Carmen Mercedes McRae (1920-1994) was a U.S. jazz singer, songwriter, and p… Read Full Bio ↴Carmen Mercedes McRae (1920-1994) was a U.S. jazz singer, songwriter, and pianist.

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.

When I Fall In Love
Carmen McRae Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I fall in love it will be forever
Or Ill never fall in love
In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before its begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun

When I give my heart it will be completely

Or Ill never give my heart

And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Carmen McRae's "When I Fall in Love" are a poignant articulation of a person's desire for love and the fear of it ending before it can even start. The singer reveals that they want a love that is lasting, one that will stand the test of time, and that they refuse to settle for anything less. The song is about the singer's belief that, in a world that is always moving, love can be an anchor.

"When I Fall in Love" is a beautifully crafted ballad that is both melancholic and hopeful. Love is depicted as something fragile yet powerful, and the lyrics suggest that it requires time and attention to develop. The singer is cautious about giving their heart, but when they do, it will be an all or nothing commitment. The song talks about how love can easily slip away if it's not nurtured and protected from the "restless" world around it. The conclusion of the song is a statement of confidence that, when the feeling is mutual, love will inevitably bloom.

Line by Line Meaning

When I fall in love it will be forever
If I ever fall in love, I want it to be for eternity and not just temporary.

Or Ill never fall in love
If I can't find a love that is strong enough to last forever, then I'd rather not fall in love at all.

In a restless world like this is
In today's world that is always changing and full of chaos,

Love is ended before its begun
Many people give up on love before they even give it a chance to develop.

And too many moonlight kisses
Too much superficial romance

Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun
Appear to fade away when faced with reality.

When I give my heart it will be completely
If I ever choose to love someone, I will do it with my whole being and not hold back.

Or Ill never give my heart
If I can't love with my entire heart and soul, then I'd rather not love at all.

And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
The instant I sense that you reciprocate the same intense and undivided love that I feel,

Is when I fall in love with you.
Then, and only then, can I truly say that I have fallen in love with you.

Contributed by Arianna J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

@gIftEdsOul09

9y↑9

Ahh...I could listen to her all day. She makes every standard she sings my favorite. This is why I wanted to study jazz. Carmen, Ella, Sarah, Peggy, Mel, the list goes on and on....I would have loved to meet and study under them all. But thank God for music libraries, Amazon and YouTube! Thanks for posting! 😊