Laura
Bill Evans Lyrics


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You know the feeling of something half remembered
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well

Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Those eyes, how familiar they seem




She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bill Evans's “Laurie” portrays a feeling of nostalgia and reminiscence of a distant memory that is not fully understood or remembered. The first stanza talks about the feeling of trying to recall something that never happened, but the memory is still clear. This signifies the idea that memories might not necessarily be real but can still have an emotional impact. The second stanza then introduces the singer's Laura, a person that seems to be ever-present in the singer's thought. Laura is described as a mirage that is never fully captured - her face is just out of reach, her footsteps are heard but not seen, her laugh fades away, and her gaze is only accessible in dreams. The last line of the song defines Laura as nothing more than a dream, a figment of the singer’s imagination, perhaps a symbol of an idealized love that could never be.


Line by Line Meaning

You know the feeling of something half remembered
You understand the sensation of recalling incomplete memories


Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You can describe events that didn't take place but remain vivid in your memory


You know the feeling of recognizing someone
You've experienced the emotion of identifying a person


That you've never met as far as you could tell, well
Even though you've never actually met, you're sure of this individual's identity


Laura is the face in the misty light
Laura is the visage in the hazy illumination


Footsteps that you hear down the hall
You sense footsteps echoing throughout the corridor


The laugh that floats on a summer night
You discern the sound of laughter drifting on a balmy evening


That you can never quite recall
But you can never fully remember


And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
You observe Laura aboard the railway car that's passing by


Those eyes, how familiar they seem
Her eyes feel known to you somehow


She gave your very first kiss to you
She granted your inaugural intimate kiss


That was Laura but she's only a dream
However, it was merely a phantasm of Laura




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Raksin

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