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".
Memories of You
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every sunset too
Seems to be, bringing me
Memories of you
Here and there, every where
Scenes that we once knew
And they all, just recall
(Oh) How I wish I could forget those, (those) happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears
Your face beams,in my dreams
(In) Spite of all (that) I do
(And) Everything,seems to bring
Memories of you
The lyrics of Rosemary Clooney's song "Memories Of You" are a poignant reflection of the impact of love and heartbreak. The singer talks about how waking up at sunrise and watching every sunset reminds her of memories shared with a loved one. Everywhere she looks, the scenes remind her of the past memories they had. She expresses how she wishes she could forget those happy yesteryears that have left a rosary of tears behind.
As she goes about her daily routine, even amidst dreams, the one that remains constant is the face of her loved one. No matter what she does or where she goes, everything seems to revolve around memories of the person she loved once. The song evokes a deep sense of longing for a time gone by and a yearning to let go of the past.
The lyrics of this song perfectly capture the feeling of reminiscing about someone who is no longer present. It's a timeless theme that everyone can relate to, and the melody enhances the feelings evoked by the words, making it a song with universal appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Waking skies, at sunrise
Every morning, the sunrise reminds me of you.
Every sunset too
Every evening, the sunset reminds me of you as well.
Seems to be, bringing me
It feels like everything in nature is reminding me of you.
Memories of you
And those reminders only serve to bring back memories of you.
Here and there, every where
Every place I go now reminds me of you.
Scenes that we once knew
Every scene I witness reminds me of a moment we shared together in the past.
And they all, just recall
Everything around me only serves as a reminder.
Memories of you
And again, all of these reminders bring back memories of you.
How I wish I could forget those, (those) happy yesteryears
Despite how much it hurts, I sometimes wish I could forget our happy moments.
That have left a rosary of tears
But that wish is impossible since those memories have left me heartbroken.
Your face beams,in my dreams
Even when I sleep, you continue to haunt my thoughts.
In spite of all (that) I do
No matter how hard I try to forget you, you're always on my mind.
And everything,seems to bring
Every little thing, every little reminder just brings back more memories of you.
Memories of you
And so, I continue to carry these memories of you with me everywhere I go.
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Razaf, Eubie Blake
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Joseph-nh6in
Waking skies - at sunrise
Every sunset too
Seems to be - bringing me
Memories of you
Here and there - every where
Scenes that we once knew
And they all - just recall
Memories of you
happy yesteryears
That have left a rosary of tears
Your face beams - in my dreams
(In) Spite of all (that) I do
(And) Everything - seems to bring
Memories of you
@Nita1931
I am 86 and those were the days. I heard that Benny Goodman played this song for her every time his wife came into the place where he was playing.
@patrickhu3272
This comment really touched me!
@jasearturo9181
i guess Im asking randomly but does anyone know of a way to log back into an Instagram account?
I stupidly forgot my password. I love any assistance you can offer me!
@daltonalfonso534
@Jase Arturo instablaster =)
@eliomenghi5712
I’m 86 too and I feel still touched by this song even if a lot of melancholy arise from this melody!
@thomasleary2814
A beautiful song and arrangement and nice story - if apocryphal.
@tetriowhat
Benny’s intro melts my heart every time I hear it. It’s played with so much feeling, he couldn’t get more emotion across even if he were singing heartfelt lyrics. Then Rosemary’s vocal sways in and… wow. So much beauty in this recording.
@b13ne
This is exactly what I feel every time I listen to this. Rosemary Clooney enters so naturally giving words to the emotions that Goodman's playing had suggested. Their match is real magic.
@MarkGibsonrmarkgibson
Please play this version at my funeral. Wonderful in every way
@raycurry4168
Write it into your will !!!