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).
Tragedy
Johnny Tillotson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Writers Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson
Wind and storm (ooh-ooh) Gone's the sun (the sun, ooh) From the stars my dark has come You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) Oh, come back Have me here Hold me, love Be sincere You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy (ee-ee, ee-ee, ee-ee, ee-ee) (ah, ah, ah) Like smoke from a fire Of love oh, oh, oh, ooh Our dreams have all gone Above oh, oh, oh, ooh Blown by wind Kissed by snow All that's left is the dark be-ee-ee-low You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy (Oh, oh, oh) Tragedy (BUNG!) Transcribed by Robin Hood These lyrics were transcribed from the specific recording mentioned above and do not necessarily correspond with lyrics from other recordings, sheet music, songbooks or lyrics printed on album jackets.
The lyrics of Johnny Tillotson's song Tragedy convey the pain of losing a loved one. The first verse sets the scene for the mood of the song by describing the disappearance of the sun and the arrival of darkness. The singer's love has left him, and he expresses his anguish by repeating the word 'tragedy.' He begs his lover to return to him, to hold him, and to be sincere about their love. In the second verse, the comparison of their dreams to smoke from a fire implies that their love was once strong but has now dwindled away. The reference to their dreams being blown away by the wind and kissed by snow emphasizes the fragility of their relationship. The final line of the verse, "All that's left is the dark below," suggests that the singer is left in a state of emotional darkness and despair.
The chorus repeats the word 'tragedy' several times, emphasizing the emotional pain of the situation. The sudden 'BUNG!' at the end of the chorus adds an unexpected and jarring note, perhaps to underscore the sense of shock that the singer is feeling. Overall, the song evokes a sense of loss and heartache that is relatable to anyone who has experienced the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Wind and storm (ooh-ooh)
The tumultuous weather represents the chaos and instability caused by the person leaving.
Gone's the sun (the sun, ooh)
The sun setting symbolizes the end of a period of happiness and joy.
From the stars my dark has come
The singer's sadness and despair is represented by the darkness that has spread across the metaphorical universe.
You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy (ah, ah, ah, ah, ah)
The person's departure is a great tragedy, evidenced by the artist's use of the word 'tragedy' to describe it.
Oh, come back
The artist desperately wants the person to return.
Have me here
The singer wants the person to have them in their life again.
Hold me, love
The singer longs for the comfort of the person's touch and affection.
Be sincere
The person's return must be genuine and heartfelt, not just out of obligation.
Like smoke from a fire
The relationship and dreams the artist had with the person have vanished as easily as smoke dissipating from a fire.
Of love oh, oh, oh, ooh
The relationship that ended was one built on love.
Our dreams have all gone
All the hopes and aspirations the singer had with the person have vanished with their departure.
Above oh, oh, oh, ooh
The dreams and aspirations were high and lofty.
Blown by wind
The dreams and aspirations were fragile and easily destroyed.
Kissed by snow
The dreams and aspirations were delicate and vulnerable to harsh elements.
All that's left is the dark be-ee-ee-low
All that remains after the person's departure is sadness and despair.
You've gone from me, oh, oh, tragedy (Oh, oh, oh)
The person leaving is causing great emotional pain, further emphasized by the repetition of 'oh'.
Tragedy (BUNG!)
The artist reiterates that the person leaving is a tragedy, emphasized by the addition of the sound effect 'bung'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRED BURCH, GERALD NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tan YikWah
Killer track, just awesome, thanks for sharing.
PSW47
Love it. Always and forever a fan
Tresa McDuffie
Oh the memories this brought back. Thank you
colin warner
What a fantastic version , I never knew Johnny Tillotson sang this great, absolutely lovely and brill..many thanks for a great download, I am now going to find out what others he sung, I thought I knew most about music, but you are always finding gems. I feel ashamed to say I thought he started and ended with Poetry in Motion. how dumbI am.most upset, from Colin U.K.