Last learned how to play piano as child, switching to bass as a teenager. He joined Hans-Gunther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946, when he was 17 years old. In 1948, he became the leader of the Becker-Last Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950-1952. After the disbandment of the Becker-Last Ensemble, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias and Caterina Valente.
Last released his first album "Non-Stop Dancing" in 1965. The record of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and joyous crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last has released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto.
Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful — especially in England, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967-1986, which made him second to Elvis Presley in terms of number of charting records — he has only had two hit singles with "The Seduction," the theme from American Gigolo (1980) and Biscaya from the album "Biscaya".
He has won numerous polls and prizes, for example Billboard magazine's "Star of the year" trophy in 1976, and has been honored for his lifework with the German ECHO prize in 1994.
The song "The Lonely Shepherd", written by Last and performed by Gheorghe Zamfir and the James Last Orchestra, was featured in the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003).
Personally, he divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who helps with the music.
Careless Love
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've fly through my head like wine
You've wrecked the life of a many poor girl
And you nearly spoiled this life of mine
Love, oh love, oh careless love
In your clutches of desire
You've made me break a many true vow
Love, oh love, oh careless love
All my happiness bereft
You've filled my heart with weary old blues
Now I'm walkin', talkin' to myself
Love, oh love, oh careless love
Trusted you now, it's too late
You've made me throw my old friend down
That's why I sing this song of hate
Love, oh love, oh careless love
Night and day, I weep and moan
You brought the wrong man into this life of mine
For my sins, till judgment I'll atone
The lyrics of James Last's song "Careless Love" are a lamentation about the destructive power of love, personified as an entity that has caused the singer and many others to suffer. The first verse describes love as something that has "flown through [the singer's] head like wine," an intoxicating force that has damaged the lives of many women and almost ruined the singer's own. The second verse speaks of love as a "clutch of desire" that has led the singer to break many true vows and set his soul on fire. The third verse bemoans the loss of happiness that love has caused, filling the singer's heart with weary blues and making him feel like he is talking to himself.
The fourth verse expresses bitterness and regret, as the singer acknowledges that he trusted love too late, after it had already caused him to throw down a friend. This betrayal has caused him to sing a "song of hate" against love. The final verse reveals that the singer's pain is ongoing, as he weeps and moans day and night due to love's influence. He believes that love has brought the wrong man into his life, and that he will have to atone for his sins until judgment day.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, oh love, oh careless love
A lament about the fickle and dangerous nature of love.
You've fly through my head like wine
Love's intoxicating effect on the mind.
You've wrecked the life of a many poor girl
Love's destructive impact on many innocent women's lives.
And you nearly spoiled this life of mine
Love's consequences could have been dire for this particular person.
In your clutches of desire
Love is not a rational force, but one that ensnares people in its grip.
You've made me break a many true vow
Love can make people betray their own values and beliefs.
Then you set my very soul on fire
Love can be both a powerful and a painful experience.
All my happiness bereft
Love can be a source of great sadness and despair.
You've filled my heart with weary old blues
Love can lead to a deep melancholy that persists over time.
Now I'm walkin', talkin' to myself
Love can make people behave in irrational and unpredictable ways.
Trusted you now, it's too late
Love can be deceiving and its effects irreversible.
You've made me throw my old friend down
Love can drive people to sacrifice important relationships in their lives.
That's why I sing this song of hate
Love can bring out strong emotions including anger and resentment.
Night and day, I weep and moan
Love can cause profound emotional upheaval and suffering.
You brought the wrong man into this life of mine
Love can attract incompatible partners who are destructive and harmful.
For my sins, till judgment I'll atone
Love can be seen as a punishment or curse for past actions.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, HANDY BROTHERS MUSIC CO.,INC.
Written by: MARTHA E. KOENIG, SPENCER WILLIAMS, W.C. HANDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind