What Ray Charles had to say about moving on, (in the song "I cant stop loving you").

grahamg

Old codger
There are probably a great many fans of Ray Charles on this forum, and here is a song that struck a chord with me when I listened more carefully to the lyrics this morning:

Lyrics to the song: "I cant stop loving you"

… I've made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)

… It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday
(Dreams of yesterday)

… Those happy hours that we once knew
Tho' long ago, they still make me blue
They say that time heals a broken heart
But time has stood still since we've been apart
(I can't stop loving you)

… I've made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)

… It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday

… Those happy hours
(That we once knew)
That we once knew
(Tho' long ago)
Tho' long ago
(Still make me blue)
Still make me blue

They say that time
(Heals a broken heart)
Heals a broken heart
(But time has stood still)
Time has stood still
(Since we've been apart)
Since we've been apart


… I said I made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
Sing the song, children
(I can't stop wanting you)

… It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday
(Of yesterday)
 

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Love that song. Used to play it over and over - what a talent we had in Ray!
Read a bit about Ray Charles now, and it appears he didn't have quite as much difficulty "moving on" in relationships as the lyrics of this song would have you believe, but still as you say, and almost incomparable singer, even when recording and putting out songs others had written and sung before him:
 
Another one by the same artist, ("Oh lonesome me"):

Everybody's going out and having fun
I'm just a fool for staying home and having none
I can't get over how she set me free
Oh, lonesome me

A bad mistake I'm making bout just hanging round
I know that I should have some fun and paint the town
A love sick fool that's blind and just can't see
Oh, lonesome me

I'll bet she's not like me
She's out and fancy free
Flirting with the boys with all her charms
But I still love her so
And brother don't you know
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms

Well there must be some way
I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about the past and find somebody new
I've thought of everything from A to Z
Oh, lonesome me

Well I bet she's not like me
She's out and fancy free
Flirting with the boys with all her charms
But I still love her so
And brother don't you know
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms

Well there must be some way
I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about the past and find somebody new
I've thought of everything from A to Z
Oh, lonesome me

Oh, lonesome me.
https://lyricstranslate.com
 
Another one by the same artist, ("Oh lonesome me"):

Everybody's going out and having fun
I'm just a fool for staying home and having none
I can't get over how she set me free
Oh, lonesome me

A bad mistake I'm making bout just hanging round
I know that I should have some fun and paint the town
A love sick fool that's blind and just can't see
Oh, lonesome me

I'll bet she's not like me
She's out and fancy free
Flirting with the boys with all her charms
But I still love her so
And brother don't you know
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms

Well there must be some way
I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about the past and find somebody new
I've thought of everything from A to Z
Oh, lonesome me

Well I bet she's not like me
She's out and fancy free
Flirting with the boys with all her charms
But I still love her so
And brother don't you know
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms

Well there must be some way
I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about the past and find somebody new
I've thought of everything from A to Z
Oh, lonesome me

Oh, lonesome me.
https://lyricstranslate.com
I have that song by Don Gibson. I also have "Oh Lonesome Me" by Johnny Cash, recorded about 1957 when he was still with Sam Phillips and the Sun Record Label.
 
Lyrics
By the time I get to Phoenix
She'll be rising
She'll find the note I left hanging on her door
She'll laugh, when she reads the part that says I'm leaving
Cause I've left that girl, so many times before
By the time I make Albuquerque
She'll be working
She'll probably stop at lunch,
And give me a call
But she'll just hear that phone keep on ringing
Off the wall, that's all
By the time I make Oklahoma
She'll be sleeping
She'll turn softly and call my name out low
And she'll cry, just to think, I'd really leave her
Though time and time I've tried to tell her so
She just didn't know,
I would really go:cry:

 


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