John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded … Read Full Bio ↴John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded as one of America's greatest songwriters. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others. From the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performed were among the most popular hits of the time. He wrote the lyrics to more than fifteen hundred songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations, and won four. Mercer was also a co-founder of Capitol Records.

I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
Johnny Mercer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I lost my sugar in Salt Lake City
Oh, why did I go there
I should have stayed down in New Orleans
And never gone nowhere

A girl with sweet talk from Kansas City
Her words were sweet like wine
She bought him diamonds and limousines

She stole that man o' mine

When night comes a-creepin'
For me there's no sleeping
What she sews, she'll be reapin'
'Cause she done me wrong

I cried my heart out in Salt Lake City
The day I heard the news
He left me deep in my solitude
With a Salt Lake City blues

With a Salt Lake City blues

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny Mercer's "I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City" tell a sorrowful tale of love and loss as the singer bemoans the fact that he lost his significant other to a woman with sweet talk and material possessions. He regrets leaving New Orleans and traveling to Salt Lake City where he lost his love to a woman who deceived him with her words and gifts. The night brings him no peace as he struggles with his heartache, acknowledging that the woman who stole his man will eventually face the consequences of her actions. The song ends with the singer drowning in his misery and loneliness, unable to shake off the Salt Lake City blues.

Line by Line Meaning

I lost my sugar in Salt Lake City
I lost my lover in Salt Lake City

Oh, why did I go there
I regret going to Salt Lake City

I should have stayed down in New Orleans
I should have stayed in New Orleans where I was happy

And never gone nowhere
And not gone anywhere else

A girl with sweet talk from Kansas City
A girl with convincing words from Kansas City

Her words were sweet like wine
Her words were very persuasive

She bought him diamonds and limousines
She showered him with luxurious gifts

She stole that man o' mine
She took my man away from me

When night comes a-creepin'
When it gets dark and lonely at night

For me there's no sleeping
I cannot sleep

What she sews, she'll be reapin'
She will face the consequences of her actions

'Cause she done me wrong
Because she hurt me

I cried my heart out in Salt Lake City
I cried a lot in Salt Lake City because of what happened

The day I heard the news
The day I found out about what happened

He left me deep in my solitude
He left me alone and lonely

With a Salt Lake City blues
Feeling sad and lonely in Salt Lake City

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY LANGE, LEON RENE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Trombonology Erstwhile

2y↑3

This is one of my all-time favorite Johnny sides! -- so evocative of its time. Generally, I don't go too much for songs with spoken passages, but I love Johnny's recitation of commerce stats and vegetation ... "alfalfa, greens, sugar beets and vegetables". ... That guy could sing the blues, in his unique way! Expert backing from the Slack band. "That town is a nemesis to me!"

just now