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.

That's Life
James Last Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

That's life, that's what people say
You're riding' high in April
Shot down in May.
But I know I'm gonna change that tune,
When I'm back on top in June.

That's life, funny as it seems.
Some people get their kicks,

Steppin' on dreams;
But I don't let it get me down,
'Cause this ol' world keeps spinning around.

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate,
A poet, a pawn and a king.
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing:
Each time I find myself flat on my face,
I pick myself up and get back in the race.

That's life, I can't deny it
I thought of quitting
But my heart just won't buy it.
If I didn't think it was worth a try,
I'd jump right on a big bird
And then I'd fly.

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate,
A poet, a pawn and a king.
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing:
Each time I find myself flat on my face,
I pick myself up and get back in the race.

That's life, I can't deny it,
I thought of quitting,
But my heart just won't buy it.

But if nothing's changing come this here July
I'm going to roll myself up in a big ball and die.

Overall Meaning

James Last's hit "That's Life" is a timeless classic that speaks of the ups-and-downs of life. The opening segment of lyrics immediately sets the tone for the song, "That's life, that's what people say; You're riding' high in April, shot down in May. But I know I'm gonna change that tune when I'm back on top in June." The opening lines show the fickleness of life, where everything could be going well, and then things come crashing down, leading to disappointment. The persona in the song seems resigned to this pattern, but also optimistic about reversing its negative effects. The persona knows that hard times come and go, and there is always a way back up from the lows of life.

The chorus of the song states, "I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king. I've been up and down and over and out and I know one thing. Each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race." The lines are a reflection of the different experiences we encounter in life, from being at the top of the world to the lowest of the lows. Nonetheless, the persona refuses to let these experiences keep them down, and every time they fall, they get right back up and keep racing.

Finally, in the bridge, the persona says, "That's life, I can't deny it. I thought of quitting, but my heart just won't buy it. But if nothing's changing come this here July, I'm going to roll myself up in a big ball and die." The persona admits to the toll that life's hardships have on them and considers quitting. However, the persona's heart won't allow them to accept defeat; even when things seem hopeless, they are convinced that circumstances will change for the better. Still, after putting in effort and trying everything, they would lose heart and give up, signaling an end to their race.

Line by Line Meaning

That's life, that's what people say
Life is unpredictable, and people just accept that fact.

You're riding' high in April
There will be times when life seems to be going great.

Shot down in May.
But just as quickly, life can take a turn for the worse.

But I know I'm gonna change that tune,
Despite life's ups and downs, I have hope that things will improve.

When I'm back on top in June.
I anticipate that I will regain success and happiness in the future.

That's life, funny as it seems.
Ironically, life's unpredictability is what makes it unique and interesting.

Some people get their kicks,
Unfortunately, some people find enjoyment in bringing others down.

Steppin' on dreams;
They crush people's aspirations and desires.

But I don't let it get me down,
However, I refuse to be defeated by these negative experiences.

'Cause this ol' world keeps spinning around.
The world keeps moving forward, and so must I.

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate,
Throughout my life, I've played many roles- some more successful than others.

A poet, a pawn and a king.
I've experienced different levels of creativity, power, and influence.

I've been up and down and over and out
I've faced various obstacles and setbacks, but continue to persevere.

And I know one thing:
One thing is certain- every time I fall, I pick myself up and keep trying.

Each time I find myself flat on my face,
Every time I encounter failure, I don't let it define me or stop me from pursuing my goals.

That's life, I can't deny it
While life isn't always perfect, I accept it for what it is.

I thought of quitting
In moments of defeat and despair, I've considered giving up.

But my heart just won't buy it.
Despite these thoughts, I have an inner drive and passion that keeps me going.

If I didn't think it was worth a try,
If I didn't believe that success was possible, I wouldn't bother trying at all.

I'd jump right on a big bird
If I truly felt defeated, I might consider escaping my problems by leaving town.

And then I'd fly.
I'd try to start over somewhere else, leaving my problems behind.

But if nothing's changing come this here July
However, if by a certain point progress has not been made, I may lose hope.

I'm going to roll myself up in a big ball and die.
At this point, I may feel so beaten down and helpless that I would rather give up on life than continue to struggle.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Dean Kay, Kelly L. Gordon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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