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.
I've Gotta Get A Message To You
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said, "Come and walk with me, come and walk one more mile
Now for once in your life you're alone
But you ain't got a dime, there's no time for the phone"
I've just got to get a message to you, hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on
But if I broke her heart, won't you tell her I'm sorry
And for once in my life I'm alone,
And I've got to let her know just in time before I go
I've just go to get a message to you, hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on
Well I laughed but that didn't hurt
And it's only her love that keeps me wearing this dirt
Now I'm crying but deep down inside
Well I did it to him, now it's my turn to die
I've just got to get a message to you, hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on
Hold on
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on
I've just got to get a message to her, hold on, hold on
The song "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" by James Last tells the story of a man who is desperate to send a message to someone before his life ends. The preacher talks to him and asks him to come and walk with him for a mile. The man is alone and has no money to make a phone call, but he needs to get a message to someone before he dies. He tells the preacher that if he broke her heart, he wants her to know that he is sorry. He realizes that he is alone and has to communicate with the person he wronged before his life ends.
The man reflects on his life and laughs, but it does not hurt him. He is wearing dirt, and the only thing that keeps him going is his love for her. But as he cries, he realizes that he did something unforgivable, and now it is his turn to die. He pleads with the listener to hold on for one more hour, and he will make things right. The powerful chorus of "hold on, hold on" signifies the man's desperation to get the message to his loved one before it is too late.
Overall, "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" is a powerful and poignant song about love, regret, and the urgency of communication. The man's desperation to get his message to his loved one and to make things right before his death is a testament to the power of love and the importance of communicating our feelings to those we care about before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
The preacher talked to me and he smiled
A clergyman spoke with me and expressed happiness.
Said, 'Come and walk with me, come and walk one more mile'
Invited me to accompany him for a certain distance.
Now for once in your life you're alone
Currently, you are experiencing solitude for the first time in your life.
But you ain't got a dime, there's no time for the phone
You don't have any money and phone communication isn't possible in this scenario.
I've just got to get a message to you, hold on, hold on
I urgently need to convey a message to you, please wait.
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on
My life is about to end in an hour, please wait.
I told him I'm in no hurry
I informed him that I am not in a rush.
But if I broke her heart, won't you tell her I'm sorry
In case I hurt her emotionally, please convey my apology.
And for once in my life I'm alone,
At this moment, I am experiencing solitude for the first time in my life.
And I've got to let her know just in time before I go
I must inform her about something important before my death.
Well I laughed but that didn't hurt
I tried to laugh, but it didn't alleviate my pain.
And it's only her love that keeps me wearing this dirt
The reason for my suffering is solely because of her love for me.
Now I'm crying but deep down inside
Although I'm crying now, my inner self is experiencing emotional turmoil.
Well I did it to him, now it's my turn to die
I caused something to happen to him, now it's my turn to face the consequences.
I've just got to get a message to you, hold on, hold on
I need to convey a message to you urgently, please wait.
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on
I have only an hour remaining until my death, please wait.
Hold on
Wait, don't go yet.
One more hour and my life will be through, hold on, hold on
I'll be dying in an hour, please wait.
I've just got to get a message to her, hold on, hold on
I need to urgently convey a message to her, please wait.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY GIBB, MAURICE GIBB, ROBIN GIBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind