Throughout the 1950s and early-1960s, Jackie Gleason enjoyed a secondary mu… Read Full Bio ↴Throughout the 1950s and early-1960s, Jackie Gleason enjoyed a secondary music career, lending his name to a series of best-selling mood music albums with jazz overtones for Capitol. Gleason felt there was a ready market for romantic instrumentals. He recalled seeing Clark Gable play love scenes in movies, and the romance was, in his words, "magnified a thousand percent" by background music. Gleason reasoned, "If Gable needs music, a guy in Brooklyn must be desperate!"

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 Hadn
Jackie Gleason Lyrics

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I hadn't anyone till you,
I was a lonely one 'til you,
I used to lie awake and wonder if there could be
A someone in the wide world just made for me,
Now I see,

I had to save my love for you, (I saved my love for you)
I never gave my love 'til you, (I saved it all for you)

And through my lonely heart demanding it,
Cupid took a hand in it,
I hadn't anyone till you.

I kept my love in secrecy,
I put it under lock and key,
I had to save my love for you!
I never gave my love away,
I waited for that lucky day
When I could give it to you,

And through my lonely heart demanding it,

Cupid took a hand in it,
I hadn't anyone till you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jackie Gleason and His Orchestra's "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" is a poignant reflection of someone's life before and after meeting the love of their life. The opening lines, "I hadn't anyone till you, I was a lonely one 'til you" stresses on the loneliness that the singer experienced before meeting their significant other. The phrase "I used to lie awake and wonder if there could be a someone in the wide world just made for me" beautifully portrays the longing and the hope that the singer had for a fulfilling love life.

The song then transitions into the realization of the singer's love for their partner. "I had to save my love for you" and "I never gave my love 'til you," indicates that the singer had been waiting and preparing for their significant other. The line, "Cupid took a hand in it" highlights the serendipitous nature of their meeting, suggesting that their relationship was a result of fate.

The chorus then repeats the opening lines, emphasizing the transformative power of love in the life of the singer. The song's lyrics underscore the importance of patience, hope, and the belief in finding the one true love.

Line by Line Meaning

I hadn't anyone till you,
Before I met you, I had no one to love and cherish.

I was a lonely one 'til you,
There was a time when I felt lonely and isolated, but that feeling vanished when you came into my life.

I used to lie awake and wonder if there could be A someone in the wide world just made for me,
During those lonely nights, when I couldn't sleep, I often wondered if there was someone out there, who was meant just for me.

Now I see,
After meeting you, all my doubts vanished and my life became bright and clear.

I had to save my love for you, (I saved my love for you) I never gave my love 'til you, (I saved it all for you)
My love, affection, and devotion were reserved solely for you. I didn't give it away to anyone else.

And through my lonely heart demanding it, Cupid took a hand in it,
My heart, longing for love, made its own decision, and Cupid intervened, helping me to find you.

I kept my love in secrecy, I put it under lock and key,
I loved you from afar, but I didn't reveal it to anyone. I kept it hidden, even from myself.

I waited for that lucky day When I could give it to you,
I knew that someday I would be with you, and that's when I would finally give my heart to you.

I hadn't anyone till you.
Before I met you, my heart was empty, but you filled it with so much love and happiness.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: NOBLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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