… 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
When Sunny Gets Blue
Blossom Dearie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then the rain begins to fall
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, love is gone, so what can matter
No sweet lover man comes to call
When Sunny gets blue, she breaths a sigh of sadness
Like the wind that stirs the trees
Wind that sets the leaves to swaying, like some violins are playing
People used to love to hear her laugh, see her smile
That's how she got her name
Since that sad affair, she's lost her smile, changed her style
Somehow she's not the same
But memories will fade and pretty dreams will rise up
Where her other dreams fell through
Hurry new love, hurry here to kiss away each lonely tear
And hold her near when Sunny gets blue
Hold her near when Sunny gets blue
These lyrics are talking about a woman named Sunny and her emotional state. When she is feeling down, her eyes become gray and cloudy, and it begins to rain. She is sad because her lover man is gone, and he does not come to call her anymore. When Sunny gets blue, she breathes a sigh of sadness like the wind that stirs the trees. The wind sets the leaves to sway like a haunting melody played by some violins. People used to love her smile and laughter, and that is how she got her name. But since a sad affair, she has lost her smile and changed her style, and somehow she is not the same. Memories will fade, and pretty dreams will rise up where her other dreams fell through. She hopes for new love to come hurrying to kiss away each lonely tear and hold her near when she gets blue.
The song was written by Marvin Fisher and Jack Segal, and it was first recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1956. After its release, it became a jazz standard and was recorded by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Barbra Streisand. However, Blossom Dearie's version was the most successful and memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
When Sunny gets blue, her eyes get gray and cloudy
When Sunny becomes sad, her eyes lose their usual bright color and become gray and dull, reflecting her inner emotions.
Then the rain begins to fall
The metaphorical rain symbolizes the tears that Sunny sheds when she becomes sad.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, love is gone, so what can matter
The sound of raindrops pitter-pattering on the roof emphasizes that Sunny's love is lost, making everything else insignificant.
No sweet lover man comes to call
Sunny's sadness is compounded by the absence of her lover, who does not visit her anymore.
When Sunny gets blue, she breaths a sigh of sadness
Sunny sighs deeply, expressing her sadness and despair.
Like the wind that stirs the trees
The wind represents the forces that bring about change in Sunny's life, stirring up her emotions the way it stirs up the leaves on the trees.
Wind that sets the leaves to swaying, like some violins are playing
The wind's melodious sound, like that of violins, creates a haunting atmosphere and reflects the sorrow and melancholy in Sunny's heart.
Weird and haunting melodies
The music symbolizes the sadness and loneliness that Sunny feels, making her feel different and disconnected from the world around her.
People used to love to hear her laugh, see her smile
Sunny used to have a cheerful, upbeat personality that people enjoyed being around.
That's how she got her name
Sunny's name is a reflection of her warm, cheerful personality that she used to have.
Since that sad affair, she's lost her smile, changed her style
After a hurtful experience, Sunny lost her joy and her way of expressing herself, becoming a more reserved and withdrawn person.
Somehow she's not the same
Sunny has changed significantly, and not necessarily for the better, after her traumatic experience.
But memories will fade and pretty dreams will rise up
Although her current situation seems bleak, Sunny has hope that her happy memories will fade away and that she will have new, optimistic dreams about her future.
Where her other dreams fell through
Sunny's old dreams did not come true, and she must look to new ones to find happiness and fulfillment.
Hurry new love, hurry here to kiss away each lonely tear
Sunny longs for the embrace of a new love who will help her forget her past and erase her sense of loneliness and sadness.
And hold her near when Sunny gets blue
Sunny needs someone who will be there for her through thick and thin, supporting her when she becomes sad and vulnerable.
Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Heather Collins
on Comment Allez Vous
(Parlez-vous Français?)
Mais oui, allons-y
(Parlez-vous chère madame?)
Comment allez vous? Fancy bumping into you
Comment allez vous? Tell me everything that's new
Are you happy are you sad?
Feeling good or feeling bad?
(and is there anything you're craving?)
(do you feel like misbehaving?)
Comment allez vous? Gee, it's nice to see you here
Comment allez vous? You look better every year
I was really on my way, but I had to stop and say:
Comment allez vous?
(Comment allez vous petit chou?)
Say it, it has 'savoir faire'
(Comment allez vous mon minou?)
Has a continental air
(once she heard it in the land, from a chinese laundry man)
Cloaks and suitors, by the oodles, say it to their cute french poodles
Comment allez vous?
Spaniards say it, so do Greeks
Comment allez vous?
In the desert, so do Sheiks
(show they know a thing or two)
(it's so easy, why can't you say?)
Comment?
Comment?
Comment allez vous?