I Cover the Waterfront
Billie Holiday/Eddie Heywood and His Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I cover the waterfront
I'm watching the sea
Will the one I love
Be coming back to me?

I cover the waterfront
In search of my love
An I'm covered
By a starlit sky above

Here am I
Patiently waiting
Hoping and longing
Oh, how I yearn
Where are you?
Have you thought back time?
Will you remember?
Will you return?

I cover the waterfront
I'm watching the sea
Will the one I love
Be coming back to me?

Here am I
Patiently waiting
Hoping and longing
Oh, how I yearn
Where are you?
Have you thought back time?
Will you remember?
Will you return?

I cover the waterfront
I'm watching the sea
Will the one I love
Be coming back to me?

Will the one I love




Be coming back
To me?

Overall Meaning

The song "I Cover The Waterfront" by Billie Holiday is a wistful and melancholic ballad about a woman who is waiting for her lover to return to her. The lyrics are a poetic expression of her longing and hope as she watches the sea, covering the waterfront where her love departed. She gazes out upon the waves and the starlit sky above, singing of her patient waiting and yearning for his return. Her repeated question, "Will the one I love be coming back to me?" reveals the depth of her anxiety and uncertainty about their future together.


The song is a poignant reflection on the longings and anxieties of human relationships, and the complexities of love and loss. It captures the emotional landscape of a woman who is searching for her beloved, and the pain and vulnerability that come with waiting for someone you love. The lyrics remind us that human connections are fragile, and that love requires courage and resilience to weather the storms of life.


Line by Line Meaning

I cover the waterfront
I am searching the shoreline


I'm watching the sea
I am observing the ocean waves


Will the one I love
Is my beloved returning


Be coming back to me?
Will they return to my arms?


In search of my love
I am trying to find my true love


An I'm covered
I am shielded


By a starlit sky above
By the twinkling stars overhead


Here am I
I am present


Patiently waiting
I am waiting with patience


Hoping and longing
I am full of hope and desire


Oh, how I yearn
I long deeply


Where are you?
I don't know where you are


Have you thought back time?
Have you remembered our past times together?


Will you remember?
Will you recall our memories?


Will you return?
Will you come back to me?


Will the one I love
Is my beloved returning


Be coming back
Will they return


To me?
To be with me?




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EDWARD HEYMAN, JOHN W. GREEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@foxyboop4164

My favorite version bc of the intro so provocative and really heartfelt đź’” Where are you, have you forgotten

@evabitencourt1253

This song is very beautiful đź’ś

@monicabella7894

BILLIE ❤

@Memale2009

VoilĂ  un de mes favoris. Merci!

@MM-ds1wo

I have a feeling this is actually the 1941 version with The Teddy Wilson Orchestra. The 1944 versions all start with the chorus, whereas this one starts with the verse.

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