Jerry Fielding (June 17, 1922 - February 17, 1980) was an American film com… Read Full Bio ↴Jerry Fielding (June 17, 1922 - February 17, 1980) was an American film composer.
Although best remembered for the bold, evocative film scores he composed for tough-guy filmmakers Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood, Jerry Fielding was also a premier arranger of the swing era, later headlining a series of space age pop LPs as well. Born Joshua Feldman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Fielding was a child prodigy who claimed among his earliest influences Bernard Herrmann 's pioneering scores for the radio dramas of Orson Welles.
A pupil of theatrical conductor Max Atkins, he was regularly writing arrangements for theatrical pit bands while still in high school, and at 18 was hired by guitar great Alvino Rey. When Rey relocated his musical enterprise from New York City to Los Angeles, he brought Fielding with him and by the mid-'40s he was an in-demand freelance arranger, writing charts for swing icons including Tommy Dorsey, Kay Kyser, and Charlie Barnet. Fielding also wrote extensively for radio, including programs hosted by Hoagy Carmichael, Kate Smith, and The Andrews Sisters, and was eventually named musical director of The Jack Paar Show.
By 1952 Fielding helmed his own jazz orchestra, which was the house band on Groucho Marx's popular television game show You Bet Your Life, but as a self-confessed "loudmouthed crusader" who received death threats for hiring African-American musicians, it was inevitable that he would run afoul of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist witch hunts. Called to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Fielding took the Fifth Amendment, and his Hollywood career crumbled. Fielding sought refuge in Las Vegas, where he served as musical director for acts including Abbott & Costello and Debbie Reynolds. He also signed a record contract with Decca, cutting a series of jazz-inspired discs including Sweet with a Beat, Swingin' in Hi-Fi, and Fielding's Formula.
The emergence of stereo technology galvanized Fielding's efforts, and later LPs including Magnificence in Brass and Near East Brass remain favorites of exotica collectors. With McCarthy's reign of terror finally at an end, Fielding returned to Hollywood in 1962, and at the recommendation of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo he was hired to write his first feature score for Otto Preminger's political thriller Advise and Consent. A score rich in atmosphere and melancholy — two emerging signatures of Fielding's work — it was followed by a series of lighthearted television efforts including themes for the series Hogan's Heroes and Run Buddy Run. In 1966, he teamed with two-fisted filmmaker Sam Peckinpah for the telefilm Noon Wine, inaugurating an often contentious creative partnership that won Fielding Academy Award nominations for 1969's The Wild Bunch and 1971's Straw Dogs. Fielding also scored several films for Clint Eastwood, earning a third Oscar nomination for his work on 1976's The Outlaw Josey Wales.
While in Canada scoring the feature Below the Belt, Fielding suffered a fatal heart attack on February 17, 1980. He was just 57 years old.

Main Title
Jerry Fielding Lyrics

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I'm wearing second hand shoes
Second hand hose
All the girls hand me
Their second hand clothes
Even my pajamas when I darn 'em
Have somebody else's
Initials on 'em
Second hand rings

Mmm... second hand things
I never get what other girlies do

Once while strolling
Through the ritz a girl got my goat
She nudged her friend
And said oh look there goes
My old fur coat

I don't believe in
Frettin' and grievin'
Why mess around with strife
I never was caught out
To step and strut out
Give me the simple life
Some find a pleasant dining on pheasants
Those things roll off my comb
Just serve me tomatoes
And mashed potatoes
Any place I hang my hat is home

Oh, I got plenty o' nothin'
And nothin's plenty for me
I got no car, I got no mule
I got no misery
Don't you see
I got no lock on my door
That's okay with me
Cause the things that I prize
Like the stars in the skies are all free
I got plenty o' nothin'
And nothin's plenty for me

Once I built a railroad
Made it run,
Made it race
Against time
Once I built a railroad
Now it's done
Brother can you spare a dime?
Say don't you remember
They called me al
It was al all the time
Say don't you remember
I'm your pal
Buddy can you spare a dime?

