Columbo was born in Camden, New Jersey, United States the twelfth child of Italian immigrant parents. He started playing the violin while still very young, and debuted professionally at the age of 13. He left high school at 17 to travel with various bands around the country. He sang and played violin in numerous nightclubs.
By 1928, at the age of 20, Columbo began to participate in motion pictures. In several of his early films, his voice and violin were overdubbed to create the illusion that various popular entertainers were musical. Eventually, he did obtain some feature work in front of the camera, but he slowed down his activities in cinema to pursue other interests.
Columbo tried to run a nightclub for a while, but the venture was unsuccessful. In 1931, he traveled to New York with his manager, songwriter Con Conrad. Conrad secured a late-night radio slot with NBC. This led to numerous engagements, a recording contract with RCA Victor records, and tremendous popularity with legions of mostly female fans. The type of singing that was popularized by the likes of Columbo, Rudy Vallee, and Bing Crosby is called crooning. Columbo disliked the label, but it caught on with the general public. It gained popular credence, despite its initial use as a term of derision for the singers employing their low, soothing voices in romantic songs.
On September 2, 1934, Columbo was shot under peculiar circumstances by his longtime friend, photographer Lansing Brown. Columbo was visiting him at the studio one day. In lighting a cigarette, Brown lit the match by striking it against the wooden stock of an antique French dueling pistol. The flame set off a long-forgotten charge in the gun, and a lead pistol ball was fired. The pistol ball ricocheted off a nearby table and hit Columbo in the left eye, killing him almost instantly. Columbo's death was ruled an accident, and Brown exonerated from blame.
His mother was never told of his death. Family and friends made her believe that her son was on a world tour by sending postcards addressed from Russ. She lived the remaining 10 years of her life thinking he was still alive.
Russ Columbo is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
(www.en.wikipedia.org)
Just Friends
Russ Columbo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just friends, but not like before
To think of what we've been and not to kiss again
Seems like pretending it isn't the ending
Two friends drifting apart
Two friends, but one broken heart
We loved, we laughed, we cried, and suddenly love died
The lyrics of Russ Columbo's "Just Friends" highlight the pain and complexities of a relationship that has ended. The opening lines "Just friends, lovers no more, just friends, but not like before" suggest that the singer and their former partner have attempted to move on from their romantic relationship but struggle to maintain a platonic friendship. The lyrics continue to evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia, with lines like "To think of what we've been and not to kiss again, seems like pretending it isn't the ending."
The chorus, "Two friends drifting apart, two friends, but one broken heart," reinforces the idea that while the couple may have tried to maintain a friendship, the emotional toll of the breakup has led to a growing distance between them. The final lines, "We loved, we laughed, we cried, and suddenly love died," captures the idea that relationships can be complex, and even the strongest of connections can come to an unexpected and painful end.
Overall, the lyrics of "Just Friends" offer a poignant reflection on the complexities and emotional pain of relationships that have ended. The song speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the challenges of navigating the transition from lovers to friends.
Line by Line Meaning
Just friends, lovers no more
We have decided to just be friends and end our romantic relationship. We are no longer lovers.
Just friends, but not like before
Even though we are now just friends, our relationship will never be the same as it was before we became romantically involved. It's different now.
To think of what we've been and not to kiss again
It's difficult to think about the memories we have shared as a couple and not kiss each other again. It's hard to resist the temptation.
Seems like pretending it isn't the ending
It feels like we are both pretending that our relationship isn't really over, when in reality it is the end of us being a couple.
Two friends drifting apart
We are two friends who are slowly growing apart and moving on from our romantic relationship.
Two friends, but one broken heart
Even though we are both just friends now, one of us is still hurting and has a broken heart over the ending of our relationship.
We loved, we laughed, we cried, and suddenly love died
We experienced many emotions together as a couple - we loved, laughed and cried - but suddenly our love for each other died and we can't force it to come back. It's over.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN KLENNER, SAM M. LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
L.Russell Brown
Sometimes I wonder
About the bizarre
coincidence
I have a fine singing voice
More like Crosby
And I've had many recordings released some making the charts
Russ Columbo had a hauntingly beautiful sound in his voice
Along with a spectacular delivery system.
The melodies he composed live on to this day
Prisoner of love
And many more beautiful tunes.
L.Russell Brown
I was named after this incredible singer songwriter
Like Russ I was born in NJ
And I became a songwriter
Who's songs are known around the world by billions of music lovers
My father idolized Columbo
And his music played in our apartment since
I was a baby
I believe by listening to Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo constantly
They became my music teacher's
I have no formal music training and I can't read a note of music
Still I wrote the melodies for some of the worlds greatest standards.
L.Russell Brown
tommy nevils
Another great song from the early 1930s. It must have been great dancing to this in 1932. Just beautiful!
L.Russell Brown
Being a songwriter named after
This brilliant singer songwriter
My father idolized both Russ and Bing
I grew up listening to these great singers and the beautiful songs they sang!
I have written over 2 000 songs
L.Russell Brown
Russ would be proud of me
tommy nevils
@L.Russell Brown Prisoner of Love is another favorite of mine. And listen to that beautiful orchestra in the background. I congratulate you on your song writing expertise. I am familiar with those songs you wrote too.
L.Russell Brown
Sometimes I wonder
About the bizarre
coincidence
I have a fine singing voice
More like Crosby
And I've had many recordings released some making the charts
Russ Columbo had a hauntingly beautiful sound in his voice
Along with a spectacular delivery system.
The melodies he composed live on to this day
Prisoner of love
And many more beautiful tunes.
L.Russell Brown
@tommy nevils Let me name a few
TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE
SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE
KNOCK THREE TIMES
L.Russell Brown
I was named after this incredible singer songwriter
Like Russ I was born in NJ
And I became a songwriter
Who's songs are known around the world by billions of music lovers
My father idolized Columbo
And his music played in our apartment since
I was a baby
I believe by listening to Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo constantly
They became my music teacher's
I have no formal music training and I can't read a note of music
Still I wrote the melodies for some of the worlds greatest standards.
L.Russell Brown
Meli Stevenson
My dad sang with Ozzie Nelson's band before his wife Harriet became the lead singer his voice was very similar . But he adored all of Columbo's songs and sang them constantly.
Patricia Fusaro
He was my mom's favorite...How great for me to hear this & go back to memory lane...Love it!
CvBsTube
I do love this song more than lots of others I cherich. It´s one of the most beautiful and touching songs I´ve ever heard. One of my top five. I found music of Russ Columbo when I was 20 (22 years ago)... a record/ LP... listened to some songs in the store and was thrilled - especially from this haunting song :-)
ftsjr
What a great voice quality.