Brad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist born on August 23, 1970 in Jackson… Read Full Bio ↴Brad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist born on August 23, 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida. He plays original compositions and jazz standards, as well as interpretations of non-jazz songs by The Beatles, Nick Drake, Radiohead and Soundgarden, for example. He has also contributed to movie soundtracks, including Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Space Cowboys (2000), The Million Dollar Hotel (2000).

In 1994 he founded Brad Mehldau Trio, with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy; in 2005, Jeff Ballard replaced Rossy. Brad Mehldau started playing piano at the age of six, and has released more than ten albums.

My Heart Stood Still
Brad Mehldau Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I took one look at you
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stood still

My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still

Though not a single word was spoken
I could tell you knew
That unfelt clasp of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still

I took one look at you
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stopped right there

My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still

Though not a single word was spoken
I could tell you knew
That unfelt claps of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all

Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Brad Mehldau's "My Heart Stood Still" evoke the overwhelming feeling that can come with falling in love. The first couplet establishes that the singer is struck by a sudden attraction to the person they're seeing - just one look is enough to make their heart 'stand still.' This feeling is so all-consuming that the singer's body continues to function as normal; they can walk and talk, but their emotional state is fixed in place.

The second verse deepens the sense of connection between the two people, even though they haven't spoken a word. The singer can tell from the 'unfelt clasp of hands' that the other person feels the same intensity of emotion. The song ends with a reiteration of the central idea - that the singer's entire life feels as if it has led up to this moment, and that their heart has never truly been alive before.

The lyrics are short but impactful, conveying the sense that the emotion between the two people is overwhelming and all-encompassing. There's a sense of fate or destiny in the way that the singer talks about the moment, as if everything has led up to this one encounter. Overall, it's a beautiful and romantic depiction of falling in love.

Line by Line Meaning

I took one look at you
I gazed at you for a moment

That's all I meant to do
I had no intention of doing more than simply looking at you

And then my heart stood still
My heart skipped a beat and I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion

My feet could step and walk
I was physically capable of moving and walking

My lips could move and talk
I was capable of speaking and communicating

And yet my heart stood still
Despite being able to move and talk, my heart was still overcome with emotion

Though not a single word was spoken
Even though we didn't exchange any words

I could tell you knew
I sensed that you understood what I was feeling

That unfelt clasp of hands
The unspoken connection between us felt like a warm embrace

Told me so well you knew
It was clear that you felt the same way

I never lived at all
Until that moment, my life felt incomplete