Speak Low
B. Kessel Lyrics


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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 B. Kessel's song Speak Low tell a story of two people who find themselves caught up in a moment of love but are fully aware that time is fleeting and the moment will soon be over. The repetition of the phrase "too soon, too soon" further emphasizes this idea of the inevitability of the end. The first stanza sets the tone for the entire song with the imagery of a summer day withering away, highlighting how quickly their time together is fading.


The second stanza continues to paint a picture of fleeting moments with the simile "like ships adrift" emphasizing how powerless they are to the passage of time. As the song progresses, the idea of the ephemeral nature of love becomes more poignant with the line "Love is a spark lost in the dark". The final stanza expresses a sense of urgency to make the most of their time, acknowledging the fact that time moves quickly and everything will come to an end. The lyrics then end with a plea for the beloved to speak low and to speak love.


Overall, the lyrics of Speak Low are hauntingly beautiful, conveying a bittersweet feeling of the inevitability of the loss of love, that time is finite, and how everything will come to an end.


Line by Line Meaning

Speak low when you speak, love,
When you express your feelings for me, do it in whispers and hints, so that you don't shatter the moment we are sharing.


Our summer day withers away
The beautiful summer day, which seemed to be lasting forever, is coming to an end, just like our precious moment together.


Too soon, too soon.
It feels like our moment together is passing by too quickly, and we don't want it to end.


Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
Our time together is fleeting, much like a boat that is drifting away on the waters, and we might not get another chance to relive this moment.


We're swept apart too soon.
Our separation is imminent, and we don't want to acknowledge it, but it's happening too soon.


Speak low, darling speak low,
Let your words be gentle and soft-spoken, so that we can share this moment without any noise or distractions.


Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love is delicate, and can be easily lost, just like a tiny spark in the darkness, and we don't want to lose this precious moment.


Too soon, too soon,
Our time is running out fast, and it feels like it's ending too soon.


I feel wherever I go
I am constantly reminded of you, and it feels like you're always with me no matter where I go.


That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
It feels like tomorrow is always around the corner, and it arrives too quickly, taking away our present moment.


And always too soon.
No matter what we do, it feels like our moments together always end too quickly.


Time is so old and love so brief,
Time is eternal, but love is fleeting, and we never know how long it will last.


Love is pure gold and time a thief.
Love is precious and rare, like gold, but time can take it away from us quickly, like a thief.


We're late darling, we're late,
We have no time left, and we're running out of time to express our feelings to each other.


The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
The moment is over, much like a play that comes to an end with the closing of the curtain.


Too soon, too soon,
As always, our moment together ends too soon, leaving us wanting more.


I wait darling, I wait
I am waiting for you to say those gentle, soft-spoken words that make this moment seem eternal.


Will you speak low to me,
Will you share your feelings for me in whispers, so that we can cherish this moment forever?


Speak love to me and soon.
Let your words express your love for me, and let it happen soon, before our moment is lost forever.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KURT WEILL, OGDEN NASH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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