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
My Blue Heaven
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But oh, what those five foot could do
Has anybody seen my girl?
Turned up nose, turned down hose
Never had no other beaus
Has anybody seen my girl?
Now if you run into a
Five foot two, covered with fur
Betcha' life it isn't here
But could she love, could she woo?
Could she, could she, could she coo?
Has anybody seen my girl?
Five foot two, eyes of blue
But oh, what those five foot could do
Has anybody seen my girl?
Turned up nose, turned down hose
Never had no other beaus
Has anybody seen my girl?
Now if you run into a
Five foot two, covered with fur
Diamond rings and all those things
Betcha' life it isn't here
But could she love, could she woo?
Could she, could she, could she coo?
Jackie Gleason's My Blue Heaven is a classic song that was popular in the 1950s. The lyrics describe a search for a girl with a specific height, eye color and unique traits, one who the singer is in love with but is missing. The lyrics paint a picture of a girl with five-foot two height, turned-up nose, turned-down hose and blue eyes. The singer wonders if anyone has seen her as he is looking for her. He then poses a question, wondering if a girl with diamond rings, dressed in fur and other luxurious things could be his missing girl. He also wonders if she would be able to love him and woo him with her charms.
The singer's words about his girl represent a vivid picture of the culture of the time. The ideal beauty standards for women were very specific, as shown by the desire for the five-foot-two height, blue eyes, and a turned-up nose. The song talks about the idea of finding one true love and how one can search for it, even though finding it may be difficult. It also cleverly employs a playful tone to make it enjoyable to listen to.
Line by Line Meaning
Five foot two, eyes of blue
The girl in question is short and has blue eyes.
But oh, what those five foot could do
Despite being small in stature, the girl has great abilities or qualities.
Has anybody seen my girl?
The singer is asking if anyone has seen the girl he's looking for.
Turned up nose, turned down hose
The girl has a nose that is slightly upturned and wears sheer stockings.
Never had no other beaus
The singer believes that the girl has never had any other boyfriends.
Has anybody seen my girl?
The singer is asking if anyone has seen the girl he's looking for.
Now if you run into a
The singer is now addressing the listener, in case they happen to see the girl.
Five foot two, covered with fur
The person the listener sees might be five feet two inches tall and wearing fur.
Diamond rings and all those things
The person the listener sees might be wearing expensive jewelry, etc.
Betcha' life it isn't here
The singer is saying that he doesn't think the person the listener sees is the girl he's looking for.
But could she love, could she woo?
The singer is acknowledging that even if the person the listener sees isn't the girl, he's still thinking about her and wondering if she could truly love him and impress him.
Could she, could she, could she coo?
The singer is wondering if the girl he's looking for had a soft romantic voice that could 'coo' like a dove.
Has anybody seen my girl?
The singer is asking if anyone has seen the girl he's looking for.
Five foot two, eyes of blue
The girl he's looking for is described again, briefly.
But oh, what those five foot could do
Despite being small, the girl has great qualities or abilities.
Has anybody seen my girl?
The singer is still looking for this girl he speaks so fondly of.
Turned up nose, turned down hose
The girl still has a cute upturned nose and wears sheer stockings.
Never had no other beaus
The singer still believes that the girl he's looking for hasn't had any other boyfriends.
Has anybody seen my girl?
He's repeating his question again in hopes of finding someone who's seen her.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ray Henderson, Sam M. Lewis, Joseph Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind