Since then, Schuur has become a legend herself. She has been nominated for five and received two GRAMMY® Awards for "Best Jazz Vocalist," as well as headlined many of the world's most prestigious music venues, including Carnegie Hall. Schuur has toured the world and has performed with such greats as Stan Getz, B.B. King, Maynard Ferguson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Quincy Jones. She has performed countless times on The Tonight Show, has performed at The GRAMMY’s and at the White House.
Speak Low
Diane Schuur Lyrics
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Our summer day withers away
Too soon, too soon.
Speak low when you speak, love,
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
We're swept apart too soon.
Speak low, darling speak low,
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Too soon, too soon,
I feel wherever I go
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
And always too soon.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
We're late darling, we're late,
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Too soon, too soon,
I wait darling, I wait
Will you speak low to me,
Speak love to me and soon.
In Diane Schuur's song "Speak Low," the lyrics implore the listener to speak softly when expressing love, as time moves all too quickly. The first verse describes the passing of a summer day that seems to have vanished too soon. The second verse extends the metaphor, comparing a fleeting moment of love to ships drifting apart, again suggesting the transience of life's most precious moments. In the chorus, the singer once again urges their partner to speak tenderly, as love is something that can be easily lost in life's hustle and bustle. The lyrics suggest that the singer is acutely aware of the fleeting nature of time, and how love can be drowned out by the cacophony of everyday life. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is resigned to the inevitability of the passage of time but still hopes to share a few remaining moments with their loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low when you speak, love,
Keep your voice down when you confess your love,
Our summer day withers away
The time we had together was short and fleeting like the summer day that comes to an end
Too soon, too soon.
It ended sooner than we had expected
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
Our time together was brief and fleeting, like two ships passing in the night
We're swept apart too soon.
We got separated from each other too soon
Speak low, darling speak low,
Please speak softly, my love
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love is powerful but fragile and can be easily lost in the darkness of life's challenges
Too soon, too soon,
The time we had together was not long enough
I feel wherever I go
I feel no matter where I go
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
The future is uncertain and can come too soon
And always too soon.
It always comes too soon
Time is so old and love so brief,
Time is infinite, love is not
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
Love is priceless and timeless while time slips away like a thief
We're late darling, we're late,
It's too late, my love, we didn't have enough time together
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Everything comes to an end eventually
Too soon, too soon,
It ended sooner than we had expected
I wait darling, I wait
I'm waiting for you, my love
Will you speak low to me,
Will you whisper sweet nothings to me
Speak love to me and soon.
Confess your love to me soon
Lyrics © Music Hub O/B/O GEMA, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind