in Les Miserable.
Has done many various roles since leaving Jekyll and Hyde. Talented singer and actor.
Jackie
Robert Cuccioli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A singer with a Spanish bum
Who sings for women of great virtue
I'd sing to them with a guitar
I borrowed from a coffee bar
Well, what you don't know doesn't hurt you
My name would be Antonio
And all my bridges I would burn
I'd expect something in return
I'd have to get drunk every night
And talk about virility
With some old grandmother
That might be decked out like a Christmas tree
And though pink elephants I'd see
Though I'd be drunk as I could be
Still I would sing my song to me
About the time they called me "Jacky"
If I could be for only an hour
If I could be for an hour every day
If I could be for just one little hour
Cute in a stupid ass way
And if I joined the social whirl
Became procurer of young girls
Then I would have my own bordellos
My record would be number one
And I'd sell records by the ton
All sung by many other fellows
My name would then be handsome Jack
And I'd sell boats of opium
Whiskey that came from Twickenham
Authentic queers
And phony virgins
If I had banks on every finger
A finger in every country
And every country ruled by me
I'd still know where I'd want to be
Locked up inside my opium den
Surrounded by some china men
I'd sing the song that I sang then
About the time they called me "Jacky"
If I could be for only an hour
If I could be for an hour every day
If I could be for just one little hour
Cute in a stupid ass way
Now, tell me, wouldn't it be nice
That if one day in paradise
I'd sing for all the ladies up there
And they would sing along with me
And we be so happy there to be
Cause down below is really nowhere
My name would then be Juniper
Then I would know where I was going
And then I would become all knowing
My beard so very long and flowing
If I became deaf, dumb and blind
(was: If I could play deaf, dumb and blind)
Because I pitied all mankind
And broke my heart to make things right
I know that every single night
When my angelic work was through
The angels and the Devil too
Would sing my childhood song to me
About the time they called me "Jacky"
If I could be for only an hour
If I could be for an hour every day
If I could be for just one little hour
Cute in a stupid ass way
The song "Jackie" by Robert Cuccioli tells the story of a man who imagines different personas and scenarios that he could embody in his life. In the first verse, he envisions himself as a Spanish singer who serenades virtuous women with a guitar. He speaks of being drunk every night and boasting about virility to older women. The chorus repeats the phrase "If I could be for only an hour," suggesting that he sees these roles as temporary escapes from his current life.
In the second verse, he takes on the persona of "handsome Jack," a procurer of young girls and purveyor of opium and other illicit goods. He describes his dream of having banks on every finger and ruling every country but ultimately would choose to be locked up in his opium den surrounded by China men. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing his desire for brief moments of escape.
The final verse sees him envisioning a place in paradise where he can sing for all the ladies and be known as Juniper, with his beard long and flowing. He speaks of becoming deaf, dumb, and blind from pity for mankind and breaking his heart to make things right. The song ends with the idea that angels and the devil would sing his childhood song to him, reminding him of his past life as "Jackie."
Overall, the song conveys a longing for escape and reinvention, but ultimately, the singer seems to be trapped by his own fantasies and unable to escape his past.
Line by Line Meaning
And if one day I should become
If one day I were to become
A singer with a Spanish bum
A singer who performs for women of great virtue
Who sings for women of great virtue
Who sings songs dedicated to the chastity of women
I'd sing to them with a guitar
I would sing with a guitar as my accompaniment
I borrowed from a coffee bar
The guitar would be borrowed from a coffeehouse
Well, what you don't know doesn't hurt you
Ignorance is bliss
My name would be Antonio
I would adopt the name Antonio
And all my bridges I would burn
I would cut off ties with my past
And when I gave them some they'd know
When I give them something, they would know there would always be a catch
I'd expect something in return
I would expect something in return for my favors
I'd have to get drunk every night
I would have to drink heavily every night
And talk about virility
And talk about manhood and sexual prowess
With some old grandmother
With an elderly woman
That might be decked out like a Christmas tree
Who would be lavishly and flashily dressed
And though pink elephants I'd see
And even though I'd be hallucinating
Though I'd be drunk as I could be
Even though I'd be heavily intoxicated
Still I would sing my song to me
I would still sing my song to myself
About the time they called me "Jacky"
About the time when they used to call me "Jacky"
If I could be for only an hour
If I could exist for only an hour in this state
If I could be for an hour every day
If I could exist like this for an hour every day
If I could be for just one little hour
If I could exist like this for just a little while
Cute in a stupid ass way
Adorably and not seriously
And if I joined the social whirl
And if I became a part of high society
Became procurer of young girls
Became the one responsible for providing young girls to others
Then I would have my own bordellos
I would become the owner of brothels
My record would be number one
My musical record would be a best-seller
And I'd sell records by the ton
I would sell an incredible amount of records
All sung by many other fellows
Sung by other singers
My name would then be handsome Jack
I would then be called handsome Jack
And I'd sell boats of opium
I would begin to sell opium to others
Whiskey that came from Twickenham
I would sell high-quality whiskey from Twickenham
Authentic queers
Genuine homosexuals
And phony virgins
Fake virgins
If I had banks on every finger
If I had wealth beyond measure
A finger in every country
If I had influence in every country
And every country ruled by me
If I had total control over every country
I'd still know where I'd want to be
I would still long to be in the opium den
Locked up inside my opium den
Imprisoned within my opium den
Surrounded by some china men
Surrounded by Chinese drug dealers
I'd sing the song that I sang then
I would sing the same song I used to back then
About the time they called me "Jacky"
About the time when they used to call me "Jacky"
Now, tell me, wouldn't it be nice
Would it not be satisfying, momentous
That if one day in paradise
If one day after death
I'd sing for all the ladies up there
I would entertain all the women who would be there
And they would sing along with me
They would join in with me as I sing
And we be so happy there to be
And we would be incredibly happy to exist there
Cause down below is really nowhere
Because living down below is living nowhere
My name would then be Juniper
I would be known by a new name: Juniper
Then I would know where I was going
Then, I would know exactly how to proceed
And then I would become all knowing
I would then become wise
My beard so very long and flowing
I would have a long and flowing beard
If I became deaf, dumb and blind
If I were to lose all of my senses
(was: If I could play deaf, dumb and blind)
I were to ignore what is going on around me
Because I pitied all mankind
Because I feel great sorrow for all of humanity
And broke my heart to make things right
And I do everything I can to fix everything that is wrong
I know that every single night
I am certain that every single night
When my angelic work was through
When I've finished my angelic duties
The angels and the Devil too
Both the angels and the devil
Would sing my childhood song to me
Would sing the old song I used to sing as a child
About the time they called me "Jacky"
About the time when they used to call me "Jacky"
If I could be for only an hour
If I could exist for only an hour in this state
If I could be for an hour every day
If I could exist like this for an hour every day
If I could be for just one little hour
If I could exist like this for just a little while
Cute in a stupid ass way
Adorably and not seriously
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GERARD JOUANNEST, JACQUES ROMAN BREL, MORT SHUMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind