Eldridge was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His nickname was Little Jazz. Eldridge played in the bands of Fletcher Henderson, Gene Krupa and Artie Shaw before making records under his own name. He also played in Benny Goodman's and Count Basie's Orchestras, and co-led a band with Coleman Hawkins.
The Ballad Medley: I
Roy Eldridge Lyrics
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I can't excuse it on the grounds of youth,
I was no babe in the wild, wild wood.
She didn't mean it,
I should have seen it,
But now it's too late.
I thought I'd found the girl of my dreams,
This is how the story ends:
She's gonna turn me down and say,
"Can't we be friends?"
I thought for once it couldn't go wrong,
Not for long,
I can see the way this ends:
She's gonna turn me down and say,
"Can't we be friends?"
Why should I care though she gave me the air,
Why should I cry,
Heave a sigh,
And wonder why,
And wonder why?
I thought I found the gal I could trust,
What a bust, this is how the story ends:
She's gonna turn me down and say,
"Can't we be just friends?"
The lyrics of Roy Eldridge's song "Can't We Be Friends?" tell the story of a man who has been let down by a woman he thought was the love of his life. He is devastated by her rejection and regrets how he naively took her words as "gospel truth." He acknowledges that he cannot use his youth as an excuse for his mistake, and although he should have seen that she did not mean what she said, it is now too late.
The singer had thought he had found the perfect companion, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The woman he loved is now going to turn him down and suggest that they can only be friends. The singer cannot understand why he should care or why he should cry, as his love has been rejected, and it is the end of the road for their relationship. The song speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on from a failed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Took each word she said as gospel truth the way a silly little child would.
I believed every single thing she said, even though I probably shouldn't have.
I can't excuse it on the grounds of youth, I was no babe in the wild, wild wood.
I can't say that my age or lack of experience caused me to believe her so easily, because that's not true.
She didn't mean it, I should have seen it, But now it's too late.
She probably didn't mean to deceive me, but I should have been able to see through her and now it's too late to do anything about it.
I thought I'd found the girl of my dreams, Now it seems, This is how the story ends: She's gonna turn me down and say, "Can't we be friends?"
I thought I had found the perfect person for me, but now it's clear that it's not going to work out and she just wants to be friends.
I thought for once it couldn't go wrong, Not for long, I can see the way this ends: She's gonna turn me down and say, "Can't we be friends?"
I thought this relationship would be different and that it was going to work out, but it's clear to me now that it's not and she just wants to remain friends.
Why should I care though she gave me the air, Why should I cry, Heave a sigh, And wonder why, And wonder why?
Why should I be upset or surprised that she's not interested in me anymore? I shouldn't waste my time and energy dwelling on it.
I thought I found the gal I could trust, What a bust, this is how the story ends: She's gonna turn me down and say, "Can't we be just friends?"
I thought I had found someone who I could rely on and who would be there for me, but it turns out that's not the case and she just wants to be friends instead of anything more serious.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KAY SWIFT, PAUL JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind