April In Paris
Basie Count Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never knew my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never knew my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace
Till April in Paris




Whom can I run to
What have you done to my heart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Basie Count's song April in Paris evoke a sense of wonder and joy that April brings. The singer expresses how they had never truly experienced the beauty and charm of spring until they visited Paris in April. The chestnuts in blossom and the holiday tables under the trees in Paris make the month of April feel even more magical. The singer is so overwhelmed that they say that this feeling is one that cannot be replicated. However, the song also expresses a sense of longing and vulnerability. The singer declares that they never knew their heart could sing or missed a warm embrace until they experienced this moment in April in Paris. They are left wondering who they can turn to and what has been done to their heart.


Overall, April in Paris captures the essence of the city in the springtime - a time of new beginnings, enchantment, romance, and beauty. The song highlights the idea that even the most seasoned traveler can experience the wonder and excitement of a new place, and that Paris in April is truly a unique and magical experience.


Line by Line Meaning

I never knew the charm of spring
I never truly understood the beauty and allure of the season of spring


I never met it face to face
I never experienced the season of spring firsthand


I never knew my heart could sing
I never realized the extent to which my heart could feel happiness and joy


I never missed a warm embrace
I never longed for an affectionate hug or embrace from someone close to me


Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
It was not until I traveled to Paris in the springtime, where I saw the trees blossom with chestnuts, that I truly understood the beauty of the season


Holiday tables under the trees
I saw people gathered around tables, enjoying the outdoors and each other's company, shaded by the trees in bloom


April in Paris, this is a feeling
The experience of being in Paris during springtime is a sensation that cannot be adequately described


That no one can ever reprise
The memory of that feeling cannot be replicated or duplicated by any means


Whom can I run to
I am left with a deep longing and a sense of yearning for that experience


What have you done to my heart
The beauty and wonder of the springtime in Paris has stirred up emotions in me that I didn't know existed, leaving me profoundly affected




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: E. Y. HARBURG, VERNON DUKE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@ranranh.3365

Saw him live from the 5th row. He said to the band: "What do you think they want to hear now?". I said (too loud) "April in Paris". And he pointed at me, and then they played it. Unforgettable. I was permanently marked.

@SuperBC10

Wow! Thanks for sharing that. Just think - even if the great man himself had forgot that over time, his subconscious would have YOU etched in as a permanent memory. ❤

@johnchavezjr3312

👍

@CatalinaThePirate

Ah, I love it! What a fantastic memory... 😺

@TheQuantum09

😎 That IS cool!

@trblmkr5139

perfect!

11 More Replies...

@thatpancakeguy2723

I get to play this song in my high school Jazz Band, and I feel honored to be able to play something this special to so many people.

@thoughtsforthebuilders

Hope you've checked out a bunch of versions and really dug into em! You can learn so much just by really really learning one song.

@joK3323

Got to play this too recently too for my high school band at a gig. 😩

@michaelscott7462

In a few days I will be 64 years of age and I am fighting back tears of joy as I listen to this song. When I look back on my youth growing up in a rural town just south of the Mason-Dixon Line, I am blessed to have had parents who played music like this. This is nothing short of majestic. Dad always said of Count: Nobody swings like Basie. Thanks Dad.

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