Johnny Tillotson (born 20 April 1938 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA) is an A… Read Full Bio ↴Johnny Tillotson (born 20 April 1938 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA) is an American singer and songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored 9 top-ten hits on the pop, country and adult contemporary billboard charts including "Poetry In Motion" and the self-penned "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'".

In 1957 while still in high school, Tillotson was making records and performing on stage; as a student at the University of Florida, he had his own musical variety show on regional television. Following graduation in 1959 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Communications, he signed with Cadence Records and moved to New York City to pursue his music career. In 1960, he recorded his first hit, a composition entitled "Poetry in Motion" (written by Anthony/Kaufman), that went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and #1 on the UK Singles Chart.

A "crossover" artist, several of Tillotson's songs were successful on both the country music charts and pop charts. He earned a Grammy Award nomination for another of his own compositions, "It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin," and also for the song "Heartaches by the Number," nominated for Best Vocal Performance of 1965. He also appeared in the 1963 film "Just for Fun" and sang the theme song for the 1965 Sally Field television comedy "Gidget".

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Tillotson has recorded 26 singles that made it onto Billboard's charts, and performed at venues across the United States and other places around the globe.

He was featured in the 1966 camp comedy The Fat Spy starring Jayne Mansfield, Jack E. Leonard, Phyllis Diller, Brian Donlevy and Jordan Christopher & the Wild Ones. This film was featured in the 2004 documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (#46).

My Little World
Johnny Tillotson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You went and left me you left me and there was nothing I could do
You went and left me you left me and and broke my little world in two

I never thought you'd be the kinda girl to do that
To run around with other guy in town
You took my little world and smashed it into pieces
And you turn the happy smile into a frown

It wasn't right it wasn't fair it wasn't like you
It wasn't like the girl I once thought I knew
You used to be so sweet and gentle and I loved you
And you used to whisper that you love me too

But then you left me you left me...
[ guitar + strings ]
It wasn't right it wasn't fair...
But then you left me you left me...

Yes you broke my little world in two
Oh you broke my little world in two

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny Tillotson's song, My Little World, convey a sense of heartbreak and betrayal, as the singer laments the loss of his love and the end of his cherished world. He is devastated and incredulous that the girl he once knew and loved could suddenly turn her back on him, and the lyrics express his deep pain and sadness. He acknowledges that his world has been broken into pieces and that he feels lost without his love. The lyrics also convey a sense of disillusionment and bitterness, as the singer realizes that his former lover was not the person he thought she was.

The use of figurative language in the song is noteworthy, such as the metaphor of the singer's "little world," which was shattered by his lover's betrayal. The lyrics also contain several contrasts, such as the idea of a "happy smile turning into a frown," highlighting the sudden change in mood and emotions that the singer experiences. The song's instrumentation, including a guitar and strings, also adds to the melancholic mood of the piece.

Line by Line Meaning

You went and left me you left me and there was nothing I could do
You left me powerless when you walked away from me.

You went and left me you left me and and broke my little world in two
Not only did you leave me, but you shattered the world I knew and left me in pieces.

I never thought you'd be the kinda girl to do that
I never believed that you would be capable of hurting me like this.

To run around with other guy in town
I can't believe you cheated on me with someone else from our small town.

You took my little world and smashed it into pieces
You completely destroyed the happy place I had with you and left me with nothing.

And you turn the happy smile into a frown
You took away my happiness and left me with pain and sorrow.

It wasn't right it wasn't fair it wasn't like you
Your actions were unjust, cruel, and not reflective of the person I knew you to be.

It wasn't like the girl I once thought I knew
You're not the same person I fell in love with, and it breaks my heart.

You used to be so sweet and gentle and I loved you
I adored the kind, caring person you used to be.

And you used to whisper that you love me too
I believed your promises of love and thought we would be together forever.

But then you left me you left me...
However, everything changed when you deserted me.

[ guitar + strings ]
Musical interlude.

Yes you broke my little world in two
You shattered my world and my heart when you walked away from me.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN RALPH SAMWELL, JEAN LINCOLN SLATER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS