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
Memories of You
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
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At Sunrise,
Ev'ry sunset too,
Seems to be
Bringing me
Memories of you.
Here and there,
Scenes that we once knew,
And they all
Just recall
Memories of you.
How I wish I could forget
Those happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears.
Your face beams
In my dreams,
Spite of all I do!
Ev'rything
Seems to bring
Memories of you.
How I wish I could forget
Those happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears.
Your face beams
In my dreams,
Spite of all I do!
Ev'rything
Seems to bring
Memories,
All those memories of you.
Jackie Gleason's song Memories of You is a timeless testament to the power of memories and enduring love. The lyrics capture the essence of nostalgia and the ache that comes with remembering a love lost. The opening lines speak of waking skies, sunrise, and sunset, all of which remind the singer of the person he lost. Everywhere he turns, he sees scenes from their past that evoke memories.
The singer wishes he could forget the happy times they shared because they only lead to tears. Despite his efforts to move on, the person he misses continues to visit him in his dreams. Everything he sees and experiences seems to remind him of her, and he can't escape the memories of their love.
The repeated line "Memories of You" is an apt shorthand for the entire song's message. The memories the singer is left with are all he has, and he can't escape their hold on him, just like he can't forget the person who inspired them. The song is bittersweet and beautifully captures the pain of love lost and the impossibility of forgetting.
Line by Line Meaning
Waking skies
Every morning as the sun rises, the sky reminds me of you.
At Sunrise,
During the early hours of the day, as the sun rises and the sky changes color, you come to mind.
Ev'ry sunset too,
Every evening as the sun sets, you are in my thoughts.
Seems to be
It's as if each and every sunrise and sunset makes me think of you.
Bringing me
Reminding me of happy memories we has together.
Memories of you.
The memories of you and the times we shared come flooding back into my mind.
Here and there,
In random and sporadic moments,
Ev'rywhere,
In all of the places we used to go to and all around me,
Scenes that we once knew,
I see the places and things we did together in my mind's eye and memory.
And they all
No matter where I go or what I do,
Just recall
It brings back memories,
Memories of you.
Memories of when you were here with me are always present.
How I wish I could forget
I wish I could erase from my memory completely,
Those happy yesteryears
The memories of the good times that we shared,
That have left a rosary of tears.
But it's difficult and when I try, I end up crying.
Your face beams
Your image comes to my mind,
In my dreams,
Even in my sleep,
Spite of all I do!
No matter how much I try to forget you,
Ev'rything
Every little thing I see or do,
Seems to bring
Makes your memory return,
Memories of you.
And I can't seem to shake them off.
All those memories of you.
The memories of you and the past times we shared are overwhelming.
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER, RUBE BLOOM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind