After entertaining British troops alongside fellow child stars Julie Andrews and Anthony Newley, Clark made her film debut with A Medal for the General in 1944. By the dawn of the '50s she was a superstar throughout the U.K., with a résumé of close to two-dozen films; 1954's "The Little Shoemaker" was her first Top 20 single, while 1960's "Sailor" was her first chart-topper. Still, Clark struggled with her inability to shed her adolescent image. After selling over a million copies of 1961's "Romeo," she married and relocated to France, establishing a strong fan base there on the strength of hits including "Ya-Ya Twist," "Chariot," and "Monsieur," which spotlighted a new, more sophisticated pop sound anchored by her crystalline vocals.
Riding the wave of the British Invasion, Clark was finally able to penetrate the U.S. market in 1964 with the Grammy-winning "Downtown," the first single by a British woman ever to reach number one on the American pop charts. It was also the first in a series of American Top Ten hits (most written and arranged by Tony Hatch) which also included 1965's "I Know a Place" and 1966's "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love," and the number one smash "My Love." At the same time, she remained a huge star throughout Europe, topping the British charts in 1967 with "This Is My Song," taken from the film A Countess from Hong Kong. In addition to hosting her own BBC series, she also starred in the 1968 NBC television special Petula, which triggered controversy when sponsors requested that a segment with guest Harry Belafonte be cut in deference to Southern affiliates; ultimately, the show aired in its intended form.
As the '60s drew to a close, Clark's commercial stature slipped, although singles like "Don't Sleep on the Subway," "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener," and "Kiss Me Goodbye" still charted on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1968, she revived her film career by starring in Finian's Rainbow, followed a year later by Goodbye, Mr. Chips. In later years, Clark focused primarily on international touring, headlining the 1981 London revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music; after starring in the 1990 musical Someone Like You, which she also co-wrote, she made her Broadway debut in Blood Brothers in 1993. Additionally, in 1988, an acid-house remix of "Downtown" reached the U.K. Top Ten, another honor for the female singer awarded the most gold records in British pop history.
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Pétula Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I try to explain how I feel
That I still need your love after all that I've done
You won't believe me, all you will see is a girl you once knew
Although she's dressed up to the nines
At sixes and sevens with you
I had to let it happen, I had to change
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
So I chose freedom, running around trying everything new
But nothing impressed me at all
I never expected it to
Don't cry for me, Argentina
The truth is, I never left you
All through my wild days, my mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I never invited them in
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
They are illusions, they're not the solutions they promised to be
The answer was here all the time
I love you, and hope you love me
Don't cry for me, Argentina
Don't cry for me, Argentina
The truth is, I never left you
All through my wild days, my mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
Have I said too much?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
But all you have to do is look at me to know
That every word is true
"Don't Cry For Me Argentina" is one of the most iconic songs featured in the musical Evita. The song serves as the centerpiece of the show as the character of Eva Perón sings it to the people of Argentina from the balcony of the Casa Rosada. The lyrics of the song are simple yet pack a powerful emotional punch that resonates with listeners. Petula Clark's version of the song is more mellow compared to Madonna's version, but still delivers the emotional punch of the story it tells.
The lyrics of the song are mainly about Eva Perón's attempt to explain her feelings towards the people of Argentina. She admits that the changes she has experienced in life are difficult to understand, but assures them of her love for them. Eva admits to living a wild and disconnected life, chasing freedom and trying everything new, but ultimately she realized that the only solution to her feelings of inadequacy was love. She then pleads with the people of Argentina not to cry for her because she never left them.
Line by Line Meaning
It won't be easy, you'll think it strange
I know that it might be hard for you to understand how I feel.
When I try to explain how I feel
I am trying to articulate my mixed emotions to you.
That I still need your love after all that I've done
Even after everything that's happened, I still love and need you.
You won't believe me, all you will see is a girl you once knew
You might not be able to believe who I've become as you only see me as who I was before.
Although she's dressed up to the nines
Even though I might be dressed nicely and appear put together on the outside.
At sixes and sevens with you
I am still confused and uncertain about where we stand with each other.
I had to let it happen, I had to change
I had to let go and change my ways to be true to myself.
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
I couldn't continue living my life feeling down and defeated.
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
I was keeping to myself, hiding away from the outside world.
So I chose freedom, running around trying everything new
I chose to seek independence and explore new experiences.
But nothing impressed me at all
Despite all my efforts, nothing managed to capture my interest and attention.
I never expected it to
I didn't have any expectations for my endeavors to necessarily be fulfilling.
Don't cry for me, Argentina
Please don't shed any tears for me, and especially not for Argentina.
The truth is, I never left you
Despite all of my travels and personal growth, I have never forgotten about you.
All through my wild days, my mad existence
Even through all of my struggles and reckless choices.
I kept my promise
I always intended to stay true and loyal to you.
Don't keep your distance
Please don't stay away from me.
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I was never seeking for fame or materialistic riches.
I never invited them in
I never intended to involve myself in those pursuits.
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
Even though it might have looked like that's what I wanted to others.
They are illusions, they're not the solutions they promised to be
Those things are just fantasies and not truly the answers to my problems.
The answer was here all the time
The solution was right in front of me all along.
I love you, and hope you love me
I care and have affection for you, and I hope you feel the same.
Have I said too much?
I worry that I might have spoken too openly and candidly.
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
I believe I have expressed everything that I wanted to communicate to you.
But all you have to do is look at me to know
You can observe me and see the truth for yourself.
That every word is true
I assure you that everything I have said is genuine and honest.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jiji
on La Vie En Rose
Nm, I found it
Jiji
on La Vie En Rose
It's bizarre that the lyrics are in english translated to english. Smh! Does anybody know the French lyrics? Please please please?