I Can't Begin To Tell You
Betty Grable; Harry James & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How much you mean to me.
My world would end
If ever we were through.
I can't begin to tell you
How happy I would be
If I could speak my mind
I make such pretty speeches
Whenever we're apart.
But when you're near
The words I choose
Refuse to leave my heart.
So take the sweetest phrases
The world has ever known
And make believe
I've said them all to you.
I make such pretty speeches
Whenever we're apart.
But when you're near
The words I choose
Refuse to leave my heart.
So take the sweetest phrases
The world has ever known.
And make believe
I've said them all to you.
"I Can't Begin to Tell You" is a romantic ballad that expresses the singer's inability to fully articulate their affection towards their loved one. The song speaks to the frustration and difficulty people often face in expressing their true feelings towards others, and the fear of losing someone they deeply care about. The lyrics express a sense of vulnerability and insecurity, indicating that the singer is afraid to reveal their feelings directly to the person they love, perhaps because they fear being rejected.
The singer acknowledges that they make "pretty speeches" when they are apart from their loved one, but those words betray them when they are together. This suggests a common experience in romantic relationships, in which one feels they can express themselves more freely from a distance, but struggle to do so when facing the person directly. The lyrics also suggest that the singer feels inadequate compared to others who are able to express themselves more readily, perhaps highlighting a sense of self-doubt or insecurity.
Despite their difficulty in expressing their feelings, the singer urges their loved one to believe that the sweetest phrases in the world have been said to them. This can be interpreted as an offering of reassurance and commitment, indicating that even if the singer struggles with articulation, their love for the person remains steadfast.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't begin to tell you
I am unable to express in words
How much you mean to me.
The extent of my feelings towards you is beyond verbal communication
My world would end
My life would have no meaning
If ever we were through.
If our relationship ended
I can't begin to tell you
I am unable to express in words
How happy I would be
The enormity of my happiness would be indescribable
If I could speak my mind
If only I had the courage to express my true feelings
Like others do.
As easily as other people do
I make such pretty speeches
I can impress with my words when we are not together
Whenever we're apart.
During times of physical separation
But when you're near
In your presence
The words I choose
The words I carefully select
Refuse to leave my heart.
Suddenly feel inadequate and unexpressive
So take the sweetest phrases
Accept the most profound and heartfelt expressions
The world has ever known
From history and literature
And make believe
Pretend
I've said them all to you.
That I have adequately and honestly expressed my deep feelings for you
I make such pretty speeches
I can impress with my words when we are not together
Whenever we're apart.
During times of physical separation
But when you're near
In your presence
The words I choose
The words I carefully select
Refuse to leave my heart.
Suddenly feel inadequate and unexpressive
So take the sweetest phrases
Accept the most profound and heartfelt expressions
The world has ever known.
From history and literature
And make believe
Pretend
I've said them all to you.
That I have adequately and honestly expressed my deep feelings for you
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES V. MONACO, MACK GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@h.calvert3165
It's lovely to hear her singing with her husband's band. 🎙🎶
@Kinseydsp
H. Calvert Yes Upon Hearing This I learned to Play the Trumpet at 32 years Old And Played This Song Myself. one day. He was My Hero Saw Him the Last Time He went to Sunny Brook Ball room in Pottstown Pa with Lyn Roberts singing with him and Got His Audiograph. He was in His sixties and boy Could He Still Play. I Enjoyed it SO MUCH! Heard this song the first time on a 78 RPM Record like the On showing Hear. On My Grandmothers Victrola.
@InvictusAeterna
beautiful
@Kinseydsp
the78prof Thank you You for this song First Heard it on a 78 RPM Record like the one in the Picture on My Grandmothers Victrola Which I still Have heard Harry and at 32 years Old I learned to Play the trumpet and one Day I played this Song. Saw Harry at Sunny Brook Ballroom in Pottstown Pa. in His early 6o's. Got His Audiograp. THANK YOU!!
@the78prof72
My pleasure....glad that it brings back memories for you.
@gusalexandrakis5151
Notice that Ms. Grable's vocal is credited to Ruth Haag; this is an inside joke between her and her husband, Harry James, whose middle name was Haag. It was given him by his parents, in honor of their one-time employer, The Might Haag Circus, for whom Everett James (his father) worked as bandleader and Myrtle Maybelle Stewart (his mother) performed as an acrobat and horseback rider.