot help but feel deeply for her lover, who does not treat her with the love and kindness she deserves. She describes her love as being something that is "mad," indicating that it is not rational or logical, but rather based on deeply-felt emotions that she cannot control.
Line by Line Meaning
Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears
Although I am advised by well-intended people to stop crying over him,
Well I'm so mad about him I can't live without him
My love for him is so strong that I cannot bear to live without him.
Never treats me sweet and gentle The way he should
He mistreats and neglects me instead of treating me with the kindness and gentleness that he should.
I've got it bad And that ain't good
My love for him is so intense that it affects me negatively, and it is not good for me.
My poor heart is so sentimental Not made of wood
My heart is very emotional and sensitive, not tough and unfeeling as if it were made of wood.
I've got it so bad And that ain't good
My feelings for him are so strong that it is causing me problems, and it is not good for me.
But when the fish are jumpin' And Friday rolls around
But when the circumstances are right, on Fridays when things are looking up,
My man an' I, we gin some We pray some, and sin some
My man and I drink, pray, and indulge in some inappropriate activities together.
He don't love me like I love him The way he should
He does not love me as much as I love him, and he should love me more.
I've got it bad And that ain't good
My intense love for him is causing me problems, and it is not good for me.
Yes I've got it bad And that ain't good
Yes, my feelings for him are intense, and it is not good for me.
Lyrics © GUY WEBSTER/WEBSTER MUSIC , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDWYN STEPHEN COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind