Born in Keyport, New Jersey, Hall received classical training at Juilliard School. In the early 1930s she was a special soloist and assistant director for the Hall Johnson Choir. A leading black Broadway performer in her day, she was personally chosen by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II to perform the roles she played in the musicals South Pacific and Flower Drum Song, as a Pacific Islander and a Chinese-American, respectively. In 1950, she became the first African-American to win a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Bloody Mary in South Pacific. She also starred in the 1954 Broadway musical House of Flowers.
In 1958 she reprised Bloody Mary in the film version of South Pacific, for which her singing part was dubbed, at Richard Rodgers's request, by Muriel Smith who had played the role in the London production.
Hall married actor Clement Hall while in her teens. He died in the 1920s, and they had no children. Hall, a diabetic, died from complications of her illness in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York.
After You're Gone
Juanita Hall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
Don't say that we must part,
Don't break your baby's heart
You know I've loved you for these many years,
Loved you night and day,
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
Someday, when you grow lonely
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
After you've gone, after you've gone away
After you've gone and left me cryin'
After you've gone there's no denyin'
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You're gonna feel bad
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
But baby, think what you're doin'
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
It's gonna drive you to ruin
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
The song "After You're Gone" by Juanita Hall is a heart-wrenching plea to her lover to reconsider leaving her. The opening lines of the song ask the question of how they could come to this point where he is leaving her. She begs him not to break her heart by leaving her and reminds him of the many years they have loved each other. The chorus of the song tells the story of how he will feel once he leaves, and it is not a pretty picture. He will feel blue, sad, and miss the dearest pal he ever had.
In the second verse, she predicts that there will come a time when he will regret leaving her, but it will be too late, just as it is too late for her. She tells him that someday he will become lonely, and his heart will break just like hers. He will realize that he wants her back, but by then, it'll be too late. The final lines of the song predict that she will haunt him and taunt him, driving him to ruin after he's gone.
Overall, the song is a prime example of heartbreak and the sorrow that comes with a love lost. It's a timeless classic that still touches listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Now won't you listen honey, while I say,
Please pay attention to me while I plead with you
How could you tell me that you're goin' away?
How can you possibly break my heart by leaving me?
Don't say that we must part,
Don't say that we have to separate
Don't break your baby's heart
Please don't shatter my heart into pieces
You know I've loved you for these many years,
I have been deeply in love with you for a long time
Loved you night and day,
I have loved you every moment
Oh! honey baby, can't you see my tears?
My eyes are filled with tears from the pain of losing you
Listen while I say
Please pay attention to my words
After you've gone and left me cryin'
Once you leave me and I'm left weeping
After you've gone there's no denyin'
It's an undeniable fact that once you're gone
You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad
You'll have feelings of depression and sorrow
You'll miss the dearest pal you've ever had
You'll long for the best, most treasured friend you've ever had
There'll come a time, now don't forget it
One day, remember this
There'll come a time when you'll regret it
One day you'll deeply regret your decision to leave
Someday, when you grow lonely
At some point when you're feeling alone
Your heart will break like mine and you'll want me only
Your heart will ache like mine and you will only want me
You're gonna feel blue, and you're gonna feel sad
You will have feelings of depression and sorrow
You're gonna feel bad
You're going to feel terrible
And you'll miss, and you'll miss,
You'll long for
And you'll miss the bestest pal you ever had
The most precious and dear friend you've ever known
But baby, think what you're doin'
But sweetheart, consider what you're doing
I'm gonna haunt you so, I'm gonna taunt you so
I will continuously remind you of what you've done
It's gonna drive you to ruin
It will lead you to your own devastation
After you've gone, after you've gone away.
Once you've left me alone and gone away.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HENRY CREAMER, TURNER LAYTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind