Gloomy Sunday
Billie Holiday; Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra Lyrics
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My hours are slumberless
Dearest the shadows
I live with are numberless
Little white flowers
Will never awaken you
Not where the black coach
Angels have no thoughts
Of ever returning you
Would they be angry
If I thought of joining you
Gloomy Sunday
Gloomy is Sunday
With shadows I spend it all
My heart and I
Have decided to end it all
Soon there'll be candles
And prayers that are said I know
Let them not weep
Let them know that I'm glad to go
Death is no dream
For in death I'm caressin' you
With the last breath of my soul
I'll be blessin' you
Gloomy Sunday
Dreaming, I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you asleep
In the deep of my heart here
Darling I hope
That my dream never haunted you
My heart is tellin' you
How much I wanted you
Gloomy Sunday
Billie Holiday's song Gloomy Sunday portrays the emotions of a person who has lost a loved one and is contemplating suicide to find eternal peace with them. The lyrics reveal the deep pain and sadness the individual is experiencing on a gloomy Sunday, with shadows and sorrow surrounding them. The imagery of little white flowers, the black coach of sorrow, and angels not returning the loved one adds to the somberness of the song's mood.
The song gradually reveals the character's decision to end their life, with candles and prayers to be said for them. Death, in their view, is not a dream but a means to finally be reunited with their loved one. With the last breath of their soul, they will bless their loved one, who exists now only in their memories. The concluding stanza forces the listener to consider the possibility that the tragedy recounted in the song might be only a dream. However, the pain and yearning expressed in the lyrics reveal the depth of the person's love and despair and emphasize the somber and tragic mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunday is gloomy
Sunday is a sad day for me
My hours are slumberless
I cannot sleep during this sad day
Dearest the shadows
The sadness that surrounds me feels like a close companion
I live with are numberless
There are countless reasons for my sadness
Little white flowers
The beauty of nature cannot bring you back
Will never awaken you
You cannot be brought back to life
Not where the black coach
You have been taken away by death
Of sorrow has taken you
You have been taken away by sorrow
Angels have no thoughts
Even angels cannot bring you back
Of ever returning you
You cannot be brought back to life
Would they be angry
If I wished to join you in death
If I thought of joining you
If I wished to join you in death
Gloomy Sunday
This sad day is known as Gloomy Sunday
Gloomy is Sunday
This is a sad day
With shadows I spend it all
I am always surrounded by sadness
My heart and I
I have decided to end my life
Have decided to end it all
I have decided to end my life
Soon there'll be candles
At my funeral, there will be candles
And prayers that are said I know
People will pray for me
Let them not weep
I don't want people to cry for me
Let them know that I'm glad to go
I am happy to leave this world
Death is no dream
Death is not an illusion
For in death I'm caressin' you
In death, I am reunited with you
With the last breath of my soul
With the final beat of my heart
I'll be blessin' you
I will be sending a final blessing to you
Dreaming, I was only dreaming
I was only imagining
I wake and I find you asleep
I realize that you are gone
In the deep of my heart here
In the depths of my heart
Darling I hope
I hope you never knew of my sadness
That my dream never haunted you
I hope my sadness did not cause you pain
My heart is tellin' you
I wanted to be with you
How much I wanted you
I wanted to be with you
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Laszlo Javor, Rezso Seress, Sam M. Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind