Caterina Valente (born January 14, 1931 in Paris) is an Italian-born singer… Read Full Bio ↴Caterina Valente (born January 14, 1931 in Paris) is an Italian-born singer, dancer, and actress. She comes from an Italian artist family; her father Giuseppe was a well-known accordion player, her mother, Maria Valente, a musical clown. She had three siblings, of whom Silvio Francesco was also active in show business.

In 1952 she married juggler Erik van Aro (Gerd Eric Horst Scholz). He recognized her talent and accompanied her in her initial years of worldwide success, although they later divorced. In 1953, she made her first recordings with Kurt Edelhagen. Soon afterwards she achieved great success with songs like "Malagueña", "The Breeze and I", and "Dreh dich nicht um" with the Werner Müller orchestra. In 1955 she was featured on the "Colgate Comedy Hour" with Gordon MacRae. Between 1966 and 1972 she was a frequent guest on the Dean Martin Show. In 1972, she married the British pianist Roy Budd; they had a son, Alexander, but they divorced in 1979.

In Germany she was a major performer of Schlager music. There she recorded Cole Porter's "I love Paris" i.e. "Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe", which sold more than 500,000 copies in (1954.) Like in other countries where she was popular, some in Germany mistakenly consider her a German singer.

Over the years, she has recorded or performed with many international stars, including Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Buddy Rich, Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman, and Chet Baker.

In 2001, she released a new album Girltalk with harpist Catherine Michel. She is also the mother of singer Eric van Aro, Jr.

Begin The Beguine
Caterina Valente Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When they begin the beguine
It brings back the sound of music so tender
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
It brings back a memory ever green

I'm with you once more under the stars
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying

When they begin the beguine

To live it again is past all endeavor
Except when that tune clutches my heart
And there we are, swearing to love forever
And promising never, never to part

What moments divine, what rapture serene
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
I know but too well what they mean

So don't let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine

Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine

When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When they begin the beguine

Overall Meaning

The song "Begin The Beguine" by Caterina Valente depicts the power of music, specifically the beguine style, in evoking memories and emotions from the past. The beguine is a ballroom dance and music that originated from the Caribbean, and it became popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about the sound of the beguine, mentioning that it brings back memories of a tropical night full of music, and it makes her feel young again. This particular tune is significant to the singer as it reminds her of a past love and the romantic moments they shared.

As the song progresses, the singer relives the enchanting moments she shared with her lover. They are once again together under the stars and listening to an orchestra playing while the palms sway to the beat of the beguine. She vows to love him forever and promises never to part ways. However, the reality is that the joy was temporary, and the clouds representing life’s challenges eventually dispersed it. The singer knows all too well the pain of missed opportunities when she hears people lamenting lost chances.

In conclusion, “Begin the Beguine” illustrates how music has the power to evoke memories and bring people back to a time when they were happy. It is a song about love, passion, and the fleeting nature of joy in life.

Line by Line Meaning

When they begin the beguine
The start of the beguine song reminds me of the past.

It brings back the sound of music so tender
The melody is sweet and gentle, making me reminiscent.

It brings back a night of tropical splendor
The exquisite evening under the stars in the tropics, is evoked.

It brings back a memory ever green
The remembrance of past events, is evergreen.

I'm with you once more under the stars
With the melody playing, I'm transported back to this romantic moment.

And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
The scene is set with an orchestra playing by the shore.

And even the palms seem to be swaying
The palm trees sway in rhythm to the music.

To live it again is past all endeavor
It's impossible to recreate that same moment.

Except when that tune clutches my heart
Only that tune can evoke the same emotions.

And there we are, swearing to love forever
We swear eternal love to one another under the stars.

And promising never, never to part
We make a vow to never separate from each other.

What moments divine, what rapture serene
Those were beautiful moments of true happiness and bliss.

Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
Our happiness was short-lived like clouds that soon moved away.

And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
Others regret wasting such chances for love.

I know but too well what they mean
I understand their sentiments all too well.

So don't let them begin the beguine
Avoid playing the song, to escape the memories it conjures.

Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
Keep the love that once blazed, now just a spark.

Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
Let the love rest, as a forgotten desire.

Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Despite the painful memories, I yearn for the song to play again.

Till the stars that were there before return above you
I long for the past where stars illuminated the sky once again.

Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
I want to hear those words once more from my beloved.

Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
Finally reunited under the beautiful night sky, we feel like we're in heaven.

When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
The start of the beguine song takes me back in time again.

When they begin the beguine
The cycle of reminiscence begins again with the start of the song.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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