The Dave Brubeck Quartet was an American modern jazz group formed in San Fr… Read Full Bio ↴The Dave Brubeck Quartet was an American modern jazz group formed in San Francisco in 1951 by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck (1920-2012). In what became known as the band's classic line-up, the band featured Joe Morello (1928–2011) on drums, Eugene Wright (1923-2020) on bass, and Paul Desmond (1924-1977) on saxophone. The band remains best-known for their use of odd time signatures, and were a premier group in the cool jazz movement. They produced several standards, including Take Five and Blue Rondo à la Turk.

Throughout the years, and changing line-ups, the group maintained a strong fan-base among jazz fans of all ages.

All By Myself
The Dave Brubeck Quartet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All by myself in the morning
All by myself in the night

I sit alone with a table and a chair
So unhappy there
Playing solitaire

All by myself I get lonely

Watching the clock on the shelf

I'd love to rest my weary head on somebody's shoulder

I hate to grow older
All by myself

Overall Meaning

"All By Myself" is a lyrical expression of the loneliness and isolation experienced by a person who is alone. The song starts with the singer expressing his melancholy, noting that he is alone both in the morning and at night. The artist adds that he feels unhappy and uncomfortable in his own company, seeing as the only thing he does is playing solitaire with a table and a chair. The artist emphasizes the depth of his loneliness by stating that he often watches the clock on his shelf, longing for someone to share his time with.

Line by Line Meaning

All by myself in the morning
Completely alone in the early hours of the day

All by myself in the night
Totally alone during the dark hours of the night

I sit alone with a table and a chair
I am seated all by myself with just a table and a chair

So unhappy there
Feeling miserable in that situation

Playing solitaire
Passing time by playing a solitary card game

All by myself I get lonely
Feelings of loneliness arise when there's no one around

Watching the clock on the shelf
Staring at the clock on the shelf with nothing else to do

I'd love to rest my weary head on somebody's shoulder
I desire comfort and care by resting my tired head on another's shoulder

I hate to grow older
I do not appreciate or like the process of aging

All by myself
Alone and by oneself

Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind