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

The Thrill Is Gone
Jackie Gleason Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
No you done me wrong baby
You'll be sorry some day

The thrill is gone

The thrill is gone away from me
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Oh although I'll still live on baby
But so lonely I'll be

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away for good
Oh the thrill is gone baby
Its gone away for good
Someday I know I'll be open arms baby
Just like I know I know I should

I'm free now baby
I'm free from your spell
Free free free free now baby
Baby I'm free from your spell
Now that its all over
All that I can do is wish you well

The thrill is gone
Gone away for good

The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away for good

Oh you done me wrong baby
You'll be sorry some day

The thrill is gone
I'm free from your spell.

Overall Meaning

In Jackie Gleason's song "The Thrill Is Gone," the singer expresses their feelings of loss after the excitement and passion has faded from their relationship. The repeated refrain "the thrill is gone" emphasizes the emptiness and disappointment felt by the singer. They acknowledge that their partner has done them wrong and will one day regret their actions. Despite this, the singer also feels a sense of freedom and release from their "spell."

The song captures the universal experience of a relationship losing its spark and the resulting emotions of pain, loneliness, and ultimately, acceptance. It's a reminder that even though things may not work out as planned, life goes on and we must move forward.

Line by Line Meaning

The thrill is gone
The excitement and passion in our relationship have vanished

The thrill is gone away
The feeling of exhilaration is no longer present

The thrill is gone baby
Our romantic spark has faded away

The thrill is gone away from me
I have lost my enthusiasm and interest in our relationship

No you done me wrong baby
Your actions have caused me pain and heartbreak

You'll be sorry some day
There will come a time when you regret hurting me

Although I'll still live on baby
Despite the loss of our connection, I will continue to exist

But so lonely I'll be
I will feel isolated and desolate without you

The thrill is gone away for good
The feeling of excitement has disappeared permanently

Someday I know I'll be open arms baby
At some point, I will be receptive to love once again

Just like I know I know I should
I am aware that I should be open to finding love again