- published: 29 Dec 2010
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Eugene "Gene" Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957) was a Canadian-American character actor, singer, and playwright. He also wrote the lyrics to a number of popular songs. He became a United States citizen in 1939.
Born in London, Ontario, son of John Coats Lockhart and Ellen (née Delaney) Lockhart, he made his professional debut at the age of six when he appeared with the Kilties Band of Canada. He later appeared in sketches with Beatrice Lillie.
Lockhart was educated in various Canadian schools and at the London Oratory School in London, England. He also played football for the Toronto Argonauts.
Lockhart had a long stage career; he also wrote professionally and taught acting and stage technique at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. He had also written theatrical sketches, radio shows, special stage material, song lyrics and articles for stage and radio magazines.
He made his Broadway debut in 1916, in the musical The Riviera Girl. He was a member of the traveling play The Pierrot Players (for which he wrote the book and lyrics). This play introduced the song, The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise, for which Lockhart wrote the lyrics along with Canadian composer Ernest Seitz. (The song was subsequently made popular by Les Paul and Mary Ford in the 1950s.) He wrote and directed the Broadway musical revue Bunk of 1926. He sang in Die Fledermaus for the San Francisco Opera Association. On Broadway, Lockhart originated the role of Uncle Sid in Eugene O'Neill's only comedy, Ah, Wilderness! (1933), and took over from Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman, during the original run of Death of a Salesman (1949).
I know you're story because i've seen you before
It was like deja vu
When you walked through the doors
Like a movie i've seen a million times
Where i can tell you all the lines
They say history repeats itself
I know how things are gonna turn out
My brain says no look the other way
But i don't listen anyway
Everyone has a different theory
What they see if different from me
Everyone thinks your an authority
They say, Johonny Lockhart you're too good for me
Johnny Lockhart-you're no good for me
Johnny Lockhart-but it's plain to see
Johnny Lockhart-that you were meant to be with me
It's a lost cause where no one wins
And i know what kind of mess i'm in
You always seem to be the talk of the town
You're bound to turn things upside down
They say history repeats itself
I know how things are gonna turn out
My brain says no look the other way
But i don't listen anyway
[Chorus]
I guess this is how things are gonna be
Like a love conspiracy that keeps coming after me
Once it pulls me in i'm trapped and i can't get away
So what if it doesn't make much sense
They tell me to look at the evidence
But i just don't care what they say
[Chorus]