MEMORY
Cats Musical Lyrics
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Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every streetlamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters
And the streetlamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I musn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun
The lyrics to Cats Musical's song Memory, performed by the character Grizabella, depict a sense of melancholy and longing for the past. The first stanza sets the scene of the empty streets at midnight and the moon, which Grizabella personifies, appears to have lost her memory as she smiles alone in the lamplight. The withered leaves and the moaning wind add to the desolate atmosphere. In the chorus, Grizabella sings about how she is all alone now and remembers the time when she was beautiful and happy. She wishes to relive those moments and let the memory live again.
The second verse highlights the fatalistic warning she senses from the streetlamps and her realization that another night will soon be over. She waits for the sunrise and tries to think of a new life, but she mustn't give in when that dawn comes. The final chorus is a plea to be touched, to be understood, and to feel happiness once again. The song ends with a sense of hope as Grizabella recognizes that a new day has begun, giving her another chance at finding happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight
It's late at night, everything is quiet
Not a sound from the pavement
The streets are quiet with no traffic or noise
Has the moon lost her memory?
The moon seems to have forgotten something and is absent-mindedly shining
She is smiling alone
The moon is lonely and shining by herself
In the lamplight
The streetlights are the only source of light
The withered leaves collect at my feet
Fallen leaves have gathered around my feet
And the wind begins to moan
The wind is picking up and making eerie sounds
Memory
Recalling past memories
All alone in the moonlight
Feels isolated and just thinking under the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
Reflecting on old memories and smiling about them
I was beautiful then
Reminiscing about a time when they were young and attractive
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Thinking about a happy time in their life
Let the memory live again
Wishing they could go back to that happy time and relive it
Every streetlamp
All the street lamps
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
The street lights appear to convey a message of doom
Someone mutters
Someone nearby is speaking quietly
And the streetlamp gutters
The street light flickers
And soon it will be morning
Dawn is approaching
Daylight
The sun is rising
I must wait for the sunrise
Waiting for daylight to come
I must think of a new life
Contemplating the need to make changes in their life
And I musn't give in
Not giving up, staying strong
When the dawn comes
Once daylight arrives
Tonight will be a memory too
This night will be remembered in the future
And a new day will begin
A new day has started
Burnt out ends of smoky days
Looking back at days that were filled with smoke, foggy or unclear
The stale cold smell of morning
An unpleasant scent of the morning
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
The street lights turn off signaling the end of the night
Another day is dawning
A new day is beginning
Touch me
Asking to be comforted
It's so easy to leave me
Feeling abandoned and neglected
All alone with the memory
Being left with memories of better times
Of my days in the sun
Remembering happy times
If you touch me
Suggesting that physical touch can offer comfort and care
You'll understand what happiness is
Affection can bring happiness
Look, a new day has begun
Announcing the beginning of a new day
Contributed by Alexandra O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.