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.
Knowing Me Knowing You
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silence ever after
Walking through an empty house
Tears in my eyes
Here is where the story ends
This is goodbye
Knowing me, knowing you (a-ha)
Knowing me, knowing you (a-ha)
We just have to face it
This time we're through
Breaking up is never easy, I know
But I have to go
Knowing me, knowing you
It's the best I can do
Memories, good days, bad days
They'll be with me always
In these old familiar rooms
Children would play
Now there's only emptiness
Nothing to say
Knowing me, knowing you (a-ha)
There is nothing we can do
Knowing me, knowing you (a-ha)
We just have to face it
This time we're through
Breaking up is never easy, I know
But I have to go
Knowing me, knowing you
It's the best I can do
In James Last’s song “Knowing Me Knowing You”, the lyrics depict a story of a relationship that has reached its end. The first verse sets a melancholic tone by describing an empty house and silent atmosphere filled with tears in the singer’s eyes. As the verse progresses, the singer states that this is the end of the story, bidding farewell to the other person in the relationship. The chorus then follows, emphasizing the inevitable ending with the repeated line “Knowing me, knowing you, there is nothing we can do,” culminating in the realization that “breaking up is never easy, I know, but I have to go, knowing me, knowing you, it’s the best I can do”.
The second verse continues with memories of their past together, both the good and bad times, and how those experiences leave a lasting impression. The singer laments the absence of children playing in familiar rooms and how now all that remains is emptiness and nothing to say. The chorus repeats, driving home the finality of the situation. The lyrics capture the feelings of sorrow, regret, and acceptance that come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
No more carefree laughter
There will be no more fun moments with you.
Silence ever after
After our separation, there will be no communication between us.
Walking through an empty house
The house where we used to live together is now empty after you left.
Tears in my eyes
I am crying because of our breakup.
Here is where the story ends
Our journey together has come to an end.
This is goodbye
We are saying farewell to each other for the final time.
Knowing me, knowing you (a-ha)
We both know each other very well.
There is nothing we can do
Our decision to part our ways is final.
We just have to face it
We must accept and live with our separation.
This time we're through
We have reached the end of our relationship journey together.
Breaking up is never easy, I know
I am aware how difficult it is to end things between us.
But I have to go
I have to move on without you in my life.
It's the best I can do
Leaving you is the best decision that I can make.
Memories, good days, bad days
Our shared memories include both happy and sad moments.
They'll be with me always
Memories of our time together will stay with me forever.
In these old familiar rooms
The rooms in this house have become familiar to us.
Children would play
There used to be children playing around in this house.
Now there's only emptiness
Without you, this house feels empty.
Nothing to say
We have nothing more to talk about.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K. Ulvaeus, Stig Erik Leopold Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ecksterphono
This is kind of different, from his past music