Garrett has performed across the whole world and has also sung opera and pop classics with Bryan Ferry, The Eurythmics and Mick Hucknall to celebrate the arrival of the new century on Millennium Eve, in the grounds at the Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum.
She played the lead role of Hanna Glawari, in the Welsh National Opera's production of The Merry Widow, which toured the United Kingdom in 2005. As of November 2006, Garrett was performing as Mother Abbess for six months, in Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of The Sound of Music.
As a recording artist, Garrett has released eleven solo albums. Many of her albums have received gold and silver status. Soprano in Red received the Gramophone Award for "Best-selling Classical Artist of the Year". Garrett was also a featured artist on the platinum selling Perfect Day single released by the BBC in aid of Children in Need.
Garrett is a member of the board of the English National Opera. In 2002, she was awarded the CBE for services to music.
She is also a presenter on the UK commercial radio station "Classic FM".
Alabama Song
Lesley Garrett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
Show me the way
To the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find
The next whisky bar
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you, I tell you
I tell you we must die
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whisky, oh, you know why
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whisky, oh, you know why
Well, show me the way
To the next little girl
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
Show me the way
To the next little girl
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find
The next little girl
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you, I tell you
I tell you we must die
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whisky, oh, you know why
Lesley Garrett's song "Alabama Song" is a cover of a song from the opera "Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht. The lyrics are a cry for the next whiskey bar and the next little girl, both of which are represented as means to forget the pain of losing their "good old mama." The repetition of "don't ask why" in the first and second verses suggests that this is not a rational request, but rather a desperate desire to numb the pain of loss. The chorus of "Oh, moon of Alabama" serves as a farewell to their old life and sets the scene for the search for the whiskey bar and the next little girl.
The line "For if we don't find the next whiskey bar, I tell you we must die" is a declaration of the importance of the whiskey bar in their lives. The drinking of alcohol is not just a social activity, but a means of survival. The line "To the next little girl" is less clear in its meaning. It could be read as a search for a sexual partner as a means to forget their sorrow, or the use of the term "girl" could suggest searching for some form of innocent comfort to ease their pain. The repetition of the line "I tell you we must die" emphasizes the urgency of their search and further highlights the importance of these two distractions from their grief.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, show me the way
The singer wants someone to direct them.
To the next whisky bar
They want to go to a bar that serves whisky.
Oh, don't ask why
They don't want to explain why they want to go to the bar.
Oh, don't ask why
Their desire for whisky is personal and they don't need to justify it.
For if we don't find
If they don't find the whisky bar,
The next whisky bar
the next bar that serves whisky,
I tell you we must die
they believe that they will die if they can't get whisky.
I tell you we must die
their belief in needing the whisky is so strong that they repeat this statement.
I tell you, I tell you
they are emphasizing the importance of finding the next whisky bar to their survival.
I tell you we must die
finding the next whisky bar is a matter of life and death to the artist.
Oh, moon of Alabama
The singer is addressing the Alabama moon.
We now must say goodbye
The artist is leaving Alabama and saying goodbye to the moon.
We've lost our good old mama
The singer is mourning the loss of someone important to them.
And must have whisky, oh, you know why
The singer believes that whisky will help them deal with their loss.
Show me the way
The singer once again requests directions.
To the next little girl
The artist is looking for a female companion.
Oh, don't ask why
The artist doesn't want to explain why they are looking for a female companion.
Oh, don't ask why
Their desire for a female companion is personal and they don't need to justify it.
For if we don't find
If they don't find a female companion,
The next little girl
the next female companion,
I tell you we must die
they believe that they will die if they can't find a female companion.
I tell you we must die
their belief in needing a female companion is so strong that they repeat this statement.
I tell you, I tell you
they are emphasizing the importance of finding a female companion to their survival.
I tell you we must die
finding a female companion is a matter of life and death to the artist.
Oh, moon of Alabama
The singer once again addresses the Alabama moon.
We now must say goodbye
The singer is saying goodbye to the moon again as they continue their journey.
We've lost our good old mama
The singer is still mourning their loss.
And must have whisky, oh, you know why
The artist still believes that whisky will help them deal with their loss.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind