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
You're Driving Me Crazy
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why did you leave me lonely?
For here's a heart that's only
For nobody but you!
I'm burning like a flame, dear;
Oh, I'll never be the same, dear;
I'll always place the blame, dear,
Yes, you,
You're driving me crazy!
What did I do? What did I do?
My tears for you
Make everything hazy,
Clouding the skies of blue.
How true,
Were the friends who were near me to cheer me,
Believe me, they knew!
But you,
Were the kind who would hurt me, desert me,
When I needed you!
Yes, you!
You're driving me crazy!
What did I do to you?
In Jackie Gleason's song, You're Driving Me Crazy, he expresses the feelings of heartbreak and loneliness after being left by someone he loves. The opening lines of the song express his feelings of sadness and loneliness after being left by the person he cares about. The following line of "here's a heart that's only for nobody but you" portrays that his heart only belongs to the person he loves and that he is still holding on to the hope of rekindling the relationship.
The chorus of the song expresses Gleason's conflicting emotions and the state of his mind. He feels like he is going crazy because of the pain and heartache caused by being left by his loved one. He questions himself, asking what he did to cause this pain and what he could have done differently. The tears for his loved one make everything hazy, clouding the blue skies and portraying the emotional turmoil he is going through.
The last stanza of the song reflects on the support that he received from his friends and loved ones during this difficult time but how he was still hurt and deserted by the person he needed the most. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the pain and angst resulting from heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
You left me sad and lonely;
I feel unhappy and abandoned after you left me on my own;
Why did you leave me lonely?
I want to understand why you chose to abandon me and make me feel so alone;
For here's a heart that's only For nobody but you!
I gave you my heart and affections, and now it is broken because you left me behind;
I'm burning like a flame, dear;
My passion for you is intense and all-consuming;
Oh, I'll never be the same, dear;
Your departure has changed me forever;
I'll always place the blame, dear, On nobody but you.
I hold you responsible for the pain and heartache that I am now experiencing.
Yes, you, You're driving me crazy!
Your actions have caused me to feel overwhelmed and out of control;
What did I do? What did I do?
I cannot understand why you would hurt me in this way;
My tears for you Make everything hazy, Clouding the skies of blue.
I am so upset that even the beauty of the world around me is blotted out by my sadness and tears.
How true, Were the friends who were near me to cheer me, Believe me, they knew!
My friends were here for me when you left, and they understood my pain;
But you, Were the kind who would hurt me, desert me, When I needed you!
Instead of being there for me when I needed you, you chose to abandon and hurt me instead;
Yes, you! You're driving me crazy! What did I do to you?
I am at a loss as to why you would treat me in such a cruel and heartless manner.
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind