Vince Jones (born 1954) is an Australian jazz artist. He is a singer, songw… Read Full Bio ↴Vince Jones (born 1954) is an Australian jazz artist. He is a singer, songwriter, and trumpet/flugelhorn player. His music includes both original music and new contemporary versions of jazz standards. He attributes his love of jazz to hearing a recording of Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain when he was about 14. He taught himself to play the trumpet. Vince was born in Glasgow, Scotland and his family moved to Wollongong, Australia when he was 11 years old. He began his career as a bebop trumpet player.

He has sold more than 200,000 albums worldwide.

Everything Happens to Me
Vince Jones Lyrics

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Black cats creep across my path
Until I'm almost mad
I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
Cause all my luck is bad
I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
I guess I'll go through life
Just catchin' colds and missin' trains

Everything happens to me
I never miss a thing
I've had the measles and the mumps
And every time I play an ace
My partner always trumps
Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps

Everything happens to me
At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
That love would turn the trick to end despair
But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
I've telegraphed and phoned
I send an "Airmail Special" too
Your answer was "Goodbye"
And there was even postage due
I fell in love just once
And then it had to be with you

Everything happens to me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Vince Jones's "Everything Happens to Me" speaks about a person who is going through a continuous string of misfortunes in life. It starts with the singer mentioning the presence of a black cat crossing his path which is considered bad luck. The singer also implies that his bad luck may have to do with some past action of his which the devil may have taken offense to. The misfortunes continue as the singer plans a game of golf it begins to rain and when he tries to throw a party, the neighbor complains. He resigns himself to a life of missing trains and catching colds. The refrain "Everything Happens to Me" provides a sense of despair and hopelessness.

The singer had hoped that falling in love would end his string of bad luck, but even that went wrong. The love ended up mortgaging all his fanciful dreams and ended up in despair. The lyrics show a person who is continually losing in life and can't seem to catch a break, with every attempt at creating something leading to undesirable outcomes. It is a relatable feeling for anyone who has experienced a stretch of not so good luck.

The song "Everything Happens to Me" was written by Tom Adair and Matt Dennis in 1940. The song was first performed by Frank Sinatra in his album "In the Wee Small Hours" in 1955. The song's lyrics are melancholic and pensive, reflecting a sense of gloominess. The song has since been performed by various artists, including Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Line by Line Meaning

Black cats creep across my path
I am constantly experiencing bad luck and misfortune.

Until I'm almost mad
My constant bad luck is driving me insane.

I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
My bad luck is due to my own actions that have angered the devil.

Cause all my luck is bad
I am continually experiencing negative occurrences and have become accustomed to bad luck as a part of life.

I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
Whenever I plan something positive or look forward to an event, something always goes wrong and ruins it.

I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
No matter my efforts to have a good time or bring joy to others, something always goes wrong and interferes with my plans.

I guess I'll go through life
I have accepted that my life will be a series of unfortunate events and I am powerless to change it.

Just catchin' colds and missin' trains
My life is full of minor setbacks and disappointments.

Everything happens to me
My entire life is filled with bad luck and misfortune.

I never miss a thing
I am acutely aware of every negative event that occurs in my life.

I've had the measles and the mumps
My misfortunes extend even to my health, as I have experienced illness and disease.

And every time I play an ace
Even when I am successful, something else comes along and ruins it.

My partner always trumps
The people around me always seem to have better luck or success than I do.

Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps
I am impulsive and do not think things through before acting, leading to negative consequences.

At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
I once believed that love could bring me happiness and end my streak of bad luck.

That love would turn the trick to end despair
I thought that a loving relationship could cure my constant feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
I have come to realize that my negative mindset will not be easily changed by external factors.

I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
I have put all of my hopes and dreams into prospects that have turned out to be disappointing or unobtainable.

I've telegraphed and phoned
I have tried every means possible to connect with someone, perhaps in hopes of alleviating my bad luck, to no avail.

I send an 'Airmail Special' too
I have taken extreme measures to reach out to someone, but still have not received a positive outcome.

Your answer was 'Goodbye'
The response to my efforts was rejection or disappointment.

And there was even postage due
Not only did my efforts fail, but they also cost me something.

I fell in love just once
I have experienced love and been hopeful for my future at some point in my life.

And then it had to be with you
I chose to fall in love with someone who was unable to bring me the happiness or break from bad luck that I sought.

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Tom Adair, Matt Dennis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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