Kessel became a busy studio musician in Los Angeles but was always in demand for jazz records. He toured with the Oscar Peterson Trio for one year (1952-53) and then, starting in 1953, led an impressive series of records for Contemporary that lasted until 1961 (including several with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne in a trio accurately called "The Poll Winners"). After touring Europe with George Wein's Newport All-Stars (1968) Kessel lived in London for a time (1969-70).
In 1973 he began touring and recording with the Great Guitars, a group also including Herb Ellis and Charlie Byrd. A serious stroke in 1992 put Barney Kessel permanently out of action but many of his records (which include dates for Onyx, Black Lion, Sonet and Concord in addition to many of the Contemporaries) are currently available along with several video collections put out by Vestapol.
In 2004, Kessel died of brain cancer in San Diego, California.
Speak Low
Barney Kessel Lyrics
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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.
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.
The main theme of Barney Kessel's song Speak Low is the idea of the passage of time, and how quickly it can steal away precious moments of love. The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, urging the listener to speak low when they speak of love, as if it's a secret that must be whispered, protected from the ravages of time. The chorus repeats this idea, emphasizing how brief and fleeting love can be, how quickly it can slip away, leaving only memories in its wake.
The song paints a picture of two lovers caught up in the moment, aware that their time together is limited and precious. They are like ships adrift, swept apart too soon by the cruel tide of time. The imagery of the curtain descending, signaling the end of the performance, adds a note of finality to the song, underscoring the idea that all good things must end eventually.
Overall, Speak Low is a poignant meditation on the nature of love and time, and how the two are inexorably linked. It's a reminder to cherish the moments we share with those we love, to speak low and savor every precious second before it's gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low when you speak, love,
Lower the volume of your voice, my love, when you talk to me.
Our summer day withers away
Our happy times together do not last long.
Too soon, too soon.
Our good times are passing by quickly.
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
The time we have together is fleeting and uncertain like a ship without an anchor.
We're swept apart too soon.
Our time together is too brief and we are separated too quickly.
Speak low, darling speak low,
Whisper to me, my dear, make it so that only I can hear what you say.
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love can easily be extinguished and fade away in the shadows.
Too soon, too soon,
Sadly, love's flame can be extinguished very quickly.
I feel wherever I go
Wherever I am, I feel a sense of urgency.
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
I have a feeling that tomorrow - and the end - is quickly approaching or has already come.
And always too soon.
And it always feels like it's too soon, too fast.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Time seems to have been around forever but love's flame can burn out in a moment.
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
Love is precious and valuable, but time can steal it away from us.
We're late darling, we're late,
We don't have enough time together, honey, we're running out of time.
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
The end is near and everything will come to a close.
Too soon, too soon,
It's all happening too fast, I wish we had more time together.
I wait darling, I wait
I'm waiting for you, my love.
Will you speak low to me,
Whisper sweet nothings to me, speak softly to me.
Speak love to me and soon.
Tell me you love me, say it soon before it's too late.
Lyrics © Music Hub O/B/O GEMA, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind