Michael Bublé’s introduction to the music of the swing era came to him through his grandfather, who filled his grandson’s ears with the sounds of The Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and others. As Bublé eagerly absorbed the recordings, he began to realize that he wanted to be a singer and that this style of music, virtually foreign to his own generation, was what he wanted to perform.
With his grandfather’s assistance, Bublé soon learned a whole catalog of tunes and gained experience and exposure by singing as a guest with several local bands. While still in his teen years, he won the Canadian Youth Talent Search, released several independent albums, and performed in a musical review titled Swing that traveled across the U.S. It wasn’t long before Bublé was introduced to Grammy-winning producer David Foster during a famous Canadian wedding of Brian Mulroney’s daughter Caroline Mulroney. He later signed his first major recording contract with Reprise Records after that encounter.
The two Canadians began work on a debut album that would incorporate Bublé’s aptitude for pop standards into songs that spanned several decades. His self-titled debut disc was released in early 2003, and featured jazzy takes on old standards like “Fever” and “The Way You Look Tonight” as well as newer classics like “Moondance” and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”.
He finished off 2003 with an EP of holiday material, Let It Snow, and began 2004 with the live CD/DVD set Come Fly With Me. In 2005, It’s Time was a number one hit in Canada, Japan, Italy, and Australia, and made the top ten of both the UK and US. Later that year he released the live album Caught in the Act. More recently, Michael received a 2010 Grammy Award for 'Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album' for 'Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden.
Learnin' the Blues
Michael Bublé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The dance floor's deserted
You play the same love song
It's the tenth time you've heard it
And that's the beginning
Just one of those clues
You've had your first lesson
In learning the blues
The cigarettes you light
One after another
Won't help you forget her
Or the way that you love her
You're only burning
A torch you can't move
But you're on the right track
For learning the blues
When you're at home alone
The blues will haunt you constantly
When you're out in a crowd
The blues will haunt your memory
The nights when you don't sleep
The whole night you're crying
But you can't forget her
Soon you'll stop trying
You'll walk the floor
And wear out your shoes
When you're feeling your heart break
You're learning the blues
The song "Learnin' The Blues" by Michael Bublé is about heartbreak and the pain that comes with it. The first verse describes a scene where the singer is alone in a bar, listening to the same love song over and over again. The emptiness of the tables and deserted dance floor makes it clear that this is not a happy place. The singer remarks that this is the beginning of "learning the blues," which is the theme of the song. The second verse continues the sadness, with the singer describing how cigarettes are not helping him forget his lost love. Instead, he's only "burning a torch" that he cannot extinguish.
The chorus is a general idea that the blues will haunt the singer, no matter where he is. When he's alone, the blues will be with him. When he's in a crowd, the memory of his love will bring the blues to his mind. Even when he can't sleep at night, he'll be crying, but "soon he'll stop trying." The final verse paints a picture of a man who can't seem to get over his heartbreak. He walks the floor, wearing out his shoes in the process. This is a classic way of describing a man grappling with grief. The final line about learning the blues implies that the singer might never escape his sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
The tables are empty
No one is here to distract you
The dance floor's deserted
You're alone in your sorrow
You play the same love song
You're stuck in a loop of love and heartbreak
It's the tenth time you've heard it
You can't escape the memories of her
And that's the beginning
This is the start of your blues education
Just one of those clues
You'll be presented with signs of love gone wrong
You've had your first lesson
You have been initiated into the school of heartache
In learning the blues
You're now experiencing the pain of love lost
The cigarettes you light
You try to forget by smoking away the pain
One after another
But the memories continue to flood in
Won't help you forget her
No amount of smoking can take away the memories of her
Or the way that you love her
Your love for her is still very real
You're only burning
You're trying to cope with pain any way you can
A torch you can't move
Your heart is stuck in place
But you're on the right track
You're experiencing what it means to feel the blues
For learning the blues
You're beginning your journey of heartache
When you're at home alone
The loneliness sets in
The blues will haunt you constantly
The memories of her will never leave you
When you're out in a crowd
You still feel alone in a room full of people
The blues will haunt your memory
You're constantly haunted by the memories of her
The nights when you don't sleep
Sleeplessness is part of your new normal
The whole night you're crying
Tears are commonplace now
But you can't forget her
The memories are too strong
Soon you'll stop trying
You'll come to accept this new reality of love lost
You'll walk the floor
Restlessness is now part of your existence
And wear out your shoes
You'll spend hours walking in circles
When you're feeling your heart break
The pain of love lost takes a physical toll
You're learning the blues
But through your pain and heartache, you're gaining a new understanding of what it means to feel the blues
Contributed by Jack H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
magitar13
Buble is very good but you FEEL the blues when Sinatra sings it. Sinatra is The Man!
Roberto Parente
That beautiful voice!
LucyRL
Este tema no lo había escuchado, es tan bueno como todo lo que el canta. Realmente es lo que siempre digo, todo esta en cuanto amor y paión pone en todo cuanto hace
Bublette5
He has grown so much since then, while still trying to keep the standards going. He is a song interpreter, and much more. It's the whole package, talent, looks, and PERSONALITY!
DanHallam
Love it, Love it, LOVE IT!
robert dawson
Nobody could top Frank Sinatra's voice from the Capitol years.
laura detjen
Cab Calloway, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Manual Being
Ever heard of Earl Grant? He definitely could.
Richardson Castro
Já falei antes, é a volta das Big Band's.......M.B !!!!!!!!!
marquisdesator
Whey does there always have to be so much negativity in the comments sections of YouTube? Are people so unhappy out there? Whatever. Love this song. And I sure could not sing better then he does myself so who am I to complain. I dig it all. His music keeps me chill and positive. So there you go.