The group took off after being signed to Capitol Records in 1952 at the insistence of high profile fan, Stan Kenton. They remained popular throughout the 50s and early 60s, releasing a wide array of successful albums, movie and television appearances and performing countless sold-out concerts. The band eventually lost mainstream attention with the emergence of the British pop bands of the 1960s, even though they managed to stay together even after the retirement of final original member Bob Flanigan in 1992.
As of 2001, the Freshmen have been composed of Bob Ferreira, Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, and Vince Johnson. Although the new lineup of the Four Freshmen have continued the legendary vocal tradition of the original band and perform many of the same standards, the current sound has more of a lounge sound rather than focusing primarily upon harmonies. This modernized sound has proven quite successful, as the group won Down Beat magazine's reader's poll award for Vocal Group of the Year in 2000, proving the quartet's prominence in the jazz world today.
I Should Care
The Four Freshmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should care, I should go without sleeping
Strangely enough, I sleep well
'cept for a dream or two
But then I count my sheep well
Funny how sheep can lull you to sleep
So I should care, I should let it upset me
Maybe I won't find someone as lovely as you
But I should care and I do
I should care but it just doesn't get me
Maybe I won't find someone as lovely as you
But I should care and I do
And I do
The Four Freshmen's "I Should Care" is a musical composition that conveys the feelings of heartbreak and loss. The song begins with the singer describing how they should care about their ex-partner and rightfully feel sadness and grief over the breakup. However, they admit that they are sleeping well and counting sheep to lull themselves to sleep. This illustrates a sense of apathy towards their situation as they are not feeling the heartbreak that they should be experiencing.
The singer then acknowledges that they may never find someone as lovely as their ex-partner. This hint of desperation highlights that they do, in fact, care about the relationship and the loss they're experiencing. Despite their lack of strong emotions, they confess that they should be feeling upset and that they do care. The last line of the song is an affirmation of this - "And I do". This is a sad and poignant reminder that even though the singer's feelings might be muted, their love for their ex-partner is still present and acknowledged.
Line by Line Meaning
I should care, I should go around weeping
I should be upset over the loss of love, to the point of continuous and excessive crying.
I should care, I should go without sleeping
I should feel the pain of heartbreak so strongly that I cannot sleep at night.
Strangely enough, I sleep well
Ironically, despite the heartache I should be feeling, I am still able to sleep soundly.
'cept for a dream or two
The only exception to my peaceful slumber is occasional dreams or nightmares about the lost love.
But then I count my sheep well
To help me fall asleep, I count sheep, which is a simple and calming method.
Funny how sheep can lull you to sleep
It is amusing how a simple counting exercise can peacefully send one off to slumber.
So I should care, I should let it upset me
I should be affected by the lost love and allow it to cause me distress and sadness.
I should care but it just doesn't get me
Despite knowing I should feel heartbroken, I do not feel that way.
Maybe I won't find someone as lovely as you
It is possible that I will never find another love as wonderful and beautiful as the one I lost.
But I should care and I do
Even though I do not feel the heartbreak as strongly as I should, I still care about the loss and its impact on my life.
And I do
I truly care about the loss of love and its effect on me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, HANOVER MUSIC CORPORATION, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Axel Stohrdahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
exjazzbass baz
its all been said about the four freshmen.far and away the best vocal group ever.great to hear a tough marine is a big fan.people from all walks of life love them too.many thanks.
Jymster46
exjazzbass baz You are very welcome. Yes, a great vocal group, for sure. Thanks so much for listening and commenting!
Jim
Catherine
They are sublime, the Hi lo's were pretty good too. "One of my fave Freshman tracks is "how can I tell her" it's just magic.
Jymster46
r4b32t11 Yes, I love that song, too...and am considering posting it. I also love "Little Girl Blue" which I do have posted on my other channel. Thanks so much for listening to this one!
Jim
MrTeenidol
THE ABSOLUTELY GREATEST SINGING GROUP , EVER..!!!!
tom dehm
I'm 80 yrs. old! Miss my youth! Guess I'll listen to The Four Freshmen with tears in my eyes
al boddy
i`m 80 now ...listened to these guys in england before ELVIS DAYS! GOOD LUCK TOM!MAGIC DAYS!
Miriam Brougher
Me,too.
Robert DiLeo
I'm an older man and this is my favorite group of all time. They recorded 2 of the best albums in musical history with Voices in Love and Love Lost. Nothing comes close. I have such good memories listening to their music.
Jymster46
Wonderful albums, Robert. I love them, too. I just posted "I'll Never Smile Again" from their "Love Lost" album. Thanks so much for listening and commenting on this one!
Jim