This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Jimmy Durante was once a little boy of only three
Jimmy Durante
Knew nothin’ ‘bout the birds or ‘bout the bees
Daddy would warn him
When you’re a man you’re gonna wanna go ha-cha-cha-da
Better to put out the fire
Put on a ring and sing in the choir
And his mommy would lecture
Don’t listen to the ladies in the hall
They wanna get ya, but Mommy isn’t gonna let ya fall
Pity the kid, he sits there
And little does he know, but the oysters are his
Leavin’ the cloister by Christmas
Stickin’ his nose into everybody’s business
Jimmy, go
(Jimmy Durante / go for it all)
Hit the road and get on with the show
(There goes Durante / showin' 'em all)
So they don't root for you
(So they don't root for / you or salute you)
They don't wanna face what that snoot's gonna do
All the while
(All of the while, who's / winkin' at you?)
All the girls in the chorus will smile
(All of the girls are / thinkin' of you)
Spreadin' those curtains apart on the stage
Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are
I’m comin’ to get you, I’m gonna be a star
You’ve been in my heart, girl, you’ve never been far
So, goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are
This is your daddy
When you’re a man, you’re gonna want to go, “Ha-cha-cha-da”
Jimmy's live
(Jimmy Durante’s / live on the stage
Catch the champ who is takin' a dive
(Catch him as Jimmy / dives off the stage)
Learned what the ladies lacked
(Learned of the ladies / Turned on the ladies)
Now ev'ryone wants to get into the act
Join the cause
(Join in the cause and / gimme a chant)
Follow Jim 'cause he follows his schnozz
(Follow because of / Jimmy Durante's schnozz)
Once there was grievin'
But now even Daddy’s relented
He’s sayin’ how it isn’t any crime
The choir director is layin’ down a madrigal in time
(Hey, nonny, no, nonny, nonny)
Even the Pope is hopin’ he’s happy
And he gives him a snappy thumbs-up
Dancin’ the pony with Mommy
Singin’ a hey, nonny, nonny and a ha-cha-cha
Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
Knew nothin’ ‘bout the birds or ‘bout the bees
Daddy would warn him
When you’re a man you’re gonna wanna go ha-cha-cha-da
Better to put out the fire
Put on a ring and sing in the choir
And his mommy would lecture
Don’t listen to the ladies in the hall
They wanna get ya, but Mommy isn’t gonna let ya fall
Pity the kid, he sits there
And little does he know, but the oysters are his
Leavin’ the cloister by Christmas
Stickin’ his nose into everybody’s business
Jimmy, go
(Jimmy Durante / go for it all)
Hit the road and get on with the show
(There goes Durante / showin' 'em all)
So they don't root for you
(So they don't root for / you or salute you)
They don't wanna face what that snoot's gonna do
All the while
(All of the while, who's / winkin' at you?)
All the girls in the chorus will smile
(All of the girls are / thinkin' of you)
Spreadin' those curtains apart on the stage
Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are
I’m comin’ to get you, I’m gonna be a star
You’ve been in my heart, girl, you’ve never been far
So, goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are
This is your daddy
When you’re a man, you’re gonna want to go, “Ha-cha-cha-da”
Jimmy's live
(Jimmy Durante’s / live on the stage
Catch the champ who is takin' a dive
(Catch him as Jimmy / dives off the stage)
Learned what the ladies lacked
(Learned of the ladies / Turned on the ladies)
Now ev'ryone wants to get into the act
Join the cause
(Join in the cause and / gimme a chant)
Follow Jim 'cause he follows his schnozz
(Follow because of / Jimmy Durante's schnozz)
Once there was grievin'
But now even Daddy’s relented
He’s sayin’ how it isn’t any crime
The choir director is layin’ down a madrigal in time
(Hey, nonny, no, nonny, nonny)
Even the Pope is hopin’ he’s happy
And he gives him a snappy thumbs-up
Dancin’ the pony with Mommy
Singin’ a hey, nonny, nonny and a ha-cha-cha
Jimmy Durante
Lyrics submitted by Aki
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