… Read Full Bio ↴Blossom Dearie (1924-2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist.
Born on 28th April 1924 in East Durham, New York, of mixed Scottish and Norwegian ancestry, Dearie began her career in vocal groups in New York. In the early 1950s she moved to Paris, forming her own vocal group, The Blue Stars, later to become the Swingle Singers.
After signing to Verve, Dearie returned to the U.S. where, despite developing a successful career and achieving international fame, by 1974 the lack of interest from major labels led her to start her own label, Daffodil Records. She continued performing into her eighties.
Blossom Dearie died on 7th February 2009, at her apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City
Once Upon a Summertime
Blossom Dearie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We stopped beside a little flower stall
A bunch of bright forget-me-nots
Was all I'd let you buy me
Once upon a summertime just like today
We laughed the happy afternoon away
And stole a kiss at every street café
You were sweeter than the blossoms on the tree
I was as proud as any girl could be
As if the mayor had offered me the key
To Paris
Now another winter time has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once upon a summertime
Now another winter time has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once upon a summertime
In this romantic and nostalgic song, Blossom Dearie takes us back to a past summertime where she and her lover laughed and kissed their way through the streets of Paris. The song starts by reminiscing about a visit to a flower stall, where her lover bought her a bunch of forget-me-nots, symbolizing their love and the fleeting nature of summer romances. The bright and lively tune matches the joyful and carefree atmosphere of the summer day they spent together.
As the song progresses, Blossom Dearie remembers stealing kisses at every street café and feeling as proud as any girl could be. She compares the feeling to receiving the key to Paris from the mayor himself, indicating the magnitude of her gratitude and happiness. The lyrics then take a somber turn as the song fast forwards to the present winter and the pigeons that once fed in the square during their summer are now gone, but she still remembers the vespers chiming and the love she once shared with her partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a summertime, if you recall
In a past summer, if you remember
We stopped beside a little flower stall
We paused next to a small stand selling flowers
A bunch of bright forget-me-nots
A group of vivid blue flowers known as forget-me-nots
Was all I'd let you buy me
It was the only thing I allowed you to purchase for me
Once upon a summertime just like today
In a past summer exactly like today
We laughed the happy afternoon away
We spent a joyful afternoon laughing
And stole a kiss at every street café
And we kissed at every café we passed
You were sweeter than the blossoms on the tree
You were more delightful than the flowers blooming on the trees
I was as proud as any girl could be
I felt as proud as any girl possibly could
As if the mayor had offered me the key
As though the mayor had given me the key
To Paris
To the city of Paris
Now another winter time has come and gone
Another winter season has passed
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
The pigeons that used to eat in the square have left
But I remember when the vespers chimed
But I recall when the evening prayers rang out
You loved me once upon a summertime
You loved me in a past summer season
Now another winter time has come and gone
Another winter season has passed
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
The pigeons that used to eat in the square have left
But I remember when the vespers chimed
But I recall when the evening prayers rang out
You loved me once upon a summertime
You loved me in a past summer season
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Eddie Barclay, Eddy Marnay, Johnny Mercer, Michel Jean Legrand
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RedWater
Once upon a summertime, if you recall
We stopped beside a little flower stall
A bunch of bright forget-me-nots
Was all I'd ever let you buy me
Once upon a summertime just like today
We laughed the happy afternoon away
And stole a kiss at every street cafe
You were sweeter than the blossoms on the tree
I was as proud as any girl could be
As if the mayor had offered me the key
To Paris
Now another winter time has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once upon a summertime
Now another winter time has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once upon a summertime
RedWater
Once upon a summertime, if you recall
We stopped beside a little flower stall
A bunch of bright forget-me-nots
Was all I'd ever let you buy me
Once upon a summertime just like today
We laughed the happy afternoon away
And stole a kiss at every street cafe
You were sweeter than the blossoms on the tree
I was as proud as any girl could be
As if the mayor had offered me the key
To Paris
Now another winter time has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once upon a summertime
Now another winter time has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once upon a summertime
Rania Dizikiriki
A lovely tender voice childish and sweet.Her voice and this song makes me cry.
Melih Kasar
Lovely song from the past ❤😍
P. Pijpers
Blossom Dearie – vocals, piano Ray Brown – double bass Mundell Lowe – guitar Ed Thigpen – drums Music by Michel Legrand and Eddy Barclay, English lyrics by Johnny Mercer
José Zwartjes
P. Pijpers
Dj Aja
Beautiful !!!!
Mustard n Biscuits
Enchanting.
Heather Walker
Wonderful
future shock
SUBLIME...such a sad ending!!!
Helena Stokes
I love this song. But I must say I prefer Scott walker's version.x💓