Byrd primarily looked up to Django Reinhardt. He moved to Washington, D.C., to study classical guitar with the renowned Sophocles Papas. He later moved to Italy where he studied with Andrés Segovia. In the early 1960's he was on a State Department tour in South America where he was introduced to a new music, the bossa nova, which was the musical passion of Brazil beginning in the late 50's. Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz had been in Brazil about six months earlier than Byrd, also on a State Department tour, where he, too, was exposed to the bossa nova. A short time later Getz called Byrd in D.C. and suggested the idea that they collaborate on a bossa nova album. That album was the introduction of bossa nova to North America.
He is perhaps most well known as a collaborator with Stan Getz on the Jazz Samba album, which featured many themes of bossa nova, and of course, samba.
Isn't It Romantic
Charlie Byrd Lyrics
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I can't forget you, I've thought you out, dear.
I know your profile and I know the way you kiss,
Just the things I miss on a night like this.
If dreams are made of imagination
I'm not afraid of my own creation.
With all my heart, my heart is here for you to take.
Why should I quake? I'm not awake.
Isn't it romantic?
Music in the night, a dream that can be heard.
Isn't it romantic?
Moving shadows write the oldest magic word.
I hear the breezes playing in the trees above
While all the world is saying you were meant for love.
Isn't it romantic
Merely to be young on such a night as this?
Isn't it romantic?
Every note that's sung is like a lover's kiss.
Sweet symbols in the moonlight,
Do you mean that I will fall in love per chance?
Isn't it romance?
My face is glowing, I'm energetic.
The art of sewing I found poetic.
My needle punctuates the rhythm of romance.
I don't give a stitch if I don't get rich.
A custom tailor who has no custom
Is like a sailor, no one will trust 'em.
But there is magic in the music of my shears.
I shed no tears, lend me your ears.
Isn't it romantic?
Soon I will have found some girl that I adore.
Isn't it romantic?
While I sit around my love can scrub the floor.
She'll kiss me every hour or she'll get the sack
And when I take a shower she can scrub my back.
Isn't it romantic?
On a moonlight night she'll cook me onion soup.
Kiddies are romantic
And if we don't fight we soon will have a troupe.
We'll help the population,
It's a duty that we owe to dear old France.
Isn't it romance?
The lyrics of Charlie Byrd's song "Isn't It Romantic" communicate a deep longing for love and affection, and the belief that true love is achievable. The first verse speaks to the singer's connection with an unknown person - someone he's never met but can't stop thinking about. He imagines their profile and the way they kiss, and even though he knows his love exists only in his imagination, he trusts it nonetheless. The chorus punctuates this dreamy sentiment, with the idea that the music in the night is like a dream you can hear, and the moving shadows are writing the oldest magic word - that word being "love."
The second verse shifts to the singer's personal experience of love. He speaks of the joy he finds in "the rhythm of romance," and the way that sewing (an activity typically associated with women) has become poetic to him. He continues with playful lyrics about finding a woman who will kiss him every hour and scrub his back in the shower. The passage concludes with a comic reference to "helping the population," which speaks to the idealized vision of creating a happy family unit.
This song captures an idealized version of love - a romance that is dreamy, sensual, and almost childlike. The lyrics convey a romanticized vision of love that is all the more powerful for its simplicity. While some contemporary listeners may find the lyrics a bit cloying, they are undeniably effective in their ability to communicate a longing for love and affection.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never met you, yet never doubt, dear;
Despite never having met, my confidence in my feelings for you is unwavering.
I can't forget you, I've thought you out, dear.
I've imagined you so many times that I could never forget you.
I know your profile and I know the way you kiss,
I've dreamed of your features and even the way you'd kiss me.
Just the things I miss on a night like this.
I long for your companionship on a night as beautiful as this.
If dreams are made of imagination
If dreams are constructed from the mind's eye,
I'm not afraid of my own creation.
I have no fear of my own ability to imagine and dream.
With all my heart, my heart is here for you to take.
My heart belongs to you and is eagerly waiting for your acceptance.
Why should I quake? I'm not awake.
I have no reason to worry or fear, as I'm merely dreaming.
Isn't it romantic?
Isn't it enchanting, fascinating, and lovely?
Music in the night, a dream that can be heard.
The sounds of the night are so magical and dreamlike.
Moving shadows write the oldest magic word.
The shadows and flickers in the night hold the essence of true magic.
I hear the breezes playing in the trees above
I can hear the winds and breezes rustling the leaves of the trees above.
While all the world is saying you were meant for love.
The world agrees that love is your calling.
Merely to be young on such a night as this?
Is it not wonderful just to be young and alive on such a beautiful night?
Every note that's sung is like a lover's kiss.
Each note of the music is a kiss from a lover.
Sweet symbols in the moonlight,
The moonlight creates lovely symbols that enchant the heart.
Do you mean that I will fall in love per chance?
Could this be a sign that I will soon fall in love?
Isn't it romance?
Isn't it such a romantic thought?
My face is glowing, I'm energetic.
I'm full of energy and my face reflects my happiness.
The art of sewing I found poetic.
To me, even sewing is a poetic and romantic art.
My needle punctuates the rhythm of romance.
My sewing needle punctuates the rhythm of love in my heart.
I don't give a stitch if I don't get rich.
I don't care about getting rich if it means giving up what I love.
A custom tailor who has no custom
A tailor with no customers
Is like a sailor, no one will trust 'em.
Is like a sailor who has lost the trust of his crew.
But there is magic in the music of my shears.
There is magic in the sounds and motions of my sewing shears.
I shed no tears, lend me your ears.
I don't cry, just listen to what I have to say.
Soon I will have found some girl that I adore.
Soon, I hope to have found a girl that I love.
While I sit around my love can scrub the floor.
While I do what I love, my partner can do what they love.
She'll kiss me every hour or she'll get the sack
My partner will kiss me every hour, or else they may lose their job.
And when I take a shower she can scrub my back.
When I take a shower, my partner can scrub my back.
On a moonlight night she'll cook me onion soup.
On a beautiful night, my partner will cook me onion soup.
Kiddies are romantic
Children are romantic and lovely.
And if we don't fight we soon will have a troupe.
And if we don't argue, we'll soon have a big family.
We'll help the population,
We'll contribute to the growth of the population.
It's a duty that we owe to dear old France.
It's our responsibility to our beloved country of France.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD RODGERS, LORENZ HART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind