Memory
Betty Buckley & Rene Wiegert Lyrics
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And a rose that is fading
Roses whither away like the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day
Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every street lamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in when the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
The street lamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun if you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is
Look
A new day has begun
Betty Buckley's song "Memory" is a poignant reflection on the past, and the ways in which time can change and fade away the things we hold dear. The song juxtaposes two different times of day, daylight and midnight, which serve as symbols for life and death respectively. In the first verse, the singer describes the beauty of the natural world, with dew on the sunflower and fading roses. However, this beauty is fleeting, as both the roses and sunflower wither away over time. The singer yearns to turn their face to the dawn, waiting for a new day to begin.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to the dark and lonely night. The singer wonders if the moon has lost her memory, and imagines her smiling alone in the lamplight. The withered leaves collect at the singer's feet, as if a symbol of the passage of time and the fragility of life. As the wind begins to moan, the singer sings the titular line: "Memory, all alone in the moonlight."
Memory, in this song, is something that is both beautiful and painful. It is a reminder of a time when the singer was "beautiful," and when they knew what happiness was. But it is also a reminder of the passage of time, and the way that the singer's life has changed. The street lamps, in the third verse, seem to beat a "fatalistic warning," reminding the singer that time is running out. However, the singer does not give up hope, choosing instead to wait for the sunrise and "think of a new life." Ultimately, the song ends on a hopeful note, as a new day dawns and the singer looks towards the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower
As the light of day emerges, I can see the morning dew resting on the petals of the sunflower.
And a rose that is fading
Also, I can see a rose whose beauty is slowly fading away.
Roses whither away like the sunflower
The rose and the sunflower both will eventually wither and lose their beauty.
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I long to face the sun as it rises in the morning sky.
I am waiting for the day
I am eagerly waiting for the day to start.
Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
In the middle of the night, the pavement is silent and still.
Has the moon lost her memory?
I wonder if the moon has any recollection of the past.
She is smiling alone in the lamplight
The moon is up there, smiling all by herself in the glow of the streetlamp.
The withered leaves collect at my feet
The leaves that once lived on the trees are now dry and dead at my feet.
And the wind begins to moan
The wind is blowing and it sounds like it's mourning the loss of the leaves of the trees.
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I am by myself in the light of the moon, lost in my memories.
I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then
When I think back to my past, I can smile and remember that I was young and at my prime.
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
I recall the days when I was truly happy.
Let the memory live again
I hope the memory of happiness can be brought back to life.
Every street lamp
All the street lamps
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
It looks as if they're providing a warning of something ominous.
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
I can hear someone mumbling softly and the light of the streetlamp flickers.
And soon it will be morning
It won't be much longer before morning arrives.
Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
Once again, I must wait for the sun to come up.
I must think of a new life
I must contemplate a new direction for my life.
And I mustn't give in when the dawn comes
When the day starts, I cannot give up.
Tonight will be a memory too
Once tonight is over, it will also become just another memory.
And a new day will begin
But tomorrow will be the beginning of a new day.
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The days that have passed are now nothing more than burned-out ashes.
The stale cold smell of morning
As the sun is coming up in the morning, the air is cold and lifeless.
The street lamp dies, another night is over
The light of the streetlamp is now fading, as another night has come to an end.
Another day is dawning
But a new day has just begun.
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
Please touch me, but keep in mind that it is so easy to walk away from me.
All alone with the memory
I will be by myself, with nothing but my memories to comfort me.
Of my days in the sun if you touch me
If you touch me, I will think back to the days when I was living life to the fullest.
You'll understand what happiness is
You will truly understand what happiness feels like.
Look
Look over there!
A new day has begun
This marks the beginning of another day of life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind