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I Hold Your Hand In Mine
Tom Lehrer Lyrics


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One more love song. I generally like to include at least one or two love songs in the evening's program, partly perhaps to convince people that even at the harvard university graduate school, th
Tbed of celibacy that I used to call home, we did have our moments. this one is a tender ballad entitled simply I hold your hand in mine.

I hold your hand in mine, dear,
I press it to my lips.
I take a healthy bite
From your dainty fingertips.

My joy would be complete, dear,
If you were only here,
But still I keep your hand
As a precious souvenir.

The night you died I cut it off.
I really don't know why.
For now each time I kiss it
I get bloodstains on my tie.

I'm sorry now I killed you,
For our love was something fine,
And till they come to get me
I shall hold your hand in mine.

Overall Meaning

The song "I Hold Your Hand In Mine" by Tom Lehrer is a satirical and darkly humorous love ballad about a man who holds on to his lover's hand even after her death. The lyrics start off as a seemingly romantic and tender ballad, where the singer expresses his love for his beloved and how he feels complete when he holds her hand. However, as the lyrics progress, it becomes clear that the singer has, in fact, cut off his lover's hand after her death and is keeping it as a precious souvenir. He bites her fingertips and kisses her hand, even though it now leaves stains on his tie because of the blood.


The singer's tone is disturbingly casual, and he shows no remorse for what he has done. He claims that their love was "something fine," and he will continue to hold her hand until he is caught. The song's juxtaposition of love and murder, tenderness and violence, creates a darkly comic effect.


Overall, the song satirizes the way society often romanticizes love and ignores the darker aspects of human relationships. The singer's actions may seem extreme, but they serve as a commentary on the dangerous and obsessive aspects of love.


Line by Line Meaning

One more love song.
Tom Lehrer is introducing his next act, which is a love song.


I generally like to include at least one or two love songs in the evening's program, partly perhaps to convince people that even at the Harvard University Graduate School, the bed of celibacy that I used to call home, we did have our moments.
Tom Lehrer is trying to dispel the image of Harvard's Graduate School as a celibate place by presenting a love song, which he likes to include in his program.


This one is a tender ballad entitled simply I hold your hand in mine.
Tom Lehrer introduces the name of his love song, which is a tender ballad called I hold your hand in mine.


I hold your hand in mine, dear,
The singer is holding the hand of his beloved.


I press it to my lips.
The singer kisses the hand of his beloved.


I take a healthy bite From your dainty fingertips.
The singer mentions biting the fingers of his beloved, which could be a metaphor for his love for her.


My joy would be complete, dear, If you were only here, But still I keep your hand As a precious souvenir.
The singer says that his happiness would be complete if his beloved was with him, but despite that he keeps her hand as a precious souvenir.


The night you died I cut it off. I really don't know why. For now each time I kiss it I get bloodstains on my tie.
The singer reveals that he cut off the hand of his beloved after she died and doesn't know why. He also mentions that he gets bloodstains on his tie when he kisses her hand.


I'm sorry now I killed you, For our love was something fine, And till they come to get me I shall hold your hand in mine.
The singer apologizes for killing his beloved and acknowledges that their love was something special. He also says that he will continue to hold her hand until he is caught.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

will

I hold your hand in mine, dear
I press it to my lips,
I take a healthy bite from your dainty fingertips

My joy would be complete, dear,
If you were only here,
but still I keep your hand as a precious souvenir

The night you died, I cut it off,
I really don't know why,
For now each time I kiss it, I get bloodstains on my tie

I'm sorry now I killed you,
For our love was something fine,
And 'til they come to get me, I shall hold your hand in mine

( I love this song)



JoDaIs

Wow I can't believe Tom Lehrer wrote an entire song about Yoshikage Kira.


This song is Deadly good, a defiantly Killer in my books, quite...Queenly in my opinion.



I'll stop now....




...What a beautiful D U W A N G



There! I Made the joke!


Anyway bye now ciao!



Susan

I hold your hand in mine, dear
I press it to my lips
I take a healthy bite from
Your dainty fingertips

My joy would be complete, dear
If you were only here
But still I keep your hand
As a precious souvenir

The night you died I cut it off
I really don't know why
For now each time I kiss it
I get bloodstains on my tie/skirt

I'm sorry now I killed you
For our love was something fine!
Until they come to get me
I shall hold your hand in mine!



All comments from YouTube:

•Lyna•

Ah, yes... good song to listen for people that want a quiet life

Jamie Jones

My mom used to sing this to us when I was little. It was so sweet when she was singing it that I never paid attention to the lyrics and only just found out what the song was really about. My mom has said that she’ll even sing it to herself because it’s “a comfort thing”

will

I hold your hand in mine, dear
I press it to my lips,
I take a healthy bite from your dainty fingertips

My joy would be complete, dear,
If you were only here,
but still I keep your hand as a precious souvenir

The night you died, I cut it off,
I really don't know why,
For now each time I kiss it, I get bloodstains on my tie

I'm sorry now I killed you,
For our love was something fine,
And 'til they come to get me, I shall hold your hand in mine

( I love this song)

Naraka Gati

YES, A NEW COMMENT!

I have been waiting here for weeks to get a new comment, and here it is!

Thanks, Person.

BigIcedCoffee

im literaly addicted to 50's music and this feeds me

A Diamond

​@Naraka Gati 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊 (*waves*)
Hi! Have another one :))

Mojosbigstick

My Dad used to sing me to sleep with that song. I loved my Dad!

Akd

Hayato is that you?

Mel

nope LMAO

grof

Hayato?

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