McRae was born in Harlem, New York, on the 8th April 1920, and studied piano as a child. As a teenager she came to the attention of Teddy Wilson and his wife, the composer Irene Kitchings Wilson. Through their influence, one of McRae’s early songs, "Dream of Life", was recorded by Wilson’s longtime collaborator Billie Holiday.
By the late 1940s she was well known among the modern jazz musicians who gathered at Minton's Playhouse, Harlem’s most famous jazz club, where she was the intermission pianist. But it was while working in Brooklyn that she came to the attention of Decca’s Milt Gabler. Her five year association with Decca yielded twelve LPs.
The musicians she sang with include Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr, Dave Brubeck, and Louis Armstrong. She was married once (and briefly), to drummer Kenny Clarke.
McRae died on the 10th November 1994.
Once Upon A Summertime
Carmen McRae 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 in every street cafe
You were sweeter than the blossom on the tree
I was as proud as any girl could be
Now, another wintertime has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I'll remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once
Now, another wintertime has come and gone
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
But I'll remember when the vespers chimed
You loved me once
You loved me once upon a summertime
The lyrics of Carmen McRae's song "Once Upon A Summertime" narrate a beautiful memory of a summer day shared between two lovers. The song opens with a nostalgic feel as the singer reflects on a moment in the past, "Once upon a summertime, if you recall". The first verse describes how they came across a little flower stall and the boy bought the girl a bunch of forget-me-nots. The second verse highlights the beautiful time spent together, laughing and stealing kisses in every street cafe. The singer implies that this boy was so sweet that he made her feel as if she had won the key to Paris, She adds that she felt proud to be with him.
In the second stanza of the song, the scene changes, and it is now winter. The pigeons the couple fed in summer have flown, but the singer still holds onto the memory of that beautiful summer day. The final line of the song, "You loved me once upon a summertime", serves as a reminder that this memory is from a time when love was pure and beautiful.
Overall, this song uses imagery and nostalgia to evoke a strong sense of memory and love. With the use of metaphors like "the mayor had offered me the key to Paris" and "You loved me once upon a summertime", Carmen McRae succeeds in creating a beautiful song that captures the essence of summer love and nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a summertime, if you recall
In a past summer, if you can remember
We stopped beside a little flower stall
We halted at a small flower stand
A bunch of bright forget-me-nots was all I'd let you buy me
You were only able to purchase me a bundle of vivid forget-me-nots
Once upon a summertime, just like today
In a summer like now, long ago
We laughed the happy afternoon away
We enjoyed a joyous afternoon filled with laughter
And stole a kiss in every street cafe
We secretly kissed in every street cafe we encountered
You were sweeter than the blossom on the tree
You were more delightful than the blooming trees
I was as proud as any girl could be
I was as content as a girl could ever be
As if the mayor had offered me the key to Paris
As though the mayor had given me the keys to the city of Paris
Now, another wintertime has come and gone
Now, another winter season has gone by
The pigeons feeding in the square have flown
The birds that fed in the plaza have flown away
But I'll remember when the vespers chimed
However, I'll recollect when the evening prayers rang
You loved me once
You once loved me
You loved me once upon a summertime
You once loved me in a summer season like the one before us now
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: EDDIE BARCLAY, EDDY MARNAY, MICHEL JEAN LEGRAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Randall Sundeen
Love the bossa Nova treatment of this pop standard sadly the talented Carmen McRae has all been but forgotten thanks for posting ❤️
Renata Berczy
Gorgeous version from Queen McRae.
bruce robbins
These brilliant lyrics were written by that genius Johnny Mercer
坂巻洋
😃🥀💙🍀