At Capitol, May wrote arrangements for many top artists, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Stan Freberg, Peggy Lee, Sue Raney, Vic Damone, Jeri Southern, Keely Smith, Bobby Darin, Nancy Wilson, Matt Monro, Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney.
May's charts often featured brisk tempos and intricate brass parts. One distinctive feature of his style is his frequent use of trumpet mute devices; another, a saxophone glissando, is widely known as his "slurping saxes". However, May was also an accomplished writer in slower tempos, sometimes using string arrangements. Good examples of this aspect of his work include his brass chart for "These Foolish Things" on the Cole album Just One Of Those Things and his string arrangement of "April In Paris" on Sinatra's Come Fly With Me album.
Azure
Billy May Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In an Azure mood,
Stardust gleamin'
Thru my solitude:
Here in my seclusion,
You're a blue illusion
While I'm in this Azure interlude.
I'm not wanted I'm so all alone;
By the dreams I own;
But, though Im tormented
I must be contented
Driftin' Dreamin'
In an Azure mood!
Driftin' Dreamin'
In an Azure mood,
Star dust gleamin'
Thru my solitude:
Here in my seclusion,
You're a blue illusion
While I'm in this Azure interlude!
The lyrics to Billy May's song Azure encapsulate the feelings of longing and melancholy that are often associated with solitude. The singer is caught in a dreamy state, drifting and dreaming in an azure mood. The azure color here represents a sense of calmness and tranquility which the singer is searching for. Through the stardust which is gleaming through this solitude, the singer sees an illusion of the one they love. They are all alone, haunted by their own dreams, but they find contentment in this state of dreaming and drifting, even though they are tormented by it. The song becomes a narrative of a person who has found their solace in their own wandering thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
Driftin' Dreamin'
Lost in thought and imagination, wandering without purpose or direction
In an Azure mood,
Feeling calm and peaceful, with a sense of deep blue tranquility
Stardust gleamin'
Tiny specks of light shining in the darkness, bringing a glimmer of hope
Thru my solitude:
Through my solitary moments, when I am alone with my thoughts
Here in my seclusion,
Here in my secluded place, where I am safe and protected
You're a blue illusion
You are a mirage, a dream that seems so real but is only a product of my imagination
While I'm in this Azure interlude.
While I am lost in this peaceful, blue moment of pause and reflection
I'm not wanted I'm so all alone;
Feeling unwanted and rejected, completely isolated and cut off from others
Always haunted
Always followed by persistent, disturbing thoughts or memories
By the dreams I own;
Haunted by my own aspirations and desires that seem unreachable
But, though Im tormented
Despite the agony and anguish I feel
I must be contented
I must find satisfaction and peace in this moment of respite
Driftin' Dreamin'
Lost in thought and imagination, wandering without purpose or direction
In an Azure mood!
Feeling calm and peaceful, with a sense of deep blue tranquility
Driftin' Dreamin'
Lost in thought and imagination, wandering without purpose or direction
In an Azure mood,
Feeling calm and peaceful, with a sense of deep blue tranquility
Stardust gleamin'
Tiny specks of light shining in the darkness, bringing a glimmer of hope
Thru my solitude:
Through my solitary moments, when I am alone with my thoughts
Here in my seclusion,
Here in my secluded place, where I am safe and protected
You're a blue illusion
You are a mirage, a dream that seems so real but is only a product of my imagination
While I'm in this Azure interlude!
While I am lost in this peaceful, blue moment of pause and reflection
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind