Jimmy Clanton was born 2 September 1938 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, and… Read Full Bio ↴Jimmy Clanton was born 2 September 1938 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, and formed his first band in 1956 while in high school.

One of the few white singers to come out of the New Orleans R&B/rock & roll sound (he was known as the "swamp pop R&B teenage idol"), he rode the crest of the popular teen music wave in the 1950s and '60s with such songs as 'Just a Dream' and 'Venus in Blue Jeans'. He even continued to release hits after he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1961 and served for two years.

Clanton became a disc jockey in the 1970s and performed in an oldies revue, The Masters of Rock 'n' Roll, with Troy Shondell, Ray Peterson, and Ronnie Dove. He is reputed to have had a religious conversion in the 1980s. In the 1995 Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Clanton performed with Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, and Frankie "Sea Cruise" Ford.

Clanton starred in a rock 'n' roll movie produced by Alan Freed called "Go Johnny Go," and later starred in "Teenage Millionaire."

A Part of Me
Jimmy Clanton Lyrics

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I've been restless every night
Since that night you held me tight
Please return, oh, how I yearn
To hold you just once more

Please believe me when I say
That I need you every day
My heart is lonely, I need you only

To fill this love of mine

Oh, Lord, won't you hear my plea
Touch her heart, make it long for me
Show her the way to my front door
And happiness will be ours forevermore

Must I wait impatiently
What will be, I know will be
I see her face, feel her embrace
She's now a part of me

Oh, Lord, won't you hear my plea
Touch her heart, make it long for me
Show her the way to my front door
And happiness will be ours forevermore

Must I wait impatiently
What will be, I know will be

I see her face, feel her embrace
She's now a part of me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jimmy Clanton's song "A Part of Me" express a deep longing for the return of a lost love. The singer is consumed by restless nights and unfulfilled yearning since the night that he last held his partner. He pleads for her return, asserting that he needs her every day and that she is the only one who can fill his heart with love. The chorus expresses his desperation as he asks the Lord to touch her heart and make it long for him, showing her the way to his front door so that happiness can be theirs forevermore.

The second verse of the song is a repetition of the first, indicating the singer's persistent longing and hope for his love's return. He conveys his willingness to wait impatiently for her, knowing that what will be, will be. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that his lost love has become a part of him, in spite of the distance between them. He continues to pray for their eventual reunion, trusting that their love will endure.

The lyrics of "A Part of Me" are a powerful expression of heartbreak, longing, and steadfast hope. The song resonates with anyone who has ever felt the pain of a lost love, while simultaneously offering reassurance that love endures and persists, even when lovers are apart.

A Part of MeJimmy Clanton Lyrics

A Part of Me
Jimmy Clanton Lyrics