Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
When Joanna Loved Me
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tomorrow is a guess
But yesterday
Oh what I'd give for yesterday
To relive one yesterday
And its happiness
When Joanna loved me
Every day was Sunday
Every month was may
When Joanna loved me
Every sound was music
Music made of laughter
Laughter that was bright and gay
But when Joanna left me
May became December
But even in December
I remember
Her touch
Her smile
And for a little while
She loves me
And once again its Paris
Paris on a Sunday
And the month is may
In Scott Walker's song "When Joanna Loved Me," the singer laments the loss of his past love, Joanna. He reflects on how when they were together, every day felt like a Parisian adventure, the sun always shone, and there was always laughter in the air. The melody uses a waltz rhythm, adding to the nostalgic feel of the song. The singer wishes he could go back to those happier times for just a day, to feel Joanna's touch and see her smile once more.
The lyrics are filled with vivid sensory imagery, describing how every sound was music and even the air seemed to be filled with the joy of their love. The line "But even in December/ I remember" shows how he can still feel the warmth of their love even though it's been lost to time. The repetition of the phrase "When Joanna loved me" emphasizes how much he longs for those days, and how different his life is without her.
Overall, "When Joanna Loved Me" is a beautifully melancholic song that captures the bittersweet feeling of lost love. It's a powerful reminder that even though love can be fleeting, it can still leave a lasting impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Today is just another day
The present is mundane and unremarkable
Tomorrow is a guess
The future is uncertain and unpredictable
But yesterday
The past is full of nostalgia and longing
Oh what I'd give for yesterday
The artist desires to relive the past
To relive one yesterday
The artist wants to experience a specific past moment again
And its happiness
The past was full of joy and contentment
When Joanna loved me
The singer is reflecting on a past relationship with Joanna
Every town was Paris
The artist felt like he was in a romantic European city
Every day was Sunday
Every day was a relaxing and peaceful day of the week
Every month was may
The month of May represents springtime and new beginnings
Every sound was music
The world felt enchanted and full of wonder
Music made of laughter
The artist associates happiness with the sound of laughter
Laughter that was bright and gay
The laughter was lively and joyful
But when Joanna left me
Joanna ended the relationship and left the singer alone
May became December
The singer's world became dark and cold
But even in December
Despite the sadness, the artist can still recall happier times
I remember
The artist has vivid memories of Joanna
Her touch
The physical sensation of Joanna's presence
Her smile
The facial expression that brings joy and warmth
And for a little while
The artist experiences a brief moment of happiness
She loves me
The artist remembers the feeling of being loved by Joanna
And once again its Paris
The artist feels romantic and nostalgic
Paris on a Sunday
The world feels calm and relaxed
And the month is may
The artist recalls the hopeful and bright feeling of May
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT WELLS, JACK SEGAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wellandtrulyjoshed
Beautiful man beautiful voice ❤️ RIP Scott 💔 Oh what I’d give for yesterday when you were still here 😢
@marjie012000
Lovely song. Superbly sung. Love it.
@sussexladvideos568
Great lyrics, great performance, love it
@wizard101er2
Wow I am impressed by his performance
@bertrandcoutens7880
Magic Scott, Who sing like that now ? the smooth, the velvet !!!!
@MJLeger-yj1ww
Don't know this singer, but he does a nice rendition of this lovely old song. Great orchestra!
@anjobrendel3604
That AWESOME Voice, u drown in that.
@janisdixon2514
Beautiful. Those last few lines.....
@randallsundeen3383
In the US the hit version of this song was recorded by Tony Bennett and he States it is his favorite tune guessing it was written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent one of my favorite times love Scott Walker thanks
@kathleenrouse8596
From the movie The Box, love this song!