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."
What Am I Gonna Do
Jimmy Clanton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What am I gonna do
I'm so lonely for you
What am I gonna do
When the sun goes down
And all the lights are low
What am I gonna do
We used to know
I remember the happiness we knew
Darling, can't we make up soon
Cause I don't know
What I'm gonna do
What am I gonna do
On Wednesday night when I
Used to call you on the phone
What am I gonna say at the
Record hop when I show up alone
They'll all ask me
What's become of you
Darling, can't we make up soon
Cause I don't know
What I'm gonna do
At the movies
Or at the football game
Please believe me
Nothing's gonna be the same
Now what am I gonna do
On a Saturday night
When everything goes wrong
What am I gonna feel when
The radio plays our favorite song
I'm so lonely just like Mr. Blue
Darling, can't we make up soon
Cause I don't know
What I'm gonna do
Cause I don't know
What I'm gonna do
Cause I don't know
What I'm gonna do...
The song "What Am I Gonna Do" by Jimmy Clanton is a heartfelt ballad about the pain of lost love. The chorus, "What am I gonna do, What am I gonna do, I'm so lonely for you," expresses the singer's loneliness and his longing to be reunited with his lost love. The song is about the memories that remain after a relationship has ended, and the uncertainty and longing that come with them.
The first verse sets the scene of the singer alone at night, recalling the love he used to share with his partner. He remembers the happiness they shared and longs to make up with her soon. The second verse details specific occasions that he will miss the company of his love, like Wednesday night phone calls and record hops. The bridge underscores that his routines have changed because of his ex-lover, as he fears bumping into friends and acquaintances and must confront reminders of the relationship like shared songs.
The final verse is about the pain of memories that resurface, particularly when they are triggered by specific events, like hearing a favorite song on the radio. The singer then pleads with his lover to make up and end his loneliness. The song's powerful and relatable lyrics make it a favorite among fans of 1960s pop music.
Line by Line Meaning
What am I gonna do
Expressing a feeling of loss and confusion
What am I gonna do
Reiterating the feeling of confusion and hopelessness
I'm so lonely for you
Feeling lonely and incomplete without the other person
What am I gonna do
Wondering how to handle the absence of the other person when alone
When the sun goes down
Referring to the time of day when the loneliness is most pronounced
And all the lights are low
Creating a visual image of a dark, empty place
What am I gonna do
Asking a rhetorical question that can't easily be answered
When I recall the love
Reflecting on past memories of happier times together
We used to know
Highlighting the joy of the past relationship before the present pain of separation
I remember the happiness we knew
Nostalgic recollection of how things used to be
Darling, can't we make up soon
Pleading with the other person to fix things and come back
Cause I don't know
Expressing the uncertainty and confusion of the situation
What I'm gonna do
Reinforcing the sense of hopelessness and fear of being alone
On Wednesday night when I
Referencing a specific day of the week when they used to talk
Used to call you on the phone
Recalling a routine that's now broken and lost
What am I gonna say at the
Wondering how to act in social situations without the other person
Record hop when I show up alone
Thinking of a specific event where they used to go together
They'll all ask me
Anticipating the questions and attention that comes with being alone
What's become of you
Querying what happened to the other person and why they're not together
At the movies
Referencing another common dating activity
Or at the football game
Highlighting other activities that they used to do together
Please believe me
Asking the other person to trust and understand their true feelings
Nothing's gonna be the same
Acknowledging that things have changed and can't go back to how they were
On a Saturday night
Referencing yet another evening alone
When everything goes wrong
Feeling like nothing is going right without the other person there
What am I gonna feel when
Asking another rhetorical question about their emotional state
The radio plays our favorite song
Recalling another shared memory of happy times
I'm so lonely just like Mr. Blue
Relating to Mr. Blue, another song about loneliness
Darling, can't we make up soon
Repeating the earlier plea to come back and fix things
Cause I don't know
Still unsure and uncertain of what to do without the other person
What I'm gonna do
Closing with the same rhetorical question that started the song
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@edart9
Jimmy,-Great delivery and arrangement! should have been in Top Ten!!! sho buz
@whispperson
Love this recording
@imanim4844
I like Jimmy Clanton's music 😊🎶
@ferdinando1945
tremedous hit, I was 16.
I remember my favourite girl I used to dance with. Mermories that come from the unforgettable past. I remember P. Creus, Anice, A.M. Chattin,M.E., Sussy, Liliana, Myriam, M.Angélica, Peta, Margarita. Dávila LarraÃn c/ Maule, Santiago centro, Chile.
Thx for posting !!!!
@jamesframpton8120
Love this one from Jimmy Clanton, and Neil's version too who of course wrote this song.
@joannb104
Neil also wrote 'Another Sleepless Night" for Jimmy too...great songs..love Jimmy...!!
@vandywilliam
How did this song not reach the top 10 nationwide, as it did on such major Top 40 stations as KLIF in Dallas and KOMA in Oklahoma City?
@hounsdown1977
Great tune
@garyfaught3769
Definitely has that Sedaka flavor. Very catchy. WHEN is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame going to WAKE UP. SHAME on them!
@cooldaddy2877
The so-called Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is anything but. Firstly they dont know what R'n'R is/was. The real R'n'R was a 50's and early 60's music form. Most of the stuff in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is much later stuff better described as Rock. Also, they completely ignore two very important aspects of the original R'n'R sound, that being Doo Wop and Pop R'n'R....thats why people like Jimmy Clanton will never get in unfortunately.