Until the Real Thing Comes Along
Billie Holiday Teddy Wilson Lyrics
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I'd slave for you
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
I'd gladly move
The earth for you
And its worth for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along.
With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
I'll always love you darling
Come what may
My heart is yours
What more can I say?
I'd lie for you
I'd sigh for you
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
I'll always love you baby
Come what may
My heart is yours
What more can I say?
I'd lie for you
I'd cry for you
I'd lay my body down and die tor you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
Until the real thing comes along
The lyrics to "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" by Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra are all about the extremes someone would go through for the person they love. The lyrics express the willingness of the singer to wait for their loved one, slave for them, be a beggar or a knave for them, move the earth for them, lie for them, sigh for them, tear the stars down from the sky for them, and even lay their body down and die for them if that's what it takes to prove their love until the real thing comes along. The singer is saying that they will do everything they can to show how much they love their partner.
The lyrics are a testament to the depth of love and commitment the singer has for their partner. The singer is willing to do anything to prove their love, even if it means sacrificing everything they have. The song is a classic example of the romantic ballads that were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The lyrics are simple, but they convey a lot of emotion and are easy to relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd wait for you
I would patiently wait for you
I'd slave for you
I would work hard for you
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you
I would do anything, even resort to begging or criminal activity, for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do
If these acts of devotion aren't real love, they will have to suffice for now
Until the real thing comes along
Until true love comes into my life
I'd gladly move
I would be willing to make sacrifices
The earth for you
I would do anything, even move the earth, for you
To prove my love, dear
To show you how much I love you
And its worth for you
And that my love for you is valuable
With all the words, dear, at my command
Even with my mastery of language
I just can't make you understand
I can't make you see how much I love you
I'll always love you darling
I will love you forever, my dear
Come what may
No matter what happens
My heart is yours
I have given you my heart
What more can I say?
There are no more words to express my love
I'd lie for you
I would deceive others for you
I'd sigh for you
I would express my yearning for you through sighs
I'd tear the stars down from the sky for you
I would do anything, even the impossible, for you
I'd cry for you
I would shed tears of sadness for you
I'd lay my body down and die for you
I would sacrifice my own life for you if necessary
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: ALBERTA NICHOLS, L.E. FREEMAN, MANN HOLINER, SAMMY CAHN, SAUL CHAPLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Real Poetry
Maaaaaaan, something about her voice will always remain timeless. Beautiful. Raw organic voice.
eguirald
A soulful, timeless voice: the one and only Billie!
SusnaSongbird
YES ♥️♥️♥️ My absolute fave!
QueenDiva2147
Yes I have been listening to this song for 40 years and I still feel the same about it when I fell in love with it as little girl..I love Billie Holiday so much..She is my therapy in life!! Love Lady Day!!
MortenBoHansen
Love BIllie..she's so tender and mild! So deep but loving! Billie is all jazz voice! Just feel how deep she sings into you! Amazing billie! I love you!
rose sulla
This song was going round and round in my head till I had to play it. Sing it Billie for me!💕. My sister used to sing it over and over until I had to love it...back in the 1940’s. Swoon!!!
Dr. Daniel Davidson, DMD
What a great rendition of this song. We love you, Lady Day
Ziola Bee
"If that isn't love it will have to do...until the real thing comes along" <3 love it
Shane Wright
There are two kinds of jazz singers - those who are Billy Holiday and those who are not. Those who are not divide into two categories also - those who came after Billy Holiday and who had to spend their careers being compared (mostly unfavourably, with exceptions like Sarah Vaughan) and those who had gone before her who at least had the crumb of consolation that they may in someway influenced her. No one ever, ever read a lyric like Billie Holiday and knew exactly how to communicate that meaning. It may not be what we read in the lyric, it was always what Holiday read and felt.
monica bella
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