She was the first American singer to record at Abbey Road Studios in England. Her fan base even included Asia and the Philippines. She had 7 top hits, including "Why Don't You Believe in Me?", "Your Cheating Heart," "Almost Always," and "Have You Heard?"
She married composer Tony Acquaviva in 1956. In 1964, she dropped out of the public eye to take care of him and did so until 1986, when Mr. Acquaviva passed away. She began to tour again in the 1990's. She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In Love In Vain
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But who wants to be in love in vain
At night you hang around the hall
And eat your heart out
And cry your eyes out
And rack your brains
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as she
I thought that I would be in Heaven
But I'm only up a tree
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as he
Should cause you such misery and pain
I thought that I would be in Heaven
But I'm only up a tree
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
Joni James's song In Love In Vain tells the story of a person who is in love with someone who doesn't reciprocate their feelings. The lyrics convey the feeling of pain and heartache that comes with unrequited love. The first stanza talks about how natural it is for anyone to want to be in love, but no one wants to be in love without it being returned. The person in love is depicted as spending their nights in agony, hanging out in the hall, eating their heart out, crying, and racking their brains as they wonder why they are in this painful situation.
The second stanza talks about the object of their affection and how wonderful they are, which only makes the pain more confusing. The line, "I thought that I would be in Heaven, but I'm only up a tree," is particularly striking, as it conveys the sense of being stuck and unable to move forward or escape the pain. The last two lines of the song repeat the idea that the person's luck is just not in their favour and they are sadly, in love in vain.
Overall, the song is a poignant and relatable portrayal of the pain of unrequited love that many people have experienced at some point in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
It's only human for anyone to want to be in love
It's a universal feeling to desire love and companionship.
But who wants to be in love in vain
Nobody wants to invest in a relationship that is one-sided or futile.
At night you hang around the hall
You spend your evenings aimlessly wandering, searching for something meaningful.
And eat your heart out
You feel intense emotional pain, often to the point of physical discomfort or illness.
And cry your eyes out
You weep uncontrollably due to the emotional hurt caused by unrequited love.
And rack your brains
You try your hardest to understand why your love is not reciprocated, to no avail.
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as she
You question how someone so amazing could cause you so much pain and misery.
Should cause you such misery and pain
It's inexplicable and unjustified that someone you love does not feel the same way.
I thought that I would be in Heaven
You believed that being in love would provide you with immense happiness and fulfillment.
But I'm only up a tree
Instead, you find yourself stuck in an undesirable situation, feeling isolated and helpless.
Cause it's just my luck to be in love in vain.
You realize that it's unfortunate, but ultimately not within your control, that your love is unreciprocated.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEROME KERN, LEO ROBIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind