P.J. Proby, born James Marcus Smith on 6 November 1938, is a singer, songwr… Read Full Bio ↴P.J. Proby, born James Marcus Smith on 6 November 1938, is a singer, songwriter, and actor noted for his voice and his theatrical portrayals of Elvis Presley, plus interpretations of modern standards in the vein of Tom Jones. Until 1961, he used the name Jett Powers.

The stage name P.J. Proby was suggested to him by a friend named Sharon Sheeley (Eddie Cochran's girlfriend) who remembered the name of an old high school boyfriend.
P.J. Proby did demos for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and other artists. His greatest hits are "Somewhere", "Maria", "Hold Me", "Niki Hoeky" and "I Apologise". In 1996, Marc Almond produced the album Legend which included the duet single "Yesterday Has Gone".

the Masquerade is Over
P.J. Proby Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My blue horizon is turning gray
And my dreams are drifting away
Your eyes don't shine like they used to shine
And the thrill is gone when your lips meet mine

I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
Your love and so is love

I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci and get myself a clown's disguise
And learn to laugh like Pagliacci with tears in my eyes
You look the same
You're a lot the same
But my heart says "No, no, you're not the same"

I'm afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love
Your words don't mean what they used to me

They were once inspired, now they're just routine
I'm afraid the masquerade is over

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of P.J. Proby's song The Masquerade Is Over depict a man who is coming to terms with the end of a relationship. He describes how his once bright outlook on the future has turned bleak, as the blue horizon he once looked at has now turned gray. His once cherished dreams are drifting away without hope of coming back. Even his lover's eyes have lost their shine, and there is no longer any thrill in their kisses. The man realizes that the masquerade is over, and so is love.

He accepts his fate with a sense of resignation, and decides that perhaps he should "play Pagliacci" and disguise himself as a clown. He'll then learn to laugh like Pagliacci, despite the tears in his eyes. The man acknowledges that while his lover may look the same, his heart tells him that things cannot go back to how they once were.

The lyrics are poignant and capture the pain of a breakup. The masquerade refers to the false impression that the two had built up, which is now falling apart. The song expresses the angst of moving on and accepting that love has come to an end.

Line by Line Meaning

My blue horizon is turning gray
I used to see a bright future for us, but now it seems bleak and dull.

And my dreams are drifting away
The hopes and aspirations I had for our relationship are fading away.

Your eyes don't shine like they used to shine
I don't see the same love and excitement in your eyes as before.

And the thrill is gone when your lips meet mine
Our kisses no longer give me the same excitement and satisfaction as they used to.

I'm afraid the masquerade is over
I know that the illusion of our love is over and we can no longer pretend that it is still alive.

And so is love, and so is love
Our love is over, it has come to an end.

Your love and so is love
The love that you once had for me is gone, and so is all love between us.

I guess I'll have to play Pagliacci and get myself a clown's disguise
I will have to act as if nothing has gone wrong and pretend to be happy even if I'm not.

And learn to laugh like Pagliacci with tears in my eyes
I will have to wear a mask of happiness while deep down I will be sad and hurt.

You look the same
Physically, you haven't changed much.

You're a lot the same
Your personality and behavior are still similar.

But my heart says "No, no, you're not the same"
My heart knows that our love has changed and you are not the same person I fell in love with.

Your words don't mean what they used to me
The things you say to me don't hold the same weight and significance as they used to.

They were once inspired, now they're just routine
Your words used to be heartfelt and genuine, but now they feel rehearsed and robotic.

I'm afraid the masquerade is over
Our love has ended and there is no more pretending that it still exists.

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Allie Wrubel, Herbert Magidson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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