Nobody knows you
When you're down and out
In your pocket's
Not one penny
And your friends
Well, you haven't any
Soon as you get on your feet again
Everybody
Everybody
Is your long lost friend
It's mighty strange
Without a doubt
But nobody knows you
When you're down and out

Oh every one knows
That I'm just second hand rose
From second avenue
Ya can't beat the egg-creams
From second avenue
There is more between me
And fifth avenue
Than three blocks
I tell ya
Second avenue

The flowers in spring
The robins that sing
The sun beam that shines
They're yours, they're mine

And love can come to anyone
Because the best things in life are free

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jerry Fielding's song "Main Title" speak to the struggles of living a life with limited resources and the ability to make ends meet. The song is sung from the perspective of a woman who has seen her fair share of hard times and has learned to appreciate simple pleasures.

The first stanza talks about how the woman receives hand-me-downs and secondhand items from others. This is depicted in her clothing, rings, and even pajamas that have other people's initials on them. She does not seem to mind this, though, as the chorus goes on to explain that she is content with what she has and does not fret about what others have.

The second stanza talks about how there was a time when the woman had more, but now she is left with nothing. She talks about how nobody knew her or cared about her when she was down and out. However, she still finds joy in the simple things in life, like the flowers in spring and the sun shining.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the human experience and how we can find joy and contentment even in the darkest of times. It reminds us to appreciate what we have and not be so focused on material possessions.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm wearing second hand shoes
The shoes that I wear were previously owned by someone else

Second hand hose
The stockings I wear on my legs are pre-owned

All the girls hand me Their second hand clothes
The girls give me their pre-owned clothes

Even my pajamas when I darn 'em Have somebody else's Initials on 'em
My sleepwear, when repaired, still has the letters of the previous owner

Second hand rings Mmm... second hand things
The rings that I wear are pre-owned, and generally everything I have is second-hand

I never get what other girlies do
I am different from other girls and I do not really get their way of living or thinking

Once while strolling Through the ritz a girl got my goat She nudged her friend And said oh look there goes My old fur coat
When I was walking at the Ritz, I overheard a conversation where a girl identified her old fur coat which I was wearing

I don't believe in Frettin' and grievin' Why mess around with strife
I do not believe in being anxious or getting stressed, or unnecessarily dealing with conflicts

I never was caught out To step and strut out Give me the simple life
I never felt the need to show off or live a pretentious life; I prefer to live a simple, uncomplicated life

Some find a pleasant dining on pheasants Those things roll off my comb Just serve me tomatoes And mashed potatoes Any place I hang my hat is home
Some people may find dining on fancy or exotic foods appealing, but I am content with just tomatoes and mashed potatoes. As long as I have a place to hang my hat, I consider it my home.

Oh, I got plenty o' nothin' And nothin's plenty for me I got no car, I got no mule I got no misery Don't you see
I do not have much, but what I do have is enough to make me satisfied and content.

I got no lock on my door That's okay with me Cause the things that I prize Like the stars in the skies are all free
I do not have a lock on my door, but that does not worry me. The things that bring value to my life, like stars in the sky, do not cost any money.

Once I built a railroad Made it run, Made it race Against time Once I built a railroad Now it's done Brother can you spare a dime?
I used to work hard and build railroads, but now I am unemployed and asking for help from others.

Say don't you remember They called me al It was al all the time Say don't you remember I'm your pal Buddy can you spare a dime?
I am reminding my friend that everyone used to call me Al, and that I still am his friend despite my current financial situation.

Nobody knows you When you're down and out In your pocket's Not one penny And your friends Well, you haven't any Soon as you get on your feet again Everybody Everybody Is your long lost friend It's mighty strange Without a doubt But nobody knows you When you're down and out
When you are going through a tough phase in life and have nothing, everyone will abandon you, but as soon as you recover, everyone will turn into a long-lost friend, which is quite strange.

Oh every one knows That I'm just second hand rose From second avenue Ya can't beat the egg-creams From second avenue There is more between me And fifth avenue Than three blocks I tell ya Second avenue
Everyone knows that I am a poor girl from Second Avenue, where the egg-creams are unbeatable. Although my place of residence is quite humble, I have much more depth than meets the eye.

The flowers in spring The robins that sing The sun beam that shines They're yours, they're mine And love can come to anyone Because the best things in life are free
The best things in life, such as the sight of blooming flowers, the sound of singing birds, and the warmth of sunlight, do not cost anything and can bring joy to anyone's life. Even love can come to anyone, regardless of their financial situation or status.

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NIGEL ANDREW STAFF, DONOVAN BENNETT, WAYNE MCGREGOR, ADIDJA PALMER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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