i hear a rhapsody
Barnet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So softly to me
I don't hear a call at all
I hear a rhapsody
And when your sparkling eyes
Are smiling at me
Then soft through the starlit skies
My days are so blue
When you're away
My heart longs for you
So won't you stay
My darling hold me tight
And whisper to me
Then soft through a starry night
I'll hear a rhapsody
In this song, the singer is expressing his love for someone and how he perceives their voice and presence. When he hears the person call out to him softly, he doesn't just hear a plain call, he hears a rhapsody. The use of the word 'rhapsody' suggests that he hears a complex and emotionally charged piece of music in the way that this person expresses themselves. He also describes seeing their sparkling eyes, which makes him hear a rhapsody through the starlit skies, furthering the idea that this person is a source of beauty and inspiration for him.
The lyrics go on to explain how much the singer misses this person when they're away from him. He longs for them to stay and hold him tight, whispering to him on a starry night, again evoking the idea of the beauty and wonder that this person brings to his world. Overall, the song is a sweet and romantic ode to the power of love and how it can transform ordinary experiences into rhapsodic ones.
Line by Line Meaning
And when I hear you call
Whenever I hear your voice
So softly to me
Speaking gently and tenderly
I don't hear a call at all
It's not just a simple call, but something much more passionate
I hear a rhapsody
I hear a beautiful and emotional melody
And when your sparkling eyes
When your bright and lively eyes
Are smiling at me
Are showing happiness and affection towards me
Then soft through the starlit skies
The serenity of the starry night amplifies my feelings towards you
I hear a rhapsody
I hear a symphony of love playing in my heart
My days are so blue
I feel so sad and unfulfilled
When you're away
Whenever you're not with me
My heart longs for you
My heart yearns for you deeply
So won't you stay
Please, don't leave and stay with me
My darling hold me tight
My love, embrace me with vigor
And whisper to me
Let your soft voice soothe my troubled mind
Then soft through a starry night
Our love will be as serene as the beautiful night sky
I'll hear a rhapsody
I'll keep hearing the sweet melody of our love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ralph Barendse, Sander Van Der Waal, Dick Gasparre, GEORGE FRAGOS, Jack Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1941 {January 11th} "I Hear A Rhapsody" by Charlie Barnet* & his Orchestra peaked at #2 {for 6 weeks} on Billboard's National Best-Selling Retail Records Sales chart, for the six weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for those six weeks was "Frenesi" by Artie Shaw...
Charles Daly Barnet passed away at the age of 77 on September 4th, 1991...
May He R.I.P.
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Best-Selling Retail Records Sales Top 10 chart on January 11th, 1941:
At #3. "I Hear A Rhapsody" by Jimmy Dorsey
#4. "Scrub Me, Mama, With A Boogie Beat" by Will Bradley
#5. "Anvil Chorus" by Glenn Miller
#6. "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" by Glenn Miller
#7. "Stardust" by Artis Shaw
#8. "There I Go" by Will Bradley
#9. "Along The Sante Fe Trail" by Glenn Miller
#10. "Yes, My Darling Daughter" by Dinah Shore
* Plus here's some obscure trivia, according to Wikipedia, Charlie Barnet was married eleven times, most were of the Mexican variety, his eleventh and last marriage, to a Betty Thompson, lasted for thirty-three years...
Trombonology Erstwhile
I think Bob Eberly's vocal, on the Jimmy Dorsey version, is better but I prefer the Barnet band's dramatic arrangement -- the highlight of which, for me, is the contrastingly quiet but arresting eight-bar solo by one of my favorite guitarists, the extremely talented but ill-fated Bus Etri.
K Hussein
Nice!
Annalise Bakken
Do you have the other side (The Moon is Cryin' For Me)? I've been looking everywhere for it!
The78Prof
Sorry, I don't have it available for posting at the moment. There is a copy on the Internet Archive, though it does have a prominent click during the first 30 seconds. Listen here: https://archive.org/details/78_the-moon-is-cryin-for-me_charlie-barnet-and-his-orchestra-dale-bennett-larry-taylo_gbia0060737b
Annalise Bakken
@The78Prof Wow thank you so much!!