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.

Right There Right Then
Willy DeVille Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

DeVille

Right there, right then, I could have cried
Right there, right then, I surely could have died
Right there, right then, oh how I cried
Yes, I cried and I cried and I cried all night through, Lord, over you.

Now look at what you′ve done, we've come so far and lost

Maybe I loved you too much, how come I feel so all alone
Did it make you feel that good to hurt me like you did?
Maybe you didn′t know I died with every word you said.

Right there, right then, I could have cried
Right there, right then, I surely could have died
Now right there, right then, oh how I cried
Yes, I cried and I cried and I cried all night through over you.

You said you'd never lied to me, did you lie and it's true
You were born the day I met you on that street, now I know there′s more to you.

Did it make you feel that good to hurt me like you did?
Maybe you didn′t know I died with every word you said.

Right there, right then, I could have cried
Right there, right then, I surely could have died
Now right there, right then, oh how I cried
Yes, I cried and I cried and I cried, mmm all night through over you.

Yes, I cried, cried over you
Yes, I cried and I cried and I cried all night through

Over you, yes I cried
Yes, I cried and I cried and I criedover you.

Overall Meaning

The song "Right There Right Then" by Willy DeVille is a powerful ballad about the pain and heartbreak caused by a failed relationship. The lyrics convey the raw emotions of the singer as he remembers the moment when everything fell apart. The refrain "Right there, right then, I could have cried" reveals the depth of the singer's despair, as he looks back on the moment when he realized that his love was not reciprocated.

The poignant lyrics express the feelings of betrayal and loneliness that follow a breakup. The singer questions whether his love was too intense and wonders if his partner enjoyed hurting him. He also reflects on the possibility that his partner may have been hiding secrets from him, never truly opening up about themselves. The overall message is one of heartbreak and loss, leaving the listener with a sense of empathy for those who have experienced similar pain.

Line by Line Meaning

Right there, right then, I could have cried
In that moment, I felt overwhelmed with emotion and had the urge to cry.

Right there, right then, I surely could have died
The emotional pain was so intense that I felt like dying would be a relief.

Right there, right then, oh how I cried
I gave in to my emotions and cried uncontrollably.

Yes, I cried and I cried and I cried all night through, Lord, over you.
The pain of the situation was so intense that I cried for the entire night, unable to sleep.

Now look at what you've done, we've come so far and lost
We had a strong connection and had come a long way, but now that connection has been lost.

Maybe I loved you too much, how come I feel so all alone
Despite loving you so much, I feel completely isolated and alone now.

Did it make you feel that good to hurt me like you did?
I question whether or not you enjoyed hurting me as much as you did.

Maybe you didn't know I died with every word you said.
The words you said had such a profound impact on me that I felt like a part of me was dying with each one.

You said you'd never lied to me, did you lie and it's true
I question whether or not I can trust anything you've said to me now.

You were born the day I met you on that street, now I know there's more to you.
I believed I knew you completely, but now I realize there are still hidden depths to your character.

Yes, I cried, cried over you
I still feel deeply emotional about you and the situation.

Yes, I cried and I cried and I cried all night through
The intensity of my emotions made it impossible for me to sleep.

Over you, yes I cried
My feelings are specifically related to you and our relationship.

Yes, I cried and I cried and I cried over you.
The pain of our situation continues to cause me great distress.

Writer(s): Willy Deville

Contributed by Isabella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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