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.
Sweet City Woman
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the city lights
To a pretty face
That shines her light on city nights
And I gotta catch a noon train
Gotta be there on time
Oh, it feels so good to know she waits at the end of the line
I can see your face, I can hear your voice
I can almost touch you
Sweet, sweet city woman
From a banjo and me, we got a feel for singing, yeah
Bon, c'est bon, bon, bon, c'est bon, bon
Bon, c'est bon, bon, bon, bon, bon
Bon, c'est bon, bon, bon, c'est bon, bon
Bon, c'est bon, bon, bon, bon, bon
So long, ma
So long, pa
So long, neighbours and friends
Like a country morning
All snuggled in dew
She's got a way to make a man feel shiny and new
And she sing in the evening
Old, familiar tunes
And she feeds me love and tenderness and macaroons
Sweet, sweet city woman
I can see your face, I can hear your voice
I can almost touch you
Sweet, sweet city woman
From a banjo and me, we got a feel for singing, yeah
Sweet, sweet city woman
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet city woman
Sweet, sweet city woman
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet city woman
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet city woman
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet city woman
The lyrics of James Last's "Sweet City Woman" tell the story of a man who is heading to the city to meet up with his lover. The man is excited to see his lover's face and hear her voice as he travels on a noon train. The tone of the song is light-hearted and joyful, as the man can almost touch the woman in his mind. However, the song also has a bittersweet element to it as the man says goodbye to his family and friends, representing the sacrifices he has to make in order to be with his lover.
The chorus of the song, "Sweet, sweet city woman", is repeated throughout and symbolizes the woman's allure and the happiness she brings to the singer's life. The woman is depicted as someone who sings old, familiar tunes and offers love, tenderness, and macaroons to the singer. The mention of macaroons, a sweet French pastry, indicates the woman's sophistication and adds to her charm.
Overall, "Sweet City Woman" is a romantic song that expresses the singer's longing for his lover while also acknowledging the sacrifices he has to make for love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm on my way
I am travelling towards the city
To the city lights
Towards the bright lights of the city
To a pretty face
To a beautiful woman
That shines her light on city nights
Whose beauty illuminates the dark city nights
And I gotta catch a noon train
I need to catch a train at noon
Gotta be there on time
Need to make sure I arrive on time
Oh, it feels so good to know she waits at the end of the line
It's comforting to know that the woman I love is waiting for me at the end of the train journey
Sweet, sweet city woman
A term of endearment for the woman in the city
I can see your face, I can hear your voice
I can visualise you and hear your voice clearly
I can almost touch you
I feel like I can almost touch you
From a banjo and me, we got a feel for singing, yeah
I'm a musician and I have a good sense of music with my banjo
So long, ma
Saying goodbye to my mother
So long, pa
Saying goodbye to my father
So long, neighbours and friends
Saying goodbye to my neighbours and friends
Like a country morning, all snuggled in dew
Her warmth feels like a comforting, dew-filled country morning
She's got a way to make a man feel shiny and new
She makes me feel refreshed and new
And she sing in the evening old, familiar tunes
She sings familiar songs in the evening
And she feeds me love and tenderness and macaroons
She gives me love, affection and macaroons
Sweet, sweet city woman...
Repeating the term of endearment for the woman in the city
Writer(s): Dodson Richard
Contributed by Caleb R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@memememe4581
I grew up in the 80s listening to this song. Wow! What a melody ❤️❤️❤️
@chiedoakalefu1027
Evergreen James Last. The man who makes better than its original artist. Always love you.
@emekaofordile8835
Timeless music. One of my best all time songs
@bephworld1357
What a great walk down memory lane and what a great song. Reminds me of extremely good times.
@beingbrave
What a great song! Brings me back so many years. Any chance you might have the rest of the album which is a tribute to the Canadian songwriters?
@offiongesien7691
I was 11 years old when it was released. I still love this just like I did many moons ago. The original version ain’t good as this. James Last saves the best for last ❤
@kelly5050ke
Growing up in the 80s, my elder brother used to play this album everyday.
@superlast
A big, big favourite of mine, great to hear it again!
@emekakanu-mgbemena722
Evergreen song in every respect.
@lilianezeilo8173
My older siblings made me love this song. Wow!