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
It's the Talk of the Town
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were more than sweethearts,
It's so hard to understand.
Don't know why it happened,
Don't know how it started,
Why should we be strangers,
After all we planned.
I can't show my face,
Can't go anyplace,
People stop an' stare,
It's so hard to bear,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
Every time we meet,
My heart skips a beat,
We don't stop to speak,
'Though it's just a week,
Everybody knows you left me,
It's the talk of the town
We send out invitations,
To friends and relations,
Announcing our weddin' day
Friends and our relations,
Gave congratulations,
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town
How can you face them?
What can you say?
Let's make up sweetheart,
We can't stay apart,
Don't let foolish pride,
Keep you from my side,
How can love like ours be ended?
It's the talk of the town, hm
It's the talk of the town.
The song “It’s the Talk of the Town” by Jackie Gleason reflects the lament of a man who has just experienced a recent breakup with someone he was more than just a lover or a sweetheart. The extent of their relationship is hinted at by the lines “we were more than lovers, we were more than sweethearts, it’s so hard to understand.” The song’s lyrics express confusion and heartbreak over what went wrong, leaving the singer feeling like he can no longer show his face in public. The lyrics are emotional and laced with regret, as the singer grapples with how to make sense of the unexpected turn that his life has taken. Despite the pain and desolation he feels, he still longs to reunite with his partner, singing “Let’s make up sweetheart, we can’t stay apart, don’t let foolish pride keep you from my side, how can love like ours be ended?”
The song’s lyrics masterfully convey the raw emotion of heartbreak and the difficulties of navigating the aftermath of a breakup. The singer’s struggle to keep up appearances in light of the gossip surrounding his split is poignant, as friends and strangers alike stop and stare at him. He can’t find solace in any social setting as the whole town seems to be talking about him and his recent loss. The song is a powerful and relatable ode to the pain and confusion that can accompany the end of a romantic relationship, and it has resonated with people for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
We were more than lovers,
Our relationship was deeper than just being romantic
We were more than sweethearts,
Our connection was stronger than just being in a relationship
It's so hard to understand.
It's difficult to comprehend what caused our breakup
Don't know why it happened,
I don't understand why we fell apart
Don't know how it started,
I don't know how our relationship deteriorated
Why should we be strangers,
Why are we treating each other as if we don't know each other
After all we planned.
After all the things we thought we would be doing together
I can't show my face,
I'm ashamed of being seen
Can't go anyplace,
I'm too embarrassed to be in public
People stop an' stare,
People look at me with pity and concern
It's so hard to bear,
It's emotionally draining and very difficult
Everybody knows you left me,
Everyone is aware that you ended things between us
Every time we meet,
Whenever we run into each other
My heart skips a beat,
My heart races with emotion
We don't stop to speak,
We don't take the time to talk to each other
'Though it's just a week,
Even though it has only been a short time
We send out invitations,
We sent out invites to people
To friends and relations,
To people we know and are close to
Announcing our weddin' day
Telling everyone when we would be getting married
Friends and our relations,
Our close friends and family members
Gave congratulations,
Offered us their well-wishes
How can you face them?
How can you confront their expectation and disappointment
What can you say?
What are you going to tell them
Let's make up sweetheart,
We should reconcile and get back together
We can't stay apart,
We can't continue to be separated like this
Don't let foolish pride,
Don't allow our egos to prevent us from working things out
Keep you from my side,
Don't let your ego prevent you from reconciling with me
How can love like ours be ended?
How can a love as strong as ours simply come to an end
It's the talk of the town
Everyone in our small community is talking about our breakup
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: AL J NEIBURG, JERRY LEVINSON, MARTY SYMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@harrymorant5124
Best Jackie Gleason work. Bobby Hackett was superb.
@jameshicks8634
I need to get my hands on this album again I love playing it this particular album