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".
My Old Flame
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't even think of his name.
But, it's funny now and then
How my thoughts go flashing back again,
To my old flame.
My old flame.
My new lovers all seem so tame
For I haven't met a gent
As my old flame.
I've met so many men
With fascinating ways,
A fascinating gaze in their eyes.
Some have sent me up to the skies
But, their attempts at love
Are only imitations of my old flame.
I can't even think of his name
But, I'll never be the same
Until I discover what became of
My old flame.
When Rosemary Clooney sings “My Old Flame,” she is invoking the memory of a previous lover whom she can’t even remember the name of. But despite not recalling his name, her thoughts often wander back to him, and she contrasts him with her current lovers who don’t have the same level of charisma and elegance as her old flame. She has met other fascinating men but their attempts at love are only imitations of her old flame. The song is about the persistence of memory and the power of an unforgettable love.
Line by Line Meaning
My old flame,
Referring to a past love interest.
I can't even think of his name.
The singer has not thought of this person in a while, causing them to forget their name.
But, it's funny now and then
How my thoughts go flashing back again,
To my old flame.
The thought of the past flame comes to the singer randomly and it's a strange feeling.
My new lovers all seem so tame
For I haven't met a gent
So magnificent or elegant
As my old flame.
All new partners seem boring in comparison to the artist's old flame.
I've met so many men
With fascinating ways,
A fascinating gaze in their eyes.
Some have sent me up to the skies
But, their attempts at love
Are only imitations of my old flame.
The artist has had many partners since the old flame, but none compare to the unique qualities of that previous relationship.
But, I'll never be the same
Until I discover what became of
My old flame.
The singer is unable to move on from the past flame until they know what happened to them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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