When Benton was young he enjoyed gospel music and wrote songs and in 1948 he went to New York to pursue his music career.
He was a member of several gospel groups including "The Langfordairies", "The Jerusalem Stars", and "The Golden Gate Quartet".
After returning to his home state he joined a R&B singing group, "the Sandmen", and soon went back to New York to try for a big break. Eventually the record company decided to drop The Sandmen and push Brook as a solo artist.
Benton wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter, and Roy Hamilton. Soon he released his first minor hit A Million Miles From Nowhere, and later he joined the Mercury label, which would later bring him big success.
In 1952 he got his big break with It's Just a Matter of Time and Endlessly.
It's Just a Matter of Time made it to #3 on the U.S. Pop charts, while Endlessly made it to #12 . Both hits were written by Benton himself.
Benton had many #1 hits including Rainy Night in Georgia and Hotel Happiness. According to Songfacts, his version of the blues standard The Boll Weevil Song has the unique distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.
Altogether, Benton had 38 hit singles through out his career. His last album was "Fools Rush In", released posthumously in 2005. He died on April 9, 1988.
They Can't Take That Away from Me
Brook Benton 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
W e 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
In Brook Benton's song "They Can't Take That Away From Me," the lyrics reflect the resilience of a couple's love in the face of separation. The poet speaks to his/her lover and declares that although their time together may be limited and the song of their relationship is ending, the melody of their love and memories will linger on. Even though they will be separated, he or she will hold onto the memories of their moments, the way his/her lover wears a hat or sips tea, smiles or sings, the way he/she holds a knife, dances, and how they changed lives. All these memories are precious and irreplaceable, and nobody can take them away.
The song's lyrics reflect on the idea that time and distance may separate two people, but the memories and the feelings from the time together never disappear. The line "The melody lingers on" serves as an important metaphor for the song. It suggests that although the couple's song or relationship may be ending, their memories and feelings for each other live on like an eternal melody. Despite the separation, the poet reassures his love interest that no one can take the memories or the emotions they shared away from him/her.
Line by Line Meaning
Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
Our love story will not conclude in sadness, despite the fact that you might leave tomorrow;
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The melody lingers on.
Even though the song that we sing together is finished, the memory and happiness of it still remains.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
Even if I lose you to someone or something else, I will always hold onto the memories and moments we shared together.
The way you wear your hat
The way your sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The specific things that make you unique and special, like the way you wear your hat or sip your tea, are unforgettable and cannot be taken away from my memories.
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
Your smile, even when you sing off key, brightens up my day and you even occupy my dreams; all these unique features about you are safe in my memories and no one can take them away from me.
We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
Although we may have a rough journey and never cross paths again while pursuing love, there will always remain a gift of the happy and valuable moments we shared.
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
Actions such as the way you hold your knife or how we danced till three o'clock in the morning or even how you made a difference in my life are memories that I carry within me and no matter what anyone does or tries to do, they can never take these cherished memories 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 memories and unique things you brought into my life are dear to my heart and cannot be removed or forgotten.
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
M Meek
This is my favorite rendition of my favorite ballad. Thanks for sharing.
Milton Moore
MY FAVORITE VERSION OF THIS CLASSIC WRITTEN BY
GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN.