Tom Alexander (1934β 10 January 2020) and Jack Alexander (1935β2 November 2013) were born in Cambusnethan, near Wishaw. On leaving school in the early fifties, the brothers pursued a trade as painters and decorators by day, and entertainers by night, and spent most of their spare time performing for elderly people in hospitals and for various charitable institutions in and around their hometown. In the spring of 1958, they entered a talent contest which was held in their local cinema. They won the contest "hands down" and one of the judges (who was a well known Scottish Theatrical Agent) was so impressed, he placed the boys under contract that summer. They made their professional debut at the Webster Hall, Arbroath. It was during this season that they received their first long term contract for five Winter Seasons at Glasgow's famous Metropole Theatre. Following Arbroath they were engaged to appear at the Metropolitan Theatre, Edgeware Road, London, and it was during this season they were spotted and signed to Pye Records. They cut their first LP six weeks later.
Their biggest hit single was "Nobody's Child" in 1964. It sold more copies in Scotland that year than did recordings by The Beatles. Their other hits include "These are My Mountains", "The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen", "Bonnie Wee Jeannie McColl", and "Two Highland Lads". They toured Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. They appeared at the Sydney Opera House with Jimmy Shand as a guest, and have also played in Carnegie Hall in New York.
The brothers' fame and popularity probably peaked in the late 1960s, after which Scottish folk music began to lose its mainstream appeal and their audience dwindled. However, the Alexander Brothers experienced something of a revival in the mid 1990s when they began to release music videos, and later DVDs, to supplement their live performances. These new recordings contained many religious or devotional songs.
In recognition of their contributions to the world of music, they received MBEs from the Queen in the 2005 New Year Honours List . The ceremony took place in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.
Their most recent albums were produced by the Kilsyth-based company Scotdisc.
http://www.alexanderbrothers.com/
Nobody
The Alexander Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An orphan's home one day,
I stopped for just a little while
To watch the children play.
Alone a boy was standing
And when I asked him why,
He turned with eyes that could not see
And he began to cry.
I'm nobody's child,
I'm nobody's child.
Just like the flowers
I'm growing wild.
I got no mummy's kisses
I got no daddy's smile.
Nobody wants me,
I'm nobody's child.
No mummy's arms to hold me
Or sue me when I cry,
'Cause sometimes I feel so lonesome
I wish that I could die.
I'll walk the streets of heaven
Where all blinds can see.
And just like for the other kids
It will be a home for me.
I'm nobody's child,
I'm nobody's child.
Just like the flowers
I'm growing wild.
I got no mummy's kisses
I got no daddy's smile.
Nobody wants me,
I'm nobody's child.
The lyrics to The Alexander Brothers' song Nobody's Child is a heart-wrenching portrayal of a young boy who is left alone and neglected by society. As the singer is passing an orphan's home, he stops to watch the children play and notices a boy in isolation. When he asks the boy why he was alone, he turns around with eyes that cannot see as he begins to cry. The chorus of the song poignantly describes the plight of the boy, who is "nobody's child." He has no parents to care for him, no one to give him kisses or a smile, and he feels unwanted by the world around him.
The second verse of the song further expresses the boy's loneliness and despair. The singer notes that the boy has no one to hold him when he cries, leaving him feeling hopeless and alone. However, the final lines of the song offer a glimmer of hope for the boy's future. He imagines walking the streets of heaven where the blind can see, and he will finally have a home just like the other kids. This bittersweet ending to the song captures the harsh reality of the boy's life while also providing comfort through the idea of an afterlife.
Overall, The Alexander Brothers' song Nobody's Child is a powerful reminder of the many children who have been abandoned and forgotten by society, and it highlights the need for greater compassion and care for vulnerable youth.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was slowly passing
While on my way, with no real urgency or rush,
An orphan's home one day,
I stumbled upon a facility for children without parents,
I stopped for just a little while
I decided to briefly pause and watch the children play,
To watch the children play.
Observed the activity of the kids without interfering,
Alone a boy was standing
A singular boy was standing by himself,
And when I asked him why,
I inquired as to why he was all by himself,
He turned with eyes that could not see
He faced me, but it was clear he was blind,
And he began to cry.
He started weeping,
I'm nobody's child,
I do not belong to anyone as a child,
I'm nobody's child.
I am alone and have nobody to call family,
Just like the flowers
Similar to the thriving plants in nature,
I'm growing wild.
I am growing without the support and care of a family,
I got no mummy's kisses
I lack the tenderness of a mother's affection,
I got no daddy's smile.
I do not have the comfort of a father's happiness,
Nobody wants me,
No one needs me or is willing to love me,
I'm nobody's child.
I am neglected and abandoned,
No mummy's arms to hold me
There are no maternal arms to embrace me,
Or sue me when I cry,
No parent is there to console me when I shed tears,
'Cause sometimes I feel so lonesome
For moments, I suffer from loneliness,
I wish that I could die.
I wish to no longer be alive in this world,
I'll walk the streets of heaven
If I pass on, this is where I would go,
Where all blinds can see.
Where even the physically impaired can witness,
And just like for the other kids
Just like how it is for the other children,
It will be a home for me.
It will be the place I call home in the afterlife.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Cy Coben, Mel Foree
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@m-o-l
Aw, this takes me way back to the 1950/60's growing up in Glasgow .
My Dad played this on vinyl 45rpm .. along with the likes of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton many more .. and all the auld Irish tunes too .. music that I still love to this day.
Music is a gift that we should pass on to our kids the way our folks did with us ..
Songs send us back in time + remind us of people and places long gone .
πΈπΌπΈ
@philmckay1
I first met Tom & Jack 40 yrs over ago when I compered all their shows at The Queensberry Arms Hotel in Annan and it was so much fun , both were true gentlemen and made everyone feel like one big family. How time fly's. We really have lost two of best entertainers ever. I would meet up from time to time
through my work at Grampian TV in the 80s and 90s . I listened to a great tribute to them both on BBC Scotland's sat night show Take The Floor . I'm so proud to have met you both and worked with you . Will never forget you both RIP both.
@gaidhealmcintyre6867
This is the only version I ever heard since a child ...and it always makes me cry.....
@deniseorr1736
Omg this was the theme tune to my childhood π’ I listened to this over and over, thankfully I'm now 57, have 4 adult kids and 16 grandchildren so all is good now xxx
@Thewritingbutler
It's Remembrance Day 2013. It is with great sadness that I learned today of Jack's passing. We sure miss you Jack and thanks for the memories. Condolences to the his brother Tom and all of the Alexander family.Β
@ladygardener100
Nostalgia in buckets, we used to go to Largs every summer, Silver spray and all the Silver built rowing boats for hire. Times long gone.
@marygibson5817
I have not heard this song in years, my aunt used to sing it when I was a kid living in Scotland and she just passed away a few months ago and I had not seen her in years, but this song reminds me of her. Beautiful song. Miss living in Scotland.
@kathcherry3300
This song is about me
@fred-di8xl
I have enjoyed all of the songs from Tom and ajaack for many years God bless them R,I,P,
@013827
RIP guys, you will be fondly remembered forever...