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.
perfidia
Billy May Lyrics
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Tanto que ya no puedo sollozar
Solo temblando de ansiedad estoy
Todos me miran y se van
To you
My heart cries out "Perfidia"
For I find you, the love of my life
Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia"
Forgetful of the promise of love
You're sharing another's charms
With a sad lament my dreams are faded like a broken melody
While the gods of love look down and laugh
At what romantic fools we mortals be
And now, I know* my love was not for you
And so I take it back with a sigh
Perfidious one, Goodbye
With a sad lament my dreams are faded like a broken melody
While the gods of love look down and laugh
At what romantic fools we mortals be
And now, I know* my love was not for you
And so I take it back with a sigh
Perfidious one, Goodbye
Goodbye
The lyrics of Billy May's "Perfidia" convey the pain and heartbreak of unrequited love. The song begins with the singer expressing their suffering and anguish, feeling unable to cry or express their pain. They are constantly anxious and jittery, and everyone notices but moves on without helping.
Then, the song shifts to the object of the singer's love. Their heart cries out the name of the song itself, "Perfidia," which means betrayal or faithlessness in Spanish. The singer sees the love of their life in somebody else's arms, and their eyes echo that betrayal. The promise of love has been forgotten, and the person they love is sharing another's charms. The dreams the singer had of being with this person have faded away like a broken melody. The gods of love look down and laugh at the romantic foolishness of mortals.
Towards the end of the song, the singer comes to the realization that their love was not for this person after all, and with a sigh, they take it back. The one they loved was perfidious, and so they say goodbye.
Overall, "Perfidia" captures the raw pain and heartache of unrequited love. The singer is left to suffer alone, watching the one they love be with someone else, ultimately realizing that their love was misplaced.
Line by Line Meaning
Nadie comprende lo que sufro yo
Nobody understands the pain I'm going through
Tanto que ya no puedo sollozar
So much that I can no longer cry
Solo temblando de ansiedad estoy
I'm alone, trembling with anxiety
Todos me miran y se van
Everyone looks at me and leaves
To you
Addressing the person he's singing to
My heart cries out "Perfidia"
My heart is crying out for betrayal
For I find you, the love of my life
Because I've found you, the love of my life
In somebody else's arms
In the arms of someone else
Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia"
Your eyes are showing betrayal
Forgetful of the promise of love
Ignoring the promise of love
You're sharing another's charms
You're sharing someone else's love
With a sad lament my dreams are faded like a broken melody
My dreams are fading away like a broken song
While the gods of love look down and laugh
The gods of love mock us
At what romantic fools we mortals be
At how foolish we are about love as humans
And now, I know* my love was not for you
Now I know my love was not meant for you
And so I take it back with a sigh
And so I withdraw my love with a sigh
Perfidious one, Goodbye
Goodbye, unfaithful one
Goodbye
Farewell
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ALBERTO DOMINGUEZ, MILTON LEEDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind