All The Time
The Dorsey Brothers Lyrics


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Don't know why
There's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time

Life is bare
Gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather
Just can't get my poor old self together
I'm weary all the time
The time
So weary all the time

When he went away the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, that old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray the lord above will let me
Walk in that sun once more

Can't go on
All I have in life is gone
Stormy Weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time

I walk around heavy-hearted and sad
Night comes around and I'm still feeling bad
Rain pouring down, blinding every hope I have
It's pittering, pattering, beating, and splattering
Drives me mad
Love, love, love, love
This misery is just too much for me

Can't go on
All I have in life is gone
Stormy Weather
Since my man and I ain't together




Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Dorsey Brothers' song "All The Time" express the overwhelming sense of sadness and melancholy that the singer feels since her partner has left her. The opening lines, "Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather," immediately set the tone for the song, highlighting the gloomy and desolate emotional state of the singer. The absence of her man has brought a storm into her life, which is metaphorically represented by the continuous rain that keeps falling and intensifying throughout the lyrics.


The singer describes the bleakness and despair she experiences in her daily life, with "gloom and misery everywhere" and feeling "weary all the time." She longs for her man to return and bring back the sunshine into her life. The image of the old rocking chair waiting for her man's return emphasizes the emptiness she feels without him. She prays for the opportunity to walk in the sun again, symbolizing her desire for the happiness and love that has been absent since he left.


The rain becomes a metaphor for her sadness and the overwhelming weight of her emotions. It blurs her vision of hope and drowns her in misery. Each drop of rain feels like a torment, and she can't escape the feeling of despair. The repetition of the phrase "keeps raining all the time" reinforces the never-ending cycle of sorrow and loneliness she finds herself trapped in.


Overall, the lyrics of "All The Time" convey a deep sense of heartache and longing. The stormy weather serves as a powerful symbol for the singer's emotional state, highlighting the profound impact of lost love and the yearning for a brighter future.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't know why
I am unaware of the reason


There's no sun up in the sky
There is a lack of sunlight


Stormy weather
The weather is turbulent


Since my man and I ain't together
Because my partner and I are not in each other's company


Keeps raining all the time
Continuous rainfall occurs


Life is bare
Existence is empty


Gloom and misery everywhere
Sadness and unhappiness are prevalent in every place


Just can't get my poor old self together
I am unable to gather myself mentally


I'm weary all the time
I am constantly tired


The time
In this moment


So weary all the time
I am constantly exhausted


When he went away the blues walked in and met me
After he left, sadness invaded my life


If he stays away, that old rocking chair will get me
If he doesn't return, I will feel lonely and nostalgic


All I do is pray the lord above will let me
My sole action is to beseech a higher power


Walk in that sun once more
Experience happiness and joy again


Can't go on
I cannot continue


All I have in life is gone
I have lost everything I possessed


Night comes around and I'm still feeling bad
Even during nighttime, my emotional state remains negative


Rain pouring down, blinding every hope I have
Torrential rain obstructs any optimism I hold


It's pittering, pattering, beating, and splattering
The rain sounds create a chaotic cacophony


Drives me mad
It causes me to become mentally unstable


Love, love, love, love
My yearning for affection and companionship


This misery is just too much for me
The distress I endure is overpowering


Keeps raining all the time
Continuous rainfall persists


Keeps raining all the time
Continuous rainfall persists




Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

MrManorAvenue

Excellent vocal as always, but he's taking quite a few liberties with the lyrics and, from my "vantage" point as a frustrated lyricist, it tends to get under my skin when any vocalist does so.

MrManorAvenue

@***** As for "How About You," the original lyrics, as I recall them, refer to "Greta Garbo's looks" rather than Lana Turner's. As to Stuart Foster's rendition of "All The Time," I find by checking my copy of the sheet music that I was mistaken in one of two spots where I thought he was changing the lyrics; in that one spot, I was recalling another recording of the song where another artist wasn't singing the lyrics that are written on the music; but in the one spot where Stuart Foster sings, "How sweet and strange the mornings start," he IS mistaken there: The lyrics as written are, "How sweet and fresh the mornings start..." Use of the word "strange" in that spot as Stuart did seemed to me to detract from the romantic quotient of the lyrics.

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