Peters is particularly noted for her starring roles in the musicals Song and Dance (Tony Award, Best Actress in Musical) , Annie Get Your Gun (Tony Award, Best Actress in Musical), Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods, becoming closely associated with the composers Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and in films including The Jerk and Pennies from Heaven, both opposite Steve Martin.
Peters has received many honorary awards over the years, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (April 1987); the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year (1987); the Sarah Siddons Award for outstanding performance in a Chicago theatrical production (1994); the American Theatre Hall of Fame at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City (1996), becoming the youngest person so honored (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Christopher Rawson, January 25, 1996, p. C1); an Honorary Doctorate from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York (May 19, 2002) [10]; and the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame (June 28, 2002).
Not a Day Goes By
Bernadette Peters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a single day
But you're somewhere a part of my life
And it looks like you'll stay
As the days go by
I keep thinking when does it end
Where's the day I'll have started forgetting
But I just go on thinking and sweating
And cursing and crying
And turning and reaching
And waking and dying
And no, not a day goes by
Not a blessed day
But you're still somehow part of my life
And you won't go away
So there's hell to pay
And until I die
I'll die day after day after day
After day
After day after day after day
Til the days go by
Til the days go by
Til the days go by
The song is a reflection on lost love and the lingering pain that comes with it. The line "not a day goes by" is a refrain that underscores the idea that the absence of this lost love is a constant presence in the singer's life. The repetition of the line creates a sense of obsession and compulsion, as the singer cannot seem to escape this person's hold on her. She goes through a range of emotions - cursing, crying, turning, reaching - but she cannot shake the feeling that this person is still a part of her life.
The idea of time passing is also important in the song. The singer wonders when she will be able to move on and forget about this person, but it seems that each day just brings more pain and longing. The use of the words "dying" and "waking" suggest a kind of cyclical existence, where the singer is trapped in her grief and cannot move forward. The line "so there's hell to pay" indicates that the singer is aware that her obsession is detrimental, but she cannot help herself.
Line by Line Meaning
Not a day goes by
Every single day, without exception
Not a single day
Each and every day, no matter how many days pass
But you're somewhere a part of my life
You're not physically present, but you're still intertwined in my thoughts and memories
And it looks like you'll stay
Despite my efforts, it seems like you're here to stay in my mind
As the days go by
Time keeps moving forward
I keep thinking when does it end
I wonder when this heartache will fade
Where's the day I'll have started forgetting
I yearn for the moment when I won't remember you anymore
But I just go on thinking and sweating
I can't help but dwell on our past and it causes me great emotional distress
And cursing and crying
I'm angry and heartbroken
And turning and reaching
I try to distract myself or reach out for help, but nothing seems to work
And waking and dying
My mind is consumed with thoughts of you even in my sleep
And no, not a day goes by
Once again, the cycle continues with each passing day
Not a blessed day
Not even a single day when I am free from thoughts of you
But you're still somehow part of my life
You continue to have a presence in my life, even though you're not physically here
And you won't go away
Despite my wishes, you still linger in my mind
So there's hell to pay
My emotional turmoil continues to take a toll on me
And until I die
This pain will continue until my last breath
I'll die day after day after day
Each day feels like a small death, consumed by thoughts of you
After day
Continuing on, with no end in sight
After day after day after day
The painful cycle never ceases
Til the days go by
Until the passage of time dulls my heartache
Til the days go by
I keep waiting for the day when I can move on
Til the days go by
Each day feels like forever, but I hold onto hope that it will get better
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
vix
Not a day goes by
Not a single day
But you're somewhere a part of my life
And it looks like you'll stay
As the days go by
I keep thinking when does it end
Where's the day I'll have started forgetting
But I just go on thinking and sweating
And cursing and crying
And turning and reaching
And waking and dying
And no, not a day goes by
Not a blessed day
But you're still somehow part of my life
And you won't go away
So there's hell to pay
And until I die
I'll die
Day after day
After day after day
After day after day after day
So there's hell to pay
And until I die
I'll die
Day after day
After day after day
After day after day after day
Till the days go by
Till the days go by
Till the days go by
MariaakaAnnie
In my opinion, no one brings emotion like Bernadette Peters. She can stay completely still on a stage and still make you feel like your heart is being ripped out just from the tone in her voice and the look in her eyes.
Théo Goldberg
She is part of these actors as the great Glenn Close whose beautiful soul you read through her eyes!
Colleen Moeller
I saw her in concert and when she sang, I’ll be seeing you, I didn’t know how she got thru it! Tears running down her cheeks!❤
TheReturnofStephan1
True, because I'm crying right along with her, and I've never even experienced the kind of pain about which she's singing.
She's THAT good
Marcia Ough
Bernadette perfectly sings my self as I miss my husband day after day.
jlasf
How does Bernadette sit on a stage, watch the others perform, stand up, and just let the emotion flow? It's like going from 0 to 60. There is no chance to warm up or slip into a role. It's just stand up ....and open a vein.
Samuel Brown
When even Patti Lupone is sitting next to you hearing you sing, and admires you, you know you are exceptional. Long live Queen Bernadette.
Danae Kolyva
1:09 always breaks my heart. What a brave decision it was for her to take on this song and draw from those real, raw, painful emotions that flooded her. I have nothing but respect and admiration for this wonderful woman.
richard n
She seems to feel it all so deeply. Admirable.
Cherie Vivian
Beautiful song, beautiful lady. Bernadette was made for this song. Her interpretation is sublime.