Crawford's father died when he was one year old, leaving an impoverished wife and mother, placed the baby in an orphanage asylum near Woodland, California. He taught himself music there. By age nine, he was playing a cornet in the orphanage band. At age 14 he left the orphanage to play piano in a small dance band, and then took a job playing piano in a ten-cent-admission silent film house.
His early theatre organ experience was at Washington's Spokane Gem Theater in 1911 and at the Clemmer-owned Casino Theatre (on an eight-rank Estey organ). He next played briefly at theatres in Billings, Montana, Spokane, Washington and Seattle. When he met Oliver Wallace, Crawford learned about the then-new types of theatre organ sounds. Crawford’s next jobs were playing at the Strand in San Francisco and the Mission Theatre in Los Angeles.
In the 1920s, Crawford began forming a fan base and was dubbed the of "Poet of the Organ" for his style of playing ballads in Chicago. In 1921, he was employed by the Balaban and Katz theatre chain playing its 29-rank Wurlitzer in the Chicago Theatre. Likewise, Crawford was hired to play a large Wurlitzer organ in Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre in Los Angeles.
From 1926 to 1933, he performed at New York City's Paramount Theater, with his wife Helen (also an organist) playing a twin organ console.
After some recordings for the small local Autograph Records label, Crawford made a series of gramophone records for the Victor Records label which proved very popular with record buyers. He had hits such as "Rose Marie", "Valencia" and "Russian Lullaby". Other popular songs included "At Dawning" and "Roses Of Picardy".
With the end of the silent film era, work for theatre organists in movie houses dried up. Crawford played a Kilgen organ at Chicago's Century of Progress World's Fair in 1934, and in 1936 he got a job as staff organist in NBC studios in Chicago. In the 1930s, Crawford switched to the Hammond organ, and began playing engagements across the United States. In addition to his numerous sound recordings, Crawford recorded player organ rolls on the Wurlitzer "R Rolls" system. His own compositions included "Vienna Violins", "Louisiana Nocturn", "Harlem Holiday", and "Hawaiian Honeymoon".
In 1940, the self-taught Crawford undertook his first formal music study with Joseph Schillinger, whose other students included George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and movie score composers Leith Stevens and Nathan Van Cleave. He recorded Hammond organ LPs for Decca Records and worked and began writing, producing sheet music song arrangements for Hammond organ and instruction books. He also taught organ students, both in one-on-one lessons and in class style lessons, where he mostly lectured. He recorded his last two LPs on the Simonton Wurlitzer organ.
I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling
Jesse Crawford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've Got A Feelin' A Feelin' I Can't Hideoh No Nowhoa No
Yeah Yeah I Got A Feelin' Yeah
Oh Please Believe Me I'd Hate To Miss The Trainoh Yeahoh Yeah
Ooh And If You Leave Me I Won't Be Late Again No No No Oh No
Yeah I've Got A Feelin' Yeahwhewoohoh Yeah
And I Don't Understand How Come Nobody Told Me?
Why I'd Want To Sing Like Milli Vanilli
I Got A Feelin' That Keeps Me On My Toes Oh Yeah Yeah Oh Yeah
Uh Huh I Got A Feelin' I Think That
Everybody Knows Oh Yeah Yeah Oh Yeah
Yeah Wow I Got A Feelin' Yeahwhoa
Everybody Had A Good Year Though We Never Saw The Sunshine
Everybody Had A Wet Dream Making Temple Was A Good Time
Oh Yeah Oh Yeah Oh Yeah
Everybody Made A Movie Everybody Had One Line
Everybody Misses Andy We'll Be Seein' Him In No Time
Oh Yeah Oh Yeah Oh Yeah
Ooh Yeah I Got A Feelin' Yeahoh
I Got A Feelin' A Feelin' Deep Inside Oh Yeah Yeah Oh Yeah
Ooh I Got A Feelin' A Feelin' I Can't Hide Oh No No Oh No
Yeahi Got A Feelin' Yeahyeahahoohyeah
The lyrics to Jesse Crawford's song "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" describe the singer's deep emotions and the feeling of uncertainty that comes with them. The lyrics exude a sense of urgency and desperation as the singer expresses his fear of missing the train and losing the person he loves. He talks about the feeling being so intense that it keeps him on his toes and that everyone knows about it.
