Speak Low
Carmen McRae Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Speak low when you speak, love,
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.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Carmen McRae's song "Speak Low" revolve around the fleeting nature of love and human connection. The song encourages the listener to speak low when communicating matters of the heart, as time is precious and love is delicate. The words paint a picture of a romantic encounter that is over too quickly, causing the singer to feel as if they are always feeling the pressures of tomorrow. The following line, "Love is a spark lost in the dark, too soon, too soon," sums up the resignation to the fact that things end before they should, a feeling that is all too common for those who know the precariousness of love.

As the song progresses, the lyrics become more pensive, contemplating the meaning of time and love. McRae sings that love is pure gold, but time is a thief that steals away the precious moments of connection. She acknowledges that they are late in realizing the fleeting nature of their encounter as they approach the end of this brief moment of being together. This sense of resignation is accentuated by the final line of "too soon, too soon."

Overall, "Speak Low" is a melancholy song that captures the difficulty of holding onto love in the face of time. It encourages listeners to cherish their connections while they still can and to speak low when communicating matters of the heart.

Line by Line Meaning

Speak low when you speak, love,
Lower your voice when you speak of love,

Our summer day withers away
Our time together is fleeting like a summer day that quickly fades away

Too soon, too soon.
Our time together is too short

Speak low when you speak, love,
Lower your voice when you speak of love,

Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
Our time together passes quickly like ships that have no control over their direction

We're swept apart too soon.
Our time together ends too soon

Speak low, darling speak low,
Lower your voice, my love,

Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love is fragile and easily lost in the darkness of life

Too soon, too soon,
Our time together is too short

I feel wherever I go
I feel that time is always running out

That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
The future always seems to be right around the corner, ready to arrive