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 All Depends On You
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For a love affair
Babies depend on mothers
For their tender care
Flowers depend on sunshine
And the morning dew
Each thing depends on something
And I depend on you
I can be happy, I can be sad
I can be good or I can be bad
It all depends on you
I can be lonely out in a crowd
I can be humble, I can be proud
It all depends on you
I can save money, or spend it
Go right on living, or end it
You're to blame, Honey
For what I do
I know that I can be beggar
I can be King
I can be almost any old thing
It all depends on you
Isn't it sweet to know, Dear
You can help me on
Wouldn't it hurt to know, Dear
All my hopes were gone
Wouldn't it make you proud, Dear
If I made a name
But if I failed to win, dear
Would you want all the blame
I can be happy, I can be sad
I can be good or I can be bad
It all depends on you
I can be lonely out in a crowd
I can be humble, I can be proud
It all depends on you
I can save money, or spend it
Go right on living, or end it
You're to blame, honey
For what I do
I know that I can be beggar,
I can be King
I can be almost any old thing
It all depends on you
Yes, it all depends on you
These lyrics describe the idea that everything in life is subject to dependency, and that for the singer, their own happiness, actions and even fate is reliant on their significant other, reflected in the repetition of the phrase "It all depends on you". The first stanza highlights the natural dependencies: lovers on moonlight, babies on mothers, and flowers on sunshine and morning dew. The second stanza expresses how the singer's own emotional well-being and actions are determined by the presence, absence, reactions and opinions of their love interest, who is directly addressed as "Honey" and "Dear" throughout the lyrics. The third stanza poses some direct questions to the love interest, in term of their own reaction to the singer's success or failure.
Overall, the tone of the song is affectionate and even somewhat submissive, with the singer giving a lot of power to their love interest. The theme of dependency, however, may also suggest insecurity, vulnerability, and a lack of agency.
Line by Line Meaning
Lovers depend on moonlight
For a love affair
Just as lovers depend on moonlight for a romantic ambience, there are certain things that all things depend on in order to thrive in their own way.
Babies depend on mothers
For their tender care
Babies require constant and loving care from their mothers in order to grow and develop properly, and this dependency is a universal truth among living things.
Flowers depend on sunshine
And the morning dew
Flowers require the combination of sunshine and water in the form of morning dew to grow and bloom, just as all things require the right conditions to thrive.
Each thing depends on something
And I depend on you
Just as everything depends on something else to survive, I rely on you in order to live my best life and be happy.
I can be happy, I can be sad
I can be good or I can be bad
It all depends on you
My mood and behavior are completely dependent on your influence, so the way you treat me directly impacts my emotional state and actions.
I can be lonely out in a crowd
I can be humble, I can be proud
It all depends on you
Even in a crowded space, I can feel alone if you don't acknowledge me, and my level of self-confidence is heavily influenced by your opinion of me.
I can save money, or spend it
Go right on living, or end it
You're to blame, Honey
For what I do
Whether I am responsible with my finances or reckless, or whether I choose to continue living or end my life, is all affected by your words and actions towards me.
I know that I can be beggar
I can be King
I can be almost any old thing
It all depends on you
I have the ability to achieve great success or fall into poverty, and my future is heavily influenced by the support and encouragement you offer me.
Isn't it sweet to know, Dear
You can help me on
Wouldn't it hurt to know, Dear
All my hopes were gone
Wouldn't it make you proud, Dear
If I made a name
But if I failed to win, dear
Would you want all the blame
These questions asked of the listener serve to illustrate the idea that our sense of self and our accomplishments are deeply tied to the support we receive from those around us.
Yes, it all depends on you
The song concludes with a reaffirmation of the central message, that all aspects of life and success are ultimately subject to the influence of others in our lives.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: B. G. DE SYLVA, LEW BROWN, RAY HENDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind