Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr. in Stamford, Connecticut, on Au… Read Full Bio ↴Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr. in Stamford, Connecticut, on August 25, 1950; died in New York City on August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter of Basque, Pequot, and Irish descent. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in various American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary music, including Jack Nitzsche, Doc Pomus, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Allen Toussaint, and Eddie Bo. A wide range of styles, including latin rhythms, blues riffs, doo-wop, Cajun music, strains of French cabaret, and echoes of early-1960s uptown soul, can be heard in DeVille's work.

As a teenager, DeVille had a band named Billy and the Kids. He moved to London looking to form a band, but was unsuccessful in finding like-minded musicians. Eventually he landed in San Francisco where he formed a band with bassist Ruben Siguenza and drummer Tom "Manfred" Allen. The band played under the names Billy DeSade & the Marquis and the Lazy Eights before settling on the name Mink DeVille. Later, DeVille took the band to New York City, where they helped to pioneer punk rock music and were one of the original house bands at CBGB, the New York nighclub where punk rock music was born in the mid-1970s.

The typical DeVille song -- if any of his songs can be called "typical" -- is filled with romantic conviction and yearning. Latin rhythms, Blues riffs, and strains of country music can be heard in DeVille songs. Spanish Stroll was a hit in the U.S. and the UK in 1978; Storybook Love (nominated for an Academy Award in 1987) is the theme song of the movie The Princess Bride.

DeVille suffered from drug addiction for many years, which stifled his career. Among fellow musicians and songwriters, he was widely respected. Songwriter Doc Pomus said about Deville, "He knows the truth of a city street and the courage in a ghetto love song."

DeVille died of pancreatic cancer during the night of August 6, 2009 in a New York hospital.

DeVille had homes in New Orleans and Mississippi.

It's Too Late She's Gone
Willy DeVille Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It′s too late, she's gone
It′s too late, my baby's gone
Yes I will miss her more than anyone
It's too late, she′s gone

It′s a weak man who cries
So I guess I'd better dry my eyes
I need your loving more than anyone

It′s too late she's gone

She′s gone, my baby's gone
She′s gone, my baby's gone
She's gone, my baby′s gone
Someone tell me where can she be

I wonder does she know
When she left me, it hurt me so
Yes I will miss her more than anyone
But it′s too late, she's gone

She′s gone, my baby's gone
She′s gone, my baby's gone
She′s gone, my baby's gone
Someone tell me where can she be

It's a weak man that cries
So I guess I′d better dry my eyes
I need your loving, please don′t make me wait
And don't tell me it′s too late

Don't tell me it′s too late
Please don't tell that it′s too late

Overall Meaning

The song "It's Too Late She's Gone" by Willy DeVille is a heart-wrenching ballad about a man who realizes that he has lost the love of his life. The lyrics express the man's deep longing for his lost love and his desperation to win her back. He acknowledges that it's too late, but still hopes that he can somehow turn back the clock and make things right again.

Using the catchy refrain "It's too late, she's gone," DeVille conveys the loss and sadness that the singer is feeling. The lines "It's a weak man who cries, so I guess I'd better dry my eyes" express the man's struggle to come to terms with his emotions, as he grapples with the fear of appearing vulnerable. However, he ultimately acknowledges that he needs his love more than anyone else and becomes more vulnerable in his plea not to be made to wait any longer.

The song's lyrics are powerful and emotive, perfectly matching the soulful melody of the song. The song is an excellent example of blues and soul music, with powerful vocals and guitar playing creating an atmosphere of loneliness, longing, and melancholy.

Line by Line Meaning

It's too late, she's gone
The singer realizes that the woman he loves has left him and he cannot bring her back.

It's too late, my baby's gone
The singer acknowledges the fact that the woman he loves is gone and he cannot do anything about it.

Yes I will miss her more than anyone
The singer expresses his deep feelings of loss and sadness over the woman he loves leaving him.

It's a weak man who cries
The artist believes that showing emotions like crying is a sign of weakness.

So I guess I'd better dry my eyes
The artist tries to suppress his tears because he does not want to be seen as weak.

I need your loving more than anyone
The singer expresses his desire for the woman he loves to come back to him.

She's gone, my baby's gone
The singer repeats the fact that the woman he loves has left him and he cannot find her.

Someone tell me where can she be
The artist is desperate to find the woman he loves and is asking anyone for assistance in finding her.

I wonder does she know
The artist is wondering if the woman he loves knows how much he loves and misses her.

When she left me, it hurt me so
The artist is admitting that her leaving caused him great emotional pain.

But it's too late, she's gone
The singer acknowledges that he cannot bring her back and that he must face the reality of her leaving.

I need your loving, please don't make me wait
The artist is begging for the woman he loves to come back to him and not make him wait any longer.

And don't tell me it's too late
The singer is pleading with anyone who might suggest that it is too late to get the woman he loves back to not say that.

Please don't tell that it's too late
The singer is desperately hoping that someone will offer him hope that the woman he loves can still come back to him.

Writer(s): Chuck Willis

Contributed by Cooper W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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