The song also talks about the singer's desire to find someone who looks like his significant other, and their confusion about why nobody had told them about it before. There is also a reference to Milli Vanilli, an infamous lip-synching duo from the late 80s and early 90s.
The lyrics also reflect on the past and the sense of nostalgia, citing the good times had and the fact that everyone is missing someone named Andy. In summary, the song revolves around intense emotions, urgency, and uncertainty that the singer is experiencing.
Line by Line Meaning
I've Got A Feelin' A Feelin' Deep Inside Oh Yeahoh Yeah
I have an intense emotion stirring in me, that no one else seems to understand or see.
I've Got A Feelin' A Feelin' I Can't Hideoh No Nowhoa No
There's a feeling inside of me that I can't repress or hide away.
Yeah Yeah I Got A Feelin' Yeah
Yes, my intuition is telling me that something is happening.
Oh Please Believe Me I'd Hate To Miss The Trainoh Yeahoh Yeah
I hope you trust me when I say that I don't want to be left behind, missing out on something important.
Ooh And If You Leave Me I Won't Be Late Again No No No Oh No
If you stay with me, I won't run out of time and miss my chance again.
Yeah I've Got A Feelin' Yeahwhewoohoh Yeah
My feeling is building up and getting stronger.
And I Don't Understand How Come Nobody Told Me?
I am confused as to why no one warned me about this feeling, or why I'm the only one experiencing it.
Why I'd Want To Sing Like Milli Vanilli
I don't understand why I would want to be like someone else or pretend to be something I'm not.
All I Ever Wanted Was Someone Who Looked Like Youyouoh
I've been hoping to find someone who is just like you in appearance and personality.
I Got A Feelin' That Keeps Me On My Toes Oh Yeah Yeah Oh Yeah
My feeling is keeping me alert and responsive, ready for whatever comes next.
Uh Huh I Got A Feelin' I Think That
Yes, I believe that this feeling I have is real and significant.
Everybody Knows Oh Yeah Yeah Oh Yeah
It seems like everyone is aware of something that I'm just beginning to understand.
Yeah Wow I Got A Feelin' Yeahwhoa
I am amazed by the strength and intensity of this feeling I have.
Everybody Had A Good Year Though We Never Saw The Sunshine
Despite the lack of light, everyone had a successful year, and good things happened.
Everybody Had A Wet Dream Making Temple Was A Good Time
Everyone had their own personal fantasy or goal, and creating something memorable was a great experience.
Oh Yeah Oh Yeah Oh Yeah
These experiences were exciting and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Everybody Made A Movie Everybody Had One Line
Everyone contributed to a larger project, even if their role was small.
Everybody Misses Andy We'll Be Seein' Him In No Time
The loss of someone important is felt by everyone, but they take comfort in the belief that they'll be reunited soon.
Ooh Yeah I Got A Feelin' Yeahoh
Once again, I'm experiencing a strong and powerful feeling.
I Got A Feelin' A Feelin' Deep Inside Oh Yeah Yeah Oh Yeah
This intense emotion is deep within me, and I'm excited to see where it leads.
Ooh I Got A Feelin' A Feelin' I Can't Hide Oh No No Oh No
No matter how much I try to conceal it, this feeling cannot be denied.
Yeahi Got A Feelin' Yeahyeahahoohyeah
Yes, I'm confident and certain that something is happening within me.
Writer(s): Thomas 'Fats' Waller, Billy Rose, Harry Link
Contributed by Xavier O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.