Hodges was apparently aware of this effect, leaving the Ellington orchestra in the 1950's, to be replaced by the stellar alto man, Willie Smith, formerly the lead alto star of the Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra. This situation somehow benefitted neither Ellington or Hodges, with the Ellington orchestra losing a certain luster despite Mr. Smith's excellence, and with major stardom just beyond Mr. Hodges' reach.
Luckily for the listener the recordings Mr. Hodges left behind as a leader, while arguably eluding stardom for the artist at the time, are nonpareil examples of relaxed swing, subtle inflection and perfect phrasing, peerless tone and seemingly effortless technique. More luck for the listener, Mr. Hodges later rejoined the Ellington fold, returning a signature sound to the orchestra's unique palette for many years after.
It has been reported that the Ellington orchestra worked nearly 365 days a year. When asked about this grueling schedule Mr. Ellington said something to the effect that he would settle for nothing less than the finest artists for his orchestra. What with the necessarily high salaries accorded an orchestra of virtuosos, the band had to work often in order to survive. Certainly no one in the Ellington orchestra more exemplified Mr. Ellington's highest standards than Johhny Hodges.
Lover Come Back To Me
Johnny Hodges Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I let you
We broke the ties that bind
I wanted to forget you
And leave the past behind
Still, the magic of the night I met you
Seems to stay forever in my mind
And high above
The moon was new
And so was love
This eager heart of mine was singing
Lover where can you be
You came at last
Love had its day
That day is past
You've gone away
This aching heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I'm so lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I grow lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
The lyrics to Johnny Hodges's "Lover Come Back to Me" express the sorrow and longing of someone who has lost their love but can't shake the memories of when they were together. The singer admits that they allowed their lover to leave and tried to move on, but the magic of their initial meeting still haunts them. The imagery of the blue sky and new moon in the first verse represents the freshness of their love, but now the singer is left feeling lonely and unable to let go of the past.
The second half of the song repeats the same themes and adds a sense of desperation for the lover to return. The singer remembers everything their lover used to do and can't seem to escape the feeling of walking every road with them. The sky is still blue and the moon is still new, but love has become old and the singer is left waiting and singing for their lover to come back to them.
Overall, "Lover Come Back to Me" is a classic example of a love ballad that captures the universal experience of loss and longing. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's emotions and the music adds a haunting quality that emphasizes the sadness and nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
You went away
You left me
I let you
I didn't stop you from leaving
We broke the ties that bind
We ended our relationship
I wanted to forget you
I tried to erase you from my memory
And leave the past behind
And move on from our past together
Still, the magic of the night I met you
However, I can't forget the night we met
Seems to stay forever in my mind
Because it's etched deeply in my memory
The sky was blue
The sky was a shade of blue
And high above
And far up in the sky
The moon was new
The moon was in the early stages of its cycle
And so was love
And so was our love for each other
This eager heart of mine was singing
I was feeling highly optimistic and happy
Lover where can you be
I was longing for you and searching for you
You came at last
You finally appeared
Love had its day
Our love had its moment of triumph
That day is past
But that period is now over
You've gone away
You left and you're no longer here
This aching heart of mine is singing
I'm feeling intense emotional pain
Lover come back to me
I'm yearning for you to come back to me
When I remember every little thing
When I think about every moment we shared
You used to do
The things you used to do for me
I'm so lonely
I'm feeling so alone
Every road I walk along
Every path I take
I walk along with you
I can't help but think of you while I walk
No wonder I am lonely
No wonder I feel so alone
The sky is blue
The sky has a blue color
The night is cold
The night feels chilly
The moon is new
The moon is still in its early stage
But love is old
Our love has been around for a while
And while I'm waiting here
And while I wait
This heart of mine is singing
I'm feeling intense emotions
Lover come back to me
I'm begging you to return to me
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC , Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, SIGMUND ROMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind