Night and Day
Billy Holiday And Her Orchestra Lyrics
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When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock
as it stands against the wall
Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops
When the summer show'are is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating
You, you, you
Night and day you are the one
Only you beneath the moon and sun
Whether near me or far
It's no matter, darling, where you are
I think of you
Night and day
Day and night
Why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Night and day
Night and day under the hide of me
There's an Oh, such a hungry yearning
Burning inside of me
And its torment won't be trough
'Till you spent my life making love to you
Day and night
Night and day
Night and day
The lyrics of Billy Holiday's Night and Day poetically describe the intense longing one feels for their lover regardless of the time, distance, or space. The singer uses multiple similes to describe their emotions: like the beat of the tomtom and tick-tock of the clock, and the drip of raindrops, a voice within them keeps repeating the person's name. Regardless of where they are, whether far or near the individual, the thought of them consumes the singer's mind day and night. The melancholic chorus, "Night and day, you are the one, only you beneath the moon and sun," reinforces the sentiment that the individual is always on the singer's mind. Towards the end, the singer uses vivid imagery to describe their excruciating agony, where an "Oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me," that won't come to pass until they spend their life making love to the individual.
Line by Line Meaning
Like the beat, beat, beat of the tomtom
Similar to the rhythmic beating of a tomtom
When the jungle shadows fall
During the emergence of shadows cast by trees in the jungle
Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock
Similar to the ticking sound made by a grand old clock
as it stands against the wall
While mounted on a wall's surface
Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops
Similar to the consistent sound of water drops falling from the sky
When the summer show'are is through
After the completion of a summertime event
So a voice within me keeps repeating
A voice inside of me continues to say
You, you, you
The word 'you' repeatedly mentioned
Night and day you are the one
Regardless of the time of day, you are always the one on my mind
Only you beneath the moon and sun
Out of all beings, only you occupy my thoughts at night and day
Whether near me or far
Regardless of your proximity to me
It's no matter, darling, where you are
It doesn't matter where you are
I think of you
You're continuously on my mind
Why is it so
I am curious about this feeling
That this longing for you follows wherever I go
This yearning for you persists wherever I travel
In the roaring traffic's boom
Amid the loud noises in a busy street
In the silence of my lonely room
Even in the quietness of my empty room
I think of you
You're continuously on my mind
Night and day
24/7
Under the hide of me
Deep within me
There's an Oh, such a hungry yearning
There's a strong desire within me
Burning inside of me
An intense feeling within myself
And its torment won't be trough
This feeling will not go away
'Till you spent my life making love to you
Unless our lives are spent together making love to one another
Day and night
24/7
Night and day
24/7
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Red Brick Music Publishing
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind