James Last (Hans Last, * April 17, 1929 in Bremen, † June, 9, 2015 in Flori… Read Full Bio ↴James Last (Hans Last, * April 17, 1929 in Bremen, † June, 9, 2015 in Florida) was a German composer and big band leader with a large fan base in Europe and world-wide. Last's trademark was arranging pop hits in a big-band style; his series of "party albums" is equally well-known. Over the course of his career, he has sold well over 100 million albums.

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.

Moulin Rouge
James Last Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When ever we kiss,
I worry and wonder.
Your lips may be near,
but where is your heart?

It's always like this,
I worry and wonder.
You're close to me here,

but where is your heart?

It's a sad thing to realize
that you've a heart that never melts.
When we kiss, do you close your eyes,
pretending that I'm someone else?

You must break the spell,
this cloud that I'm under.

So please won't you tell, darling,
where is your heart?

Overall Meaning

In James Last's song "Moulin Rouge," the singer is expressing his worries and insecurities about the authenticity of his partner's love for him. He questions the location of her heart emotionally and physically, as she appears to be present but not all there. He fears that she is not fully present in the moment of their intimacy, and wonders if she is still holding onto a past love or simply pretending he is someone else. He is desperate for her to break the spell and tell him the truth about her feelings, in order to put his mind at ease.

The lyrics of this song capture a common experience in love and relationships - the fear of not being loved in the same way or as deeply as one loves the other. It reveals the singer's vulnerability and self-doubt, as he seeks to understand the true nature of his partner's love for him. Moreover, the use of Moulin Rouge - a well-known cabaret in Paris - adds a sense of melancholy and nostalgia to the song, as if the singer is longing for a time when things were simpler and love was easier to understand.

Line by Line Meaning

When ever we kiss,
Each time we kiss

I worry and wonder.
I become anxious and uncertain

Your lips may be near,
Your mouth is close to mine

but where is your heart?
Where are your true feelings?

It's always like this,
This happens every time

I worry and wonder.
I feel uneasy and doubtful

You're close to me here,
You're physically near me

but where is your heart?
Where are your emotions?

It's a sad thing to realize
It's a sorrowful thought to understand

that you've a heart that never melts.
Your heart never softens or opens up

When we kiss, do you close your eyes,
Do you shut your eyes when we kiss