… 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
They Can't Take That Away from Me
Blossom Dearie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The melody lingers on.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
The way you wear your hat
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
Can't take that away
Can't take that away from me
The song "They Can't Take That Away from Me" by Blossom Dearie speaks to the enduring power of memory, in particular how it can preserve the essence of a romantic relationship even when the relationship itself is lost. The lyrics reflect on a past love affair that is about to end, but rather than focus on the sadness or regret of that ending, the song instead emphasizes the positive memories that will remain. The singer acknowledges that even though their partner may be physically leaving, they will always hold onto the unique and beautiful qualities that drew the singer to them in the first place.
The lyrics of the song describe the specific details of the relationship that the singer treasures most: the way their partner wears their hat, sips their tea, and grins with joy. These details are presented as both unique to the individual and emblematic of the relationship as a whole. The song also speaks to the possibility of having to say goodbye forever, but insists that the memories of these precious moments together will remain, even if the relationship itself is gone.
Perhaps what makes this song so touching and memorable is its ability to capture what it feels like to truly love and cherish someone--not necessarily the big or grand gestures, but the small details that make that person unique and special. Through its gentle melody and bittersweet lyrics, "They Can't Take That Away from Me" speaks to a universal human experience of holding onto what we love even as it slips through our fingers.
Line by Line Meaning
Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Our love affair will not be concluded on a sad and gloomy tone,
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
Even if you're leaving tomorrow,
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
Although our love story is over, as the composer originally composed,
The melody lingers on.
The tune persists in my mind.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
They may separate us, and I'll miss your tender touch.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
But regardless of them separating us, I'll still have a part of you.
The way you wear your hat
The style in which you put on your hat
The way your sip your tea
Your manner of sipping your tea
The memory of all that
The recollections of these things
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they won't be able to deprive me of that memory.
The way your smile just beams
Your grin that radiates brightness
The way you sing off key
Your practice of not singing in tune
The way you haunt my dreams
The way you appear regularly in my sleep
We may never, never meet again
We may never come across each other again
On the bumpy road to love
Throughout our tumultuous romantic journey
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
Even so, I will still cherish and hold onto memories of
The way you hold your knife
The manner in which you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way we danced so long until three in the morning
The way you changed my life
The way you transformed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they cannot erase those memories from my mind
No, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me
Can't take that away
They won't be able to rob me of it
Can't take that away from me
Can't take that away from me
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: IRA GERSHWIN, GEORGE GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heather Collins
on Comment Allez Vous
(Parlez-vous Français?)
Mais oui, allons-y
(Parlez-vous chère madame?)
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Feeling good or feeling bad?
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I was really on my way, but I had to stop and say:
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Cloaks and suitors, by the oodles, say it to their cute french poodles
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Spaniards say it, so do Greeks
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In the desert, so do Sheiks
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