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.
Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know what's come over you
You've found someone new and
Don't it make my brown eyes blue
I'll be fine when you're gone
I'll just cry all night long
Say it isn't true and
Tell me no secrets, tell me some lies
Give me no reasons, give me alibies
Tell me you love me and don't let me cry
Say anything but don't say goodbye
I didn't mean to treat you bad
Didn't know just what I had
But honey now I do
And don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes blue
The lyrics to James Last's song "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" convey a sense of heartbreak and betrayal. The opening lines reveal the singer's emotional state - "Don't know when I've been so blue, Don't know what's come over you". The singer is experiencing intense sadness because their partner has found someone new, which has made their brown eyes blue. The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing the profound impact the breakup has had on the singer.
The second verse adds another layer to the heartbreak. The singer knows that they will eventually be fine after their partner leaves, but they will spend a lot of time crying for now. They beg their partner to tell them anything except "goodbye", emphasizing the devastating nature of the breakup. The final verse reveals that the singer regrets the way they treated their partner and didn't fully appreciate them until it was too late. The repetition of "Don't it make my brown eyes blue" throughout the song highlights the power of heartbreak to affect the way we see the world and ourselves.
Overall, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" is a classic breakup song that captures the universal experience of heartache and loss in a simple but powerful way.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't know when I've been so blue
I am feeling very sad and down, but I don't know why.
Don't know what's come over you
I don't understand why you have changed and left me feeling so sad.
You've found someone new and
Don't it make my brown eyes blue
You have replaced me with someone else, and it hurts so much that it even makes my eyes change color.
I'll be fine when you're gone
I'll just cry all night long
Say it isn't true and
Don't it make my brown eyes blue
I will try my best to move on without you, but it still hurts me so much. Please tell me that it's not true that we're done.
Tell me no secrets, tell me some lies
Give me no reasons, give me alibies
Tell me you love me and don't let me cry
Say anything but don't say goodbye
I would rather you lied to me or told me anything else but goodbye. Please give me hope that we can still be together.
I didn't mean to treat you bad
Didn't know just what I had
But honey now I do
And don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes blue
I realize now that I took you for granted and didn't appreciate you enough. Losing you has made me realize how much I love you, and it hurts me so much that my eyes even change color.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard C Leigh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind