Clooney's first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records. She sang with Tony Pastor's big band. Clooney continued working with the Pastor band until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia.
She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit Come On-a My House written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian (better known as David Seville, the father figure of Alvin and the Chipmunks), which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" (a cover version of the Italian song Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina by Alberto Rabagliati), "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" and "This Ole House", although she had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly due to problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. She was the aunt of Academy Award winning actor George Clooney; mother-in-law of singer Debby Boone; and sister to former television personality Nick Clooney. She was the ex-wife of Jose Ferrer; mother of actor Miguel Ferrer
Clooney was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2001. Around this time, she gave her last concert, in Hawaii, backed by the Honolulu Symphony Pops; her last song was "God Bless America".
I Get Along Without You Very Well
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get along without you very well
Of course I do
Except when soft rains fall
And drip from leaves then I recall
The thrill of being sheltered in your arms
Of course I do
I've forgotten you just like I should
Of course I have
Except to hear your name
Or someone's laughter just the same
But I've forgotten you just like I should
What a guy
What a fool am I
To think my breaking heart could kick the mood
What's in store
Should I phone once more
No, it's best that I stick to my tune
I get along without you very well
Of course I do
Except perhaps in spring
But I should never think of spring
For that would surely break my heart in two
The song "I Get Along Without You Very Well" is a melancholic ballad that expresses the singer's inner conflicts while trying to get over a past relationship. The lyrics talk about the pain of missing someone, the act of forgetting and moving on, and the struggle with the temptation to reach out once more. Throughout the song, the singer tries to convince herself and the listeners that she is doing okay without her former lover but realizes that certain memories and emotions are hard to let go.
The first verse begins with the singer admitting that she gets along without her ex-partner very well most of the time, except for when it rains. The rain serves as a metaphorical reminder of being loved and protected by her former partner. The second verse states that the singer has forgotten about her past love, but hearing their name or laughter brings back the memory of the past. The bridge reveals the inner struggle of the singer, questioning whether it's best to move on or to reach out to someone who caused immense pain.
The final verse reveals that the singer struggles to think of the spring season, which is often associated with renewal, growth, and love. She is afraid that the memory of her former lover will resurface and bring her heartache back. Thus, the singer concludes that the best way to move on is to choose her independence and avoid reaching out to her past lover.
Line by Line Meaning
I get along without you very well
I am doing fine without you by my side
Of course I do
I am absolutely sure of my statement
Except when soft rains fall
The only time I miss you is when it is a rainy day
And drip from leaves then I recall
The sound of water dripping from leaves reminds me of you
The thrill of being sheltered in your arms
I remember how good it felt to be held by you
But I get along without you very well
However, I still manage to live without you
I've forgotten you just like I should
I have successfully removed thoughts of you from my mind
Except to hear your name
The only time I think about you is when I hear your name
Or someone's laughter just the same
Or when someone's laughter sounds like yours
But I've forgotten you just like I should
Nonetheless, I have erased you from my memory
What a guy
I was obviously foolish
What a fool am I
To have thought my broken heart could change things
To think my breaking heart could kick the mood
I was naive to believe that I could mend my heartache
What's in store
I wonder what my future holds
Should I phone once more
Should I attempt to contact you again?
No, it's best that I stick to my tune
No, it's better that I continue to live my life and forget about you
Except perhaps in spring
Maybe the feeling will come back during the spring
But I should never think of spring
But it's not worth thinking about spring, as it will break my heart
For that would surely break my heart in two
Thinking of how wonderful it was during the spring would make me extremely sad
Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Boris Greff
What a beautiful voice, flawless phrasing, elegant, smooth, charming - this is marvelous, fantastic music, orchestra, arrangement, singing, most exquisite, a timeless classic.
Al Rocca
Awesome! What a class voice.
Freddy Arellano
Graciasssss
Perry Boot
Rose, I love you! What a sensual voice and clever arrangement by your lover Nelson Riddle. You'd should have marry him instead of José Ferrer,
Perry Boot
Phillip Primrose