He became widely known for his version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1982), as well as his own compositions "Durham Town (The Leavin')" (1969) and "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" (1970), his 1970 hit "New World in the Morning" and his 1975 hit "The Last Farewell" (his only single to hit the US Billboard Hot 100, making it to the Top 20).
Whittakers first chart success came in 1969 when "Durham Town (The Leavin')" was his first UK Top 20 hit. In 1970 came two follow-up hits, "I Don't Believe In If Anymore" (Top 10) and "New World In The Morning" (Top 20), and 1971 brought two smaller hit singles "Why" and "Mamy Blue".
Whittaker was absent from the UK singles chart until 1975, when "The Last Farewell" went Top 3, after which it was another eleven years until "Skye Boat Song" returned him to the Top 10 of the singles chart.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Whittaker had success in Germany, with German language songs produced by Nick Munro (unable to speak German at that time, Whittaker sang the songs phonetically). In time he became more fluent in German and sang and was interviewed in German on Danish television in November 2008. Whittaker retired from touring in 2013.
Jenny
Roger Whittaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
danced for the crowed.
They took her cares away,
living from day to day.
She took the midnight train,
Jenny so full of pain.
Jenny has gone again.
played to the crowed.
She couldn't be alone.
She didn't need a home.
She took the midnight train,
Jenny so full of pain.
Jenny has gone again.
No more this broken heart of yours.
No more our feelings touch,
but never pause.
I've thought about those rivers,
you opened up.
And I never felt hurt, so deep inside,
but here we are.
My Jenny laughed with crowd.
Told me she had to go.
She but on quite the show.
She took the midnight train,
Jenny so full of pain.
Jenny has gone again.
Oh, oh, oh. . . mmh, mmh. . .
She took the midnight train,
Jenny so full of pain.
Jenny has gone again.
No more this broken heart of yours.
No more will fingers touch
and beg for more.
I've never felt this anger,
so deep inside.
I'm broken in your heartache,
but not enough!
Jenny was a magical dancer,
danced for the crowed.
They took her cares away,
living from day to day.
She took the midnight train,
Jenny so full of pain.
Jenny has gone again.
Oh, Jenny has gone again,
yeah.
The lyrics of Roger Whittaker's "Jenny" speaks of a woman who was a magical dancer and actor, who lived her life in front of a crowd. The song reveals that Jenny was burdened with pain, likely referring to emotional pain that she was trying to escape from. The chorus "She took the midnight train, Jenny so full of pain, Jenny has gone again" suggests that she frequently runs away, possibly in search of a cure for her pain.
The second verse describes her life as an actor, where she needed to perform to be surrounded by people. She couldn't be alone, and didn't need a home, implying that she is running away from something. The line, "I've thought about those rivers you opened up" suggests that she had opened up to the singer, revealing some deep-seated pain. The singer thinks about this, feeling hurt and angry, revealing that while he may have tried to understand Jenny, he is still deeply affected by her actions. The song ends with the chorus, with Jenny taking the midnight train, and the singer left alone, heartbroken and still hurting.
Line by Line Meaning
Jenny was a magical dancer,
Jenny was a talented performer whose dance captivated her audience.
danced for the crowed.
She performed for the crowd who were thrilled to see her dance.
They took her cares away,
Her performance helped the audience forget their worries and enjoy the moment.
living from day to day.
The audience lives their lives without any worries or stress.
She took the midnight train,
Jenny left during the night, probably due to some issues she couldn't handle.
Jenny so full of pain.
Jenny was hurting inside and had a hard time dealing with it.
Jenny has gone again.
Jenny left again and nobody knows where she went or why she left.
Jenny was a magical actor,
Jenny was an amazing performer who could act in a captivating way.
played to the crowed.
She performed in front of the audience.
She couldn't be alone.
She needed people around her all the time and didn't enjoy being alone.
She didn't need a home.
She didn't feel the need to have a permanent place to call home as she was always on the move.
No more this broken heart of yours.
The artist is tired of feeling brokenhearted because of Jenny's actions.
No more our feelings touch, but never pause.
The singer and Jenny's feelings for each other were never consistent and the relationship is over.
I've thought about those rivers, you opened up.
The singer has contemplated the emotions that Jenny had revealed to him/her.
And I never felt hurt, so deep inside, but here we are.
The singer is experiencing deep emotional pain at this point.
My Jenny laughed with crowd.
Jenny amused the crowd with her laughter and wit, which contributed to her captivating performance.
Told me she had to go.
Jenny informed the artist that she had to leave and they wouldn't see each other again.
She put on quite the show.
Her move to leave was dramatic and she left quite a memory behind.
Oh, oh, oh. . . mmh, mmh. . .
The sounds of distress and disappointment.
No more will fingers touch and beg for more.
The artist doesn't want to continue engaging in the cycle of craving more while touching Jenny's fingers.
I've never felt this anger, so deep inside.
The artist is experiencing an extremely deep sense of anger.
I'm broken in your heartache, but not enough!
The artist has been hurt by Jenny's actions, but not to the extent of breaking him/her completely.
Oh, Jenny has gone again,
This line simply reiterates that Jenny has left suddenly and nobody knows where she went.
Writer(s): Roger Whittaker Copyright: Tembo Music
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nigel
I'm not sure by any means, but I wonder whether taking the midnight train is ultimately a metaphor for a more final journey. I also wonder if RW had someone specific in mind whose fate prompted this powerful song. I like it very much.
Jeff H
One of Roger's best. Oh, what a voice!
Mark Walker
I can't stop playing this, it's so good!!!
Animae
This album is awesome! Had it on cassette as a kid. Still have it somewhere, but it's pretty worn. Should be re-issued on CD if it hasn't already.
davyboy smith
is this album available on cd?
cbxade
Had this on lp as a kid. Very Gene Pitney
Mark Walker
Ooh, the Pitney yes!
Mark Walker
My God, this could be Chris Isaak!!!
Mark Walker
Er, wow?