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My Little Brown Book
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane Lyrics


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""My little brown book With the silver binding How it keeps reminding me Of a memory That's haunting me. In some quiet nook I go thru its pages And peruse this ageless tale Of a love that failed To ever become true. On this page is the date Of that fateful night at eight When I found you were no longer in love. After that there's nothing more Just a dark and futile door That shuts out the stars above. In my little book I inscribed your heart vow But since we're apart now This and that last sweet kiss Is all that's left of you Is all that's left of you.""

Overall Meaning

The song "My Little Brown Book" by Duke Ellington is a nostalgic ballad that reflects on a failed love story. The title suggests that the song is about a personal diary that holds memories and emotions of past events. The "little brown book" is personified to have a "silver binding," indicating that even though it is old, it is valued and cherished. The singer talks about going through its pages in "some quiet nook," symbolizing inward reflection and introspection.


The memories that are held in the book are described as "haunting" and "ageless," suggesting that they are still vivid and timeless. The lyrics revolve around a love that failed to become true. The singer goes through the pages and comes across an entry with the date of a fateful night when he found out his lover was no longer in love with him. The subsequent pages are empty, except for a "dark and futile door that shuts out the stars above," indicating that hope and joy are lost.


The singer's love for his past lover is evident in the words "I inscribed your vow," and "this last sweet kiss is all that's left of you," which suggest that he still holds dear the memories of the happy moments he shared with his lover. Overall, the song's melancholic tone with descriptive expressions evokes a lot of emotions, making it an excellent piece for listeners who enjoy sentimental pieces.


Line by Line Meaning

My little brown book
I have a small brown journal that contains my most inner thoughts and feelings


With the silver binding
The outside of my journal has a shiny silver cover


How it keeps reminding me
It consistently brings subtle memories to the surface of my mind


Of a memory
A recollection of things past, a bittersweet history


That's haunting me.
It's haunting me because it's something that I can't easily forget.


In some quiet nook
In a serene and peaceful place, where I can be alone with my thoughts.


I go thru its pages
I carefully read and inspect each page of the journal, reliving each experience.


And peruse this ageless tale
I read and examine this timeless love story over and over again.


Of a love that failed
It's a story of a love that never reached its full potential.


To ever become true.
The love between us never materialized to what it could've been.


On this page is the date
This page in particular cites a specific date


Of that fateful night at eight
The date mentioned on the page is specifically the night at eight o'clock when something significant took place.


When I found you were no longer in love.
This was the moment when our love began to fade, and I began to lose you.


After that there's nothing more
After that moment, I couldn't go on writing about our love anymore.


Just a dark and futile door
Just a hopeless and pointless attempt to rekindle my love


That shuts out the stars above.
It puts an end to any and all hope of ever pursuing love again


In my little book
Once again, I am referring to my brown book that contains all of my memories.


I inscribed your heart vow
When we first fell in love, I transcribed the promise you made to me in my book.


But since we're apart now
But now that we're no longer together, the promise is all that remains.


This and that last sweet kiss
All that's left of the memory of our love is the last time we kissed and the promise made.


Is all that's left of you
Those moments are all that remain of our once great love story, which is now just a memory.


Is all that's left of you.
All that is left of you in my life is the memory of our last kiss and the promise you made to me.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: BILLY STRAYHORN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@zelmatoro9135

my husband and i use to slooow dance to this after a hectic day - kids, work, etc... beautiful foreplay - miss him so much! rip lover

@chill9101

How beautiful... ♡ Rev. 21:4 ♡

@tjosephkozlowski

That really hit me deep. Thank you for sharing such a tender memory.

@artivism4068

I shed a tear for your lost loved one just now, listening to this in my loneliness, wondering if ill ever meet someone wholl share their life with me.

@jlbribeiro

What a wonderful memory to hold of a lover... That you may hold him and be held by him in your memory forever, as vividly as you can remember those sweet moments. Thank you so much for sharing.

@tthalley3642

what a beautiful memory thank you for sharing............rest his soul

7 More Replies...

@252Ron

This song literally is uplifting! Rest in peace Coltrane! Rest in peace Duke! 🎷 🎹

@elvinz2

Another requiem for survival in hard times. Such artistry.

@shyg4525

Truly

@maxxhippolyte79

Truly truly

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