I Can't Begin To Tell You
Betty Grable Lyrics


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I can't begin to tell you
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
Like others do.

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.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Betty Grable's song "I Can't Begin to Tell You" are expressive and heartfelt, reflecting the deep emotions of a person who is unable to express their profound love for someone. The song portrays the singer's intense love and how difficult it is for them to convey their feelings to the person they care about.


The singer begins by stating that it's almost impossible for them to express how much the person means to them. They seem to be communicating that the person is an essential part of their life, and without them, their world would end. They yearn to express their love and happiness, but it's so significant that the words evade them. They long to speak their mind and communicate their thoughts and emotions openly, but they continually fall short.


The singer admits that whenever they're apart, they can make beautiful speeches, but when they're in the presence of their loved one, the words won't come. They're saying that they can communicate their feelings in the absence of their loved one, but they struggle when they're together. They then go on to plead with the person to "take the sweetest phrases the world has ever known, and make believe I've said them all to you." This plea is a desperate attempt to convey their emotions to the person they love, even if it's not in their own words.


Overall, the lyrics of "I Can't Begin to Tell You" are heartfelt and sincere, reflecting the emotions of someone in love but struggling to articulate and communicate their feelings. The song's melody and lyrics are touching and filled with romanticism, making them appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds.


Line by Line Meaning

I can't begin to tell you
I'm truly lost for words


How much you mean to me.
I can't express the depth of my feelings for you


My world would end
My life would be empty


If ever we were through.
If we ever parted ways


How happy I would be
I would be overjoyed


If I could speak my mind
If I could express myself freely


Like others do.
Like everyone else seems to be able to


I make such pretty speeches
I can talk nicely


Whenever we're apart.
When we're not together


But when you're near
But in your presence


The words I choose
The things I want to say


Refuse to leave my heart.
I'm unable to express them


So take the sweetest phrases
Here are some lovely words


The world has ever known
That have ever been spoken


And make believe
Just imagine


I've said them all to you.
That I've expressed all my true feelings




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES V. MONACO, MACK GORDON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@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.

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