When You Were Sweet Sixteen
Perry Como Lyrics
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I dreamed the world held naught but joy for me
And even though we drifted far apart
I never dream but what I dream of thee
I love you as I never loved before
Since first I met you on the village green
Come to me or my dream of love is o'er
I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
When you were sweet sixteen
(I love you as I never loved before)
(Since first I met you on the village green)
(Come to me or my dream of love is o'er)
I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
When you were sweet sixteen
(When you were sweet sixteen)
The lyrics of Perry Como's song "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" are a nostalgic look back at a lost love. The opening lines express the excitement and optimism of first falling in love. The singer remembers feeling as though the world held nothing but joy when they saw the "love-light" in their beloved's eyes. Even when the couple drifted far apart, the singer reminisces of dreaming only of their lost love.
The remainder of the lyrics deal with the singer's enduring love for their former partner. They declare that they love their ex "as [they] never loved before." The singer pleads for their former flame to come back to them, or risk their "dream of love" being over forever. The repetition of "I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet / when you were sweet sixteen" emphasizes the bittersweet feeling of the passage of time that has occurred since the two were last together. Overall, the song is a heartfelt and wistful reflection on the power of first love and the ache of missing someone who was once so important.
Line by Line Meaning
When first I saw the love-light in your eyes
From the very moment I first met you, and saw the love shining in your eyes, I knew that my life would never be the same. The world seemed full of nothing but happiness and bliss.
I dreamed the world held naught but joy for me
In my dreams and thoughts, you were always the center of my world. I believed that together, we could conquer everything and nothing could stop us.
And even though we drifted far apart
Although life had brought some distance between us, and we might have seen and experienced different things, I never forgot about you, and you remained the love of my life.
I never dream but what I dream of thee
Whenever I close my eyes and drift into my dreams, I always see you there, and we are together, happy and content. You are the one thing that is always on my mind.
I love you as I never loved before
My love for you is all-consuming and all-encompassing, more intense than any love I have ever felt. Every moment I spend with you makes my love grow stronger.
Since first I met you on the village green
Since the very first day we met, in that idyllic village setting, I have been smitten with you. I knew even then that you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Come to me or my dream of love is o'er
Without you in my life, my dreams of love and happiness are meaningless. You are the missing piece that makes everything whole. Please come back to me.
I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
My love for you has never diminished, and I still love you as much as I did when you were a sweet, innocent sixteen-year-old. You are forever young in my eyes, and I will always cherish you.
When you were sweet sixteen
You are the epitome of youth and beauty, and even though time has passed, and we have both grown older, to me, you will always be the lovely, sweet sixteen-year-old I fell in love with.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Thornton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Sioui
A shadow of my love for my darling Carol...lyrics have such an authentic meaning to our relationship...Only Perry Como could sing it with such pureness!
Cont0rt
First heard this sampled in Boogie Belgique's "Goodnight Moon" but I love this song so much. My great grandmother has it on a vinyl record and hearing it straight out of a record was just amazing.
legroom
Purely beautiful.
ROY PEASLEE
Old folks like me love this kind of sentiment. Too bad it isn't in vogue today.
Johnnie Johnson
Yes, its a shame it isn't. I grew up on this music. Still love it.
Bud Light
my grandma hates perry como
she's probably in her late 70's right now sleeping in the other room.
ill miss this later
Onalee McGraw
This is so lovely. Thank you...
Rube Waddell
Australia's 59th number one hit along with a version by Al Jolson.
David Barr
Beautiful
Liam Ó Driscoll
I THINK THE REAL WORDS TO THIS SONG SHOULD BE WHEN FIRST I SAW THE MADNESS IN YOUR EYES 👀 😍 🤣🤣🤣🤣