Unchained Melody
Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra Lyrics


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Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me"
"I'll be coming home, wait for me!"





Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra's song "Unchained Melody" are a heartfelt plea for love from a distant and lonely lover. The singer yearns for their beloved's touch after a long period of separation, noting the slow passage of time and the many ways it can affect a relationship. The singer expresses a deep need for their partner's love and begs for it to be sent their way by God. The lyrics also make a poignant reference to rivers flowing to the sea and the sea's open arms, perhaps suggesting that the singer sees their love as flowing from a source and finding its natural destination in their partner's embrace. The repeated question, "Are you still mine?" speaks to the anxieties and doubts that can arise in long-distance relationships and underscores the urgency of the singer's request for love.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, my love, my darling,
Beloved, dear to my heart,


I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
I have yearned for your affection for so very long, feeling isolated and desolate,


Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Each second drags heavily by, and time has the ability to create significant change,


Are you still mine?
Do you still belong to me?


I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.
I long for your affection more than anything, please let your love come to me swiftly by divine intervention.


Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
Sad waterways travel toward the vast ocean, to be swallowed up by it.


To the open arms of the sea
Embraced by the welcoming expanse of the seawater,


Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me"
The desolate rivers lament, begging, "Please hold on, wait for me."


"I'll be coming home, wait for me!"
"I am returning, please wait for me at home!"




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, UNCHAINED MELODY PUB LLC
Written by: Alex North, Hyman Zaret

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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