He was born in Hamburg, Germany, and studied at the School of Music there. A multi-instrumentalist, he was hired by Hans Busch to play with his orchestra before serving as a bandsman in the German Navy during World War II. He later formed his own big band, toured with them, then worked as an arranger and producer, making hit records with Freddy Quinn and Ivo Robic. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry for a Shadow," in a session for Polydor. These turned out to be the Beatles' first commercial recordings. When Beatles manager Brian Epstein asked Kaempfert about further promoting The Beatles, Kaempfert informed Epstein that the company was only interested in The Beatles as Tony Sheridan's backup group. (It also turned out British Decca executive Dick Rowe turned them down in favor of local beat combo Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.) He then released The Beatles from their contract with Polydor.
Star Dust
Bert Kaempfert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
The lyrics to Bert Kaempfert's "Star Dust" paints a melancholic picture of the separation between the singer and their loved one. The opening lines of "the purple dusk of twilight time/Steals across the meadows of my heart" sets a somber mood, as the sunset reflects the end of a relationship. The image of the little stars climbing the sky is an indication that the world keeps moving, but love continues to linger. The lyric "Leaving me a song that will not die/Love is now the stardust of yesterday/The music of the years gone by" represents that the memory of the love shared will never fade away. The melody of their song is now an everlasting memory, hence "stardust of yesterday."
The second verse plunges the singer deeper into their lonesome state, as they admit to spending multiple nights alone, daydreaming of their former lover. The melody of the song plays in their mind and takes them back to when love felt new, and every kiss was magical. They reminisce on the days when falling in love felt like an inspiration, but those days have long passed. The music provides their consolation, as they hold onto the memories of their love through the melody of the song.
The third verse is a scene where the singer is fantasizing about their past lover, and how they used to be in each other's arms, gazing at the stars. The nightingale's fairytale tells the story of paradise, where roses grew, and love was blooming. The dream of being reunited is in vain, but the bittersweet memory still lingers in their heart in the form of the song's melody, signifying that love has become stardust.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The end of the day is drawing near
Steals across the meadows of my heart
It fills me with sadness and longing
High up in the sky the little stars climb
The stars twinkle and shine, far out of reach
Always reminding me that we're apart
The distance between us is great, and I miss you
You wander down the lane and far away
You've gone off on your own, leaving me behind
Leaving me a song that will not die
You left me a memory, a piece of yourself that will remain forever
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The love we once shared is now a distant memory
The music of the years gone by.
It lives on as a melody, a reminder of what once was
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
I often think about how I pass the time
The lonely nights
The nights that feel empty without you here
Dreaming of a song
I imagine a melody that brings you back to me
The melody
The tune that plays in my head, keeping you close
Haunts my reverie
It lingers in my daydreams, never quite leaving my thoughts
And I am once again with you
In my mind, you're here with me again
When our love was new
When our love was fresh and exciting
And each kiss an inspiration
Every time we touched, we felt inspired and alive
But that was long ago
Those moments are far behind us now
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
I find comfort in the memory of our love, kept alive in this song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
When the night is clear and the stars are out
You are in my arms
I can feel you close to me, even though you're not here
The nightingale
A bird that sings a beautiful song
Tells his fairytale
It sings a story that seems like a dream
Of paradise, where roses grew
A place of beauty and wonder
Though I dream in vain
Even though I know it's not real
In my heart it will remain
The memory of our love will stay with me always
My stardust melody
This tune that reminds me of our love
The memory of love's refrain.
It brings back the past, and the love that we once shared
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@521925CA
Bom demais da conta! Bailinhos na garagem, cuba-libre, Rosto colado ao da namoradinha, bilhetinhos carinhosos, ciúmes juvenis, mini-saia chegando, calça pantalona, jovem-guarda, cabelos crescendo cada vez mais, eu como milhares também vivemos esta maravilhosa época. Grato por postar, abçs..
@vegetarock182
Que manera de hacer la musica tan sencilla y a la vez magnificiente. Bello Bert, ojala en tu otra vida sigas brindando esta excelencias...
@kathrynannwattsfabofkitt
Beautiful dance music. Bert Kaempfort truly nailed it with his albums.
@lovemusic-ij8rw
;:;*¡¡¡Bella, maravillosa interpretación ♡!!....Siempre la escucho...¡¡La amo ♡!!;:;*
@juantrezza3770
cuanto sentimiento, cuanta nostalgia , cuanto glamour. espectacular!
@sub1maz2
Muchas versiones, pero esta es una de las mejores para bailar o simplemente para escuchar el formidable arreglo y fabuloso solo de la trmpeta, formidable orquesta Bert Kaemffert.
@mariaaliciagamboa1688
Jamás me cansaré de escuchar esta maravillosa música de este gran intérprete.
@h0meatlast
This is one of the two arrangements of this beautiful song that Bert Kaempfert made and recorded. This is the earlier, very jazz oriented version, and a later much more orchestral version featured on the album The Magic Music of Faraway Places. Both of them are special, clever and typically early Kaempfert. Thanks for posting!
@wardharrah55
Absolutely beautiful...music to fall in love with...
I really wish the world had music like this playing today, don't get me wrong, I like a few of the current artists (a few)...but there is not a lot of current music that can be described as beautiful...
@captainpps1
What a fine rendering of Stardust. This is the best version. Bert Kaempfert is undoubtedly the greatest musician. His trumpet echoes through the lonely night!