He died on December 10, 1967 in a plane crash.
Carla Thomas (born December 21, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee) is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul . Her parents, the late Rufus and Lorene Thomas, brought three musically gifted children into this world: Carla, Marvell and Vaneese. Despite growing up in the projects, the Thomas family lived in close proximity to the locally celebrated Palace Theater on world-famous Beale Street, as Rufus was the theater’s emcee for their amateur shows.[1] This access not only gave Thomas her first taste of the music world but it also provided a springboard for her transformation into the Queen of the Memphis Sound.
Are You Lonely For Me Baby?
Otis Redding & Carla Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you lonely for me, baby?
It's my last train, y'all, Jacksonville
I gotta get on it, baby, you know I will now
Will you try? Just come on and try
To forget all the pain that I brought you
I know I'm the one who, who, who taught you, yeah
To be lonely, baby
I'm lonely and blue
Hey, I'm lonely, baby
And I'm lonely for you
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Are you lonely for me, baby?
It's your last buck to Jacksonville
Are you my sweet baby, are you still?
I'll tell my friend it's the end
That you'll never again desert me
That man is going laughing
I can just hear him laugh, honey
H would say that I was wrong to just hurt you
But he's lying, baby, and then I'm sorry too
Yeah, I'm lonely, baby
Yes, I'm lonely for you, yeah, that's strange
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Are you lonely, lonely for me, baby now?
It's a long ride to Jacksonville
But no one will ever know the way I feel
Will you be there, baby, will you just be there?
When I, when I, when I, when I get down from that train, girl?
Yes, I'm gonna be there
Said I'm gonna be there
You know I got to be there
'Cause I wanna see you there
Oh, I'm lonely, baby
Lonely and blue
Yeah, and I'm lonely, baby
I'm lonely for you
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Come on home to me, baby
The song "Are You Lonely for Me Baby?" performed by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas speaks of the heartbreak and loneliness the singers are experiencing after a tumultuous relationship. The song opens with Otis singing about how he is about to take his last train to Jacksonville and leave his lover behind. He acknowledges the pain and hurt she experienced while being with him and asks her to forget it all and try to move on. He even encourages her to cry it out, knowing that it will be a healing process that will help her move forward. Otis then admits that the breakup has left him lonely and blue as well, indicating that he is struggling to adjust to life without his former lover.
Carla takes over for the second verse, singing about the singer's last buck to Jacksonville. She assures Otis that she will be there for him when he arrives and that she will never desert him again. She then imagines what their mutual friend would say about the situation, but dismisses his opinions, stating that he doesn't know the whole story. Carla concludes the song by echoing Otis's sentiments, admitting that she is also lonely and blue without him and asking if he is still lonely for her.
Overall, the song's lyrics are relatable and universal, describing the universal feelings of heartache and loneliness that come with a breakup. The song's melody is also soulful and emotive, complementing the emotions conveyed through the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Asking if the person is missing the singer and wants to be with them
It's my last train, y'all, Jacksonville
The singer is leaving and this is the last train to catch
I gotta get on it, baby, you know I will now
The singer has to leave and is saying goodbye
Will you try? Just come on and try
Asking the person to try to forget the pain that the singer has caused them
To forget all the pain that I brought you
The singer is acknowledging that they caused pain to the person they are leaving behind
Go on and cry, go ahead and just cry, cry, baby
Encouraging the person to express their emotions and cry about the situation
I know I'm the one who, who, who taught you, yeah
The singer is admitting that they taught the person how to be lonely
To be lonely, baby
Saying that the person has learned how to be lonely from the singer's absence
I'm lonely and blue
The singer is feeling lonely and sad
Hey, I'm lonely, baby
Saying that the singer is feeling lonely without the person they are leaving behind
And I'm lonely for you
Expressing that the singer is missing the person and wishes to be with them
It's your last buck to Jacksonville
The person has limited time and resources to follow the singer to Jacksonville
Are you my sweet baby, are you still?
Asking if the person still loves the singer and wants to be with them
I'll tell my friend it's the end
Saying that the singer will tell a friend that the relationship is over
That man is going laughing
The friend will laugh because they were right about the relationship ending
I can just hear him laugh, honey
The singer can imagine the friend laughing at their situation
H would say that I was wrong to just hurt you
The friend will say that the singer was wrong for hurting the person
But he's lying, baby, and then I'm sorry too
The singer does not believe their friend and is sorry for causing pain
Yeah, I'm lonely, baby
The singer is still feeling lonely and sad
Yes, I'm lonely for you, yeah, that's strange
The singer is admitting that they find it strange that they miss the person so much
It's a long ride to Jacksonville
The journey to Jacksonville is going to be long and difficult
But no one will ever know the way I feel
The singer is feeling emotions that no one else can understand
Will you be there, baby, will you just be there?
Asking if the person will be there to meet the singer when they arrive
When I, when I, when I, when I get down from that train, girl?
The singer is excited to see the person and is asking if they will be there to greet them
Yes, I'm gonna be there
The person will be there to meet the singer
Said I'm gonna be there
The person is reassuring the singer that they will be there
You know I got to be there
The person feels it is important to be there for the singer
'Cause I wanna see you there
The person wants to see the singer when they arrive
Come on home to me, baby
The singer is asking the person to come home with them and be together
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Repeating the question from earlier, asking if the person misses the singer
Are you lonely for me, baby?
Repeating the question again for emphasis
Are you lonely, lonely for me, baby now?
Rephrasing the question, asking if the person is currently feeling lonely for the singer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERT BERNS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind