Galison was born and raised in New York City, New York. As a child, he started to study piano, but at the age of eight decided to switch to guitar having been inspired by The Beatles. He developed a love of jazz in high school and subsequently attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He decided to change to the harmonica because "I was one of a million guitarists at Berklee" and it was easy to carry around. He became Berklee's only harmonica player. Among his role models at the time were Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder.
After Berklee, he studied further at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, then returned to New York in 1982. He swiftly developed a good reputation as a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.
He performed at various New York venues including The Village Gate, The Blue Note and the Lone Star Cafe with legendary jazz musicians Jaco Pastorius and Jaki Byard. He also played with his own group at Preacher's Cafe in Greenwich Village.
Galison has worked with a diverse range of artists including Carly Simon, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Peggy Lee, Chaka Khan and Astrud Gilberto. He has performed Gordon Jacob's "Suite for Harmonica and Orchestra" and toured the USA in the Broadway musical, Big River. He has also recorded soundtracks for films, most notably Academy Award nominees The Untouchables and Bagdad Café. His harmonica is also heard on the Sesame Street theme ("a great honor") and countless commercials. Other television work includes Oz and Saturday Night Live
One of his major influences and role models, Toots Thielmans, once described him as "the most original and individual of the new generation of harmonica players".
Jealous Guy
William Galison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my heart was beating fast.
I began to lose control,
I began to lose control.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
I'm sorry that I made you cry.
Oh no, I didn't mean to hurt you.
I'm just a jealous guy.
I was feeling insecure you might not love me anymore.
I was shivering inside,
I was shivering inside.
I didn't mean...
I was trying to catch your eyes,
though that you was trying to hide.
I was swallowing my pain,
I was swallowing my pain.
I didn't mean...
The lyrics of William Galison's song Jealous Guy narrate the psychological turmoil that the singer experiences while negotiating with his insecurities and jealous feelings towards his partner. The song's opening lines, "I was dreaming of the past, and my heart was beating fast" indicates that the singer was going through an episode of intense emotional distress, which is caused by his past traumas, insecurities, and fear of losing his partner. As the song progresses, he acknowledges the impact of his actions on his relationship and expresses remorse for them. Despite his heartfelt apologies, the singer recognizes that he is just a jealous guy and that his actions may stem from his own faults.
The line "I was trying to catch your eyes, though that you was trying to hide" suggests that the partner might have been trying to distance themselves from the singer, which only further exacerbates his feelings of jealousy and insecurity. The singer's acknowledgment of his flaws and their impact on his relationship makes this song a poignant reflection of the complexity of human emotions and relationships. Through its simple yet profound lyrics, this song captures the universal human experience of love, jealousy, and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
I was dreaming of the past,
I was reminiscing about previous relationships or moments from the past.
And my heart was beating fast.
These past memories were causing my heart to race with emotion.
I began to lose control,
The intensity of these memories started to make me feel like I was losing my grip on reality.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
Although my actions may have caused you pain, it was never my intention.
I'm sorry that I made you cry.
I regret any sadness that I may have caused you.
Oh no, I didn't mean to hurt you.
I want to clarify that I never wanted to cause you any harm or discomfort.
I'm just a jealous guy.
The root of my actions was based on feelings of jealousy, rather than any actual malice.
I was feeling insecure you might not love me anymore.
I was experiencing doubt and uncertainty about your feelings towards me.
I was shivering inside,
These feelings of insecurity were causing me to feel physically ill.
I was trying to catch your eyes,
I was attempting to seek validation and reassurance from you through eye contact.
Though that you was trying to hide.
Despite your attempts to conceal your emotions, I could sense that something was amiss.
I was swallowing my pain,
I was suppressing my own emotions and pain in order to focus on the situation at hand.
I didn't mean...
Once again, I never intended for my behavior to cause harm or strife.
Lyrics © BUDDE MUSIC FRANCE, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Benn
Wonderful version of a great song. Amazing sounds & so,so good.
Mariano Seco
ALTO ELEVADÍSIMO TEMA!!!
Jagjit Ishar
Awesome superb & very sweet. Love it like it.
MajorBluntz
found this album at my local library's sale. cool stuff.
CrossBonesAlex
Great harmonica player for sure
Márcia Rejane
awesome!!
Pico Tsuchino
Oh that's lovely!
Drew Engman
Holy Maria, that kills!
Jeffrey Graham
wow. to Will my most musical new york childhood friend.. John Lennon himself wd be proud.
Dagmar Graham DD NH Phl
This was the most sonorous clarinet that I've heard in many years. The brief vocal at the end was a pleasant surprise. I then listened again to fully appreciate. Thanks!