The song was originally written in 1979 by Tom Wilson Weinberg, who wrote it in response to a study of long-term, lesbian behavior in some seagulls. Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge heard the song on a list by David Letterman and contacted Weinberg about using the song.

Humperdinck’s version also works into the movies end credits. Check out Judge’s version of the song here.

Having trouble keeping track of all the work he’s done and all the singles he’s put out? Then refer to the list below. It’s an impressive assemblage of quality tracks.

1967 - “Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)”, “There Goes My Everything”, “The Last Waltz”

1968 - “Am I That Easy to Forget”, “A Man Without Love (Quando M’Innamoro)”, “Les Bicyclettes de Belsize”

1969 - “The Way It Used To Be”, “I’m A Better Man”, “Winter World Of Love”

1970 - “My Marie”, “Sweetheart”

1971 - “When There’s No You”, “Another Time, Another Place”

1972 - “Too Beautiful To Last”, “In Time”, “I Never Said Goodbye”

1973 - “I’m Leavin’ You”, “Love Is All”

1975 - “This Is What You Mean To Me”

1976 - “After the Lovin’”

1977 - “Goodbye My Friend”

1978 - “This Moment In Time”

1980 - “Love’s Only Love”

1983 - “Til You And Your Lover Are Lovers Again”

1988 - “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You”

1999 - “Quando Quando Quando”

2000 - “How To Win Your Love”

Despite Humperdinck’s taking the song to the top of the pop charts, however, he was not the writer of “Release Me”. Rather it was written much earlier by Eddie Miller. He completed the song in 1946 but couldn’t find anybody willing to record it, and so after several years of looking he recorded it himself in 1953. From there it was adopted by several other artists.

Naturally the most popular of these artists was Humperdinck, and his rendition proved powerful enough that it kept The Beatles single “Penny Lane” from reaching the top of the charts. His version proved the highest selling single in the UK for 1967.

The song has since been redone several times, the latest in 2007 by George Canyon.

So the question is, where did ‘Engelbert Humperdinck’ actually come from?

In fact Engelbert Humperdinck was the name of a German composer from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Humperdinck was a genius composer and managed to write a complete opera in his lifetime, one that proved to be exceedingly popular before and after his death in 1921.

But Engelbert Humperdinck was not his first nickname. Arnold’s initial stage name was actually Gerry Dorsey, a name taken from his uncanny ability to mimic Jerry Lewis. After suffering from tuberculosis and seeing his early career crash down, however, Dorsey knew he needed a fresh start. A new name.

And who, reasoned Dorsey’s manager, could ever forget a name like Engelbert Humperdinck? A legend was born.

‘After the Lovin’’ was a classy but middle of the road ballad that became a hit song in the United States for Engelbert Humperdinck in 1976, reaching #8 on the singles chart. The song appeared on the album of the same name, After the Lovin’, which received a Grammy nomination that year.

Lyrics to Engelbert Humperdinck’s After the Lovin’:

So I sing you to sleep
After the lovin’
With a song I just wrote yesterday
And I hope you can hear
What the words and the music have to say.

It’s so hard to explain
Everything that I’m feelin’
Face to face I just seem to go dry.
But I love you so much
That the sound of your voice can get me high.

Thanks for takin’ me
On a one way trip to the sun.
And thanks for turnin’ me
Into someone.

So I sing you to sleep
After the lovin’
I brush back the hair from your eyes.
And the love on your face
Is so real that it makes me want to cry.

And I know that my song
Isn’t sayin’ anything new.
Oh, but after the lovin’
I’m still in love with you.

So I sing you to sleep
After the lovin’
I brush back the hair from your eyes.
And the love on your face
Is so real that it makes me want to cry.

And I know that my song
Isn’t sayin’ anything new.
Oh, but after the lovin’
I’m still in love with you.

Yes, after the lovin’
I’m still in love with you.

Hmmm, after the lovin’
I’m still in love with you.

More recently, the song ‘A Man Without Love’ appeared in John Turturro’s 2006 film Romance and Cigarettes.

Engelbert Humperdinck’s A Man Without Love Lyrics:

I can remember when we walked together
Sharing a love I thought would last forever
Moonlight to show the way so we can follow
Waiting inside her eyes was my tomorrow
Then somethin’ changed her mind, her kisses told me
I had no lovin’ arms to hold me

Every day I wake up, then I start to break up
Lonely is a man without love
Every day I start out, then I cry my heart out
Lonely is a man without love

Every day I wake up, then I start to break up
Knowing that it’s cloudy above
Every day I start out, then I cry my heart out
Lonely is a man without love

I cannot face this world that’s fallen down on me
So, if you see my girl please send her home to me
Tell her about my heart that’s slowly dying
Say I can’t stop myself from crying

Every day I wake up, then I start to break up
Lonely is a man without love
Every day I start out, then I cry my heart out
Lonely is a man without love

Every day I wake up, then I start to break up
Knowing that it’s cloudy above
Every day I start out, then I cry my heart out
Lonely is a man without love

Every day I wake up, then I start to break up
Lonely is a man without love
Every day I start out, then I cry my heart out
Lonely is a man without love

The comedic riff is based on the fact that Humperdinck was originally known as Gerry Dorsey, and decided to change his name to, of all things, Engelbert Humperdinck. Izzard jokes about the multiple variations of the name he must have considered, although in actuality, Humperdinck took the name from a famous German opera composer. Check out the routine below:

The song has been covered many times, most notably in English by pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck on his 1968 album A Man Without Love.

Lyrics for Quando Quando Quando:

Tell me when will you be mine
Tell me quando, quando, quando
We can share a love divine
Please don´t make me wait again

When will you say ´yes´ to me?
Tell me quando, quando, quando
You mean happiness to me
Oh, my love, please tell me when

Ev´ry moment´s a day
Ev´ry day seems a lifetime
Let me show you the way
To a joy beyond compare

I can´t wait a moment more
Tell me quando, quando, quando
Say it´s me that you adore
And then, darlin´, tell me when

(instrumental strings and brass)

Ev´ry moment´s a day
Ev´ry day seems a lifetime
Let me show you the way
To a joy beyond compare

I can´t wait a moment more
Tell me quando, quando, quando
Say it´s me that you adore
And then, darlin´, tell me when

Oh, my darlin´, tell me when
Mmm, my darlin´, tell me when