Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch, March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an … Read Full Bio ↴Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch, March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, director, producer, screenwriter and humanitarian, whose career spanned eight decades and was nicknamed the "King of Comedy". He was known for his partnership with Dean Martin as the groundbreaking act of Martin and Lewis.

Lewis went on to star in, write, produce and direct motion pictures, appear on television, in nightclubs, concerts and musicals and sing in albums. Outside of his career, he supported fundraising for muscular dystrophy research, during 60 years as national chairman and spokesman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and 44 years hosting The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon every Labor Day weekend. In 1977, Lewis was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the organization. As one of the most successful performers in show business, with worldwide box office receipts of his films in excess of $800 million, Lewis received global acclaim for his unique ability and style with both comedy and drama. As part of Martin and Lewis and as a solo actor, he was voted Hollywood’s top box-office draw from 1951 to 1965, in later years as the sole comedian.

Lewis was born on March 16, 1926, at Newark Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, to Russian Jewish parents. His father, Daniel Levitch (1902–1980), born in New York, was a master of ceremonies and vaudeville entertainer who used the professional name Danny Lewis. His mother, Rachel "Rae" Levitch (née Brodsky; 1903–1983) went by the stage name Rae Lewis, was a piano player for the radio station WOR and was her husband's musical director. Lewis began performing at age five and would often perform alongside his parents in the Catskill Mountains in New York.

He was a "character" even in his teenage years, pulling pranks in his neighborhood including sneaking into kitchens to steal fried chicken and pies. He dropped out of Irvington High School in the tenth grade. By age 15, he had developed his "Record Act" miming lyrics to songs while a phonograph played offstage. He used the professional name Joey Lewis but soon changed it to Jerry Lewis to avoid confusion with comedian Joe E. Lewis and heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis.He landed a gig at a burlesque house in Buffalo, but his performance fell flat and was unable to book any more shows. Lewis worked as a soda jerk and a theater usher for Suzanne Pleshette's father Gene at the Paramount Theater to make ends meet.

A veteran burlesque comedian, Max Coleman, who had worked with Lewis' father years before, persuaded him to try again. Irving Kaye, a Borscht Belt comedian, saw Lewis' mime act at Brown’s Hotel in Loch Sheldrake, New York, the following summer, and the audience was so enthusiastic that Kaye became Lewis' manager and guardian for Borscht Belt appearances. During World War II, he was rejected for military service because of a heart murmur.

Lewis died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, at 9:15 a.m. (PDT) on August 20, 2017, at the age of 91. The cause was end-stage cardiac disease and peripheral artery disease. In his will, Lewis left his estate to his second wife of 34 years, SanDee Pitnick, and their daughter, and intentionally excluded his children from his first marriage as well as their descendants.

For almost two decades, from the late '40s to the mid-'60s, Lewis was a major force in American popular culture. Widely acknowledged as a comic genius, Lewis influenced successive generations of comedians, comedy writers, performers and filmmakers. As Lewis was often referenced as the bridge from Vaudeville to modern comedy, Carl Reiner wrote after Lewis’ death, “All comedians watch other comedians, and every generation of comedians going back to those who watched Jerry on the Colgate Comedy Hour were influenced by Jerry. They say that mankind goes back to the first guy...which everyone tries to copy. In comedy that guy was Jerry Lewis.”

Come Rain Or Come Shine
Jerry Lewis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come Rain Or Come Shine-Jerry Lewis
I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain deep as a river
Come rain or come shine
I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things
But don't you ever bet me

'cause I'm gonna be true if you let me
You're gonna love me like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
We'll be happy together unhappy together
and won't that be fine
The days may be cloudy or sunny
We're in or out of the money
But I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine
You're gonna love me like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
We'll be happy together unhappy together
and won't that be fine
The days may be cloudy or sunny
We're in or out of the money

But I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine

Overall Meaning

The song "Come Rain or Come Shine" by Jerry Lewis is a romantic ballad that expresses an unbreakable promise of love and devotion. The lyrics boldly declare the singer's commitment to loving his partner no matter what happens in their lives, through the good times and the bad times. The comparison to a mountain and a river emphasizes the depth and magnitude of his love, and the repetition of the line "Come rain or come shine" reinforces the idea that this love is constant and unwavering.

The lyrics also suggest that the love between the couple may not always be perfect, as they may experience both happy and unhappy times together. However, the singer confidently assures his partner that he will always be with her, through thick and thin. The juxtaposition of "cloudy or sunny" days and being "in or out of the money" suggests that their love transcends material wealth and external circumstances.

Overall, the song is a testament to the power of true love, and the unwavering commitment that comes with it. It is a beautiful expression of the kind of love that endures through all of life's ups and downs, and inspires hope and perseverance.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you
I will love you intensely and wholeheartedly, with a depth that nobody has ever experienced before.

Come rain or come shine
Regardless of the circumstances or challenges that we may face, my love for you will never waver.

High as a mountain, deep as a river
My love for you is immeasurable, with a depth as deep as a river and a height as high as a mountain.

I guess when you met me, it was just one of those things
Perhaps our meeting was a coincidence or a twist of fate, but it led to something meaningful and special.

But don't you ever bet me, 'cause I'm gonna be true if you let me
Do not doubt my fidelity or dedication, as I will always remain honest and loyal to our love.

You're gonna love me like nobody's loved me
I am confident that your love for me will be just as passionate and intense as mine is for you.

We'll be happy together, unhappy together, and won't that be fine
Our love may have ups and downs, but we will face them together and cherish every moment we share.

The days may be cloudy or sunny, we're in or we're out of the money
Whether we have fortune or misfortune, my love for you will never change.

But I'm with you always, I'm with you rain or shine
I will always be by your side, through both the good times and the bad, steadfast and true.

Writer(s): Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen

Contributed by Kayla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

@ROCKINGMAN

He was very talented, great at comedy, something you have or you don't have, he was a natural and had a great style. He was stylish, a good actor, a great singer, stand-up comedian, and had some wonderful records.