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".
May I Come In
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, here I am, may I come in?
Feelin' like a lost and lonely lamp
May I come in?
Don't slam the door
Before you hear my story
Please let me stay till I can say
Sorry that I ran out
And lost my mind with someone new
Carelessly I left my heart behind
It's still with you, what can I do?
I am standing on your welcome mat
But the welcome's wearing thin
Speaking of the fool I've been
May I please come in?
The song "May I Come In" by Rosemary Clooney portrays a story of a person who has lost their way and seeks forgiveness from someone they have hurt. The opening line of "Speakin' of the devil, well, here I am, may I come in?" seems to suggest that the person acknowledges that they have been spoken about in a negative light and that they would like to speak with the person who has been talking about them. The person in question is also feeling lost and lonely, represented by the line "Feelin' like a lost and lonely lamp, may I come in?"
The person pleads with the listener to not slam the door and listen to their story. They also request to be allowed to stay until they can say they are sorry for their actions, which shows a level of regret and remorse. The lyrical content then speaks about how the person left their heart behind while they were away with someone new and acted carelessly, but they now realize the error of their ways. The stanza concludes with the person standing on the listener's welcome mat, but the welcome is wearing thin, which suggests that the listener has had enough of this person's apologies.
The overall message of the song is one of contrition, with the plea for forgiveness being the central theme. It showcases how sometimes people make mistakes and can sometimes hurt others, but true remorse and regret can lead to reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
Speakin' of the devil
Referring to myself as the devil in this situation
Well, here I am, may I come in?
Asking for permission to enter and explain myself
Feelin' like a lost and lonely lamp
Feeling directionless and alone
May I come in?
Repeating the request to enter
Don't slam the door
A plea to not be shut out
Before you hear my story
Asking for a chance to explain myself first
Please let me stay till I can say
Asking for time to clarify and apologize
I am, oh, so sorry
Expressing sincere regret for my actions
Sorry that I ran out
Admitting fault for leaving abruptly
And lost my mind with someone new
Acknowledging that I made a mistake by getting involved with someone else
Carelessly I left my heart behind
Realizing that I left a piece of myself with you
It's still with you, what can I do?
Admitting that my feelings haven't changed and asking for guidance
I am standing on your welcome mat
Physically present at your doorstep
But the welcome's wearing thin
Being aware that I may have overstayed my welcome in the past
Speaking of the fool I've been
Acknowledging my past mistakes and behavior
May I please come in?
Reiterating my request to enter and have a conversation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
allysonsvoice
This is fabulous! The song, the story, the interpretation - both vocal and instrumental. Thanks for introducing me to a great tune that I hadn't previously heard.
Marcos Alves A.
Beautiful song!!!!!!
Anne Rood
Wow, what a sentiment, what a song, what an arrangement, what a singer. Saw her at Rainbow and Stars in 1995. Thanks for posting
Janet Anderson
can't say enough about Rosemary - wow! just in every way, wow
The Rosettes
Thank you, this is so beautiful! xx
. jazzzzlvr
"May I Come In" was written by Marvin Fisher and Jack Segal. It was first released by Blossom Dearie in 1964.
Koalkracker
Scott Hamilton on tenor sax ... Warren Vache on trumpet (or cornet) ... I believe Bucky Pizzereli on guitar ...
Maria Tobe
George cloony the actor rosemary cloony is his aunt. She is a great singer.
NotSure
Im glad u likd it its one of my fav songs and i wanted to hare it
Kohyu Nishimura
Who is sax player?
Scott Hamillton?