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.

You Stepped Out of a Dream
Caterina Valente Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You stepped out of a dream
You are too wonderful to be what you seem!
Could there be eyes like yours,
Could there be lips like yours
Could there be smiles like yours,
Honest and truly?
You stepped out of a cloud
I want to take you away, away from the crowd

And have you all to myself,
Alone and apart out of a dream,
Safe in my heart

You stepped out of a dream
You are too wonderful to be what you seem!
Could there be eyes like yours,
Could there be lips like yours
Could there be smiles like yours,
Honest and truly?
You stepped out of a cloud
I want to take you away, away from the crowd
And have you all to myself,

Alone and apart out of a dream,
Safe in my heart

Overall Meaning

Caterina Valente's song "You Stepped Out of a Dream" is a romantic ballad that describes the awe and reverence that someone feels towards the person they love. The lyrics express how enchanting and captivating the person is to the singer, who sees them as "too wonderful to be what you seem." To the singer, they are perfect in every way, with eyes, lips, and smiles that are unmatched in their beauty and honesty.

The reference to a cloud suggests that the person seems almost otherworldly, as if they have stepped into the singer's life from a dream. The singer longs to take the person away from the crowds and be alone with them, where they can cherish and protect their love for each other.

In summary, "You Stepped Out of a Dream" is a romantic plea for love and intimacy, a yearning to be swept away by the beauty and wonder of the one true love. The lyrics convey the idea that true love can be found in the least expected places, and that it is worth holding onto and cherishing forever.

Line by Line Meaning

You stepped out of a dream
I cannot believe that you are actually here with me, it's like you jumped out of my wildest dreams and into my reality.

You are too wonderful to be what you seem!
Your beauty and excellence are so unbelievable that I am not even sure if you could be real or just an amazing creation of my imagination.

Could there be eyes like yours,
Are your eyes really as beautiful and captivating as they seem or am I just imagining things?

Could there be lips like yours
Are your lips truly as perfect and enticing as I perceive them or is it just my fantasy?

Could there be smiles like yours,
Can someone's smile really be as lovely and sincere as yours or is it a figment of my imagination?

Honest and truly?
I am not sure if anyone could be as genuine and truthful as you appear to be, but I hope it's true.

You stepped out of a cloud
You were so unexpected and unforeseen that I feel like you came out of nowhere and appeared before me like a miracle.

I want to take you away, away from the crowd
I wish to remove you from the noise and confusion of this world and have you all to myself, so I can cherish your beauty and greatness in peace.

And have you all to myself,
I long to have you exclusively for myself, to love you and pamper you with all my heart.

Alone and apart out of a dream,
I want to be with you in a serene and isolated world where we are free to love and be loved without any obstacles, like in a dream come true.

Safe in my heart
I want to keep you safe and cherished in my heart forever, and never let go of the love and admiration I have for you.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gus Kahn, Nacio Herb Brown

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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