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.
Speak Low
Charlie Byrd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our summer day withers away
Too soon, too soon.
Speak low when you speak, love,
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
We're swept apart too soon.
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Too soon, too soon,
I feel wherever I go
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
And always too soon.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
We're late darling, we're late,
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Too soon, too soon,
I wait darling, I wait
Will you speak low to me,
Speak love to me and soon.
The song "Speak Low" by Charlie Byrd revolves around the themes of love, transience and the elusive nature of time. The song implores the listener to speak low, specifically when speaking about love, as the time spent in love is fleeting and ephemeral. Byrd uses the metaphor of a fading summer day to convey the fleeting nature of love. The song emphasizes the importance of cherishing the present moment and living in the moment because tomorrow is always just around the corner.
As the song moves on, the lyrics delve deeper into the nature of love and time. Byrd sings about how time is old and love is brief, highlighting the stark contrast between the two. The metaphor of time as a thief is also introduced, further elaborating on the idea that time is fleeting and cannot be stopped. The song ends on a melancholic note with the realization that everything must come to an end, and the only way to make the most of what we have is by speaking low, speaking love and living in the moment.
Overall, "Speak Low" is a poignant and insightful song that captures the transient nature of love and the importance of cherishing every moment. The song encourages the listener to live in the moment, appreciate the present and speak low when speaking of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low when you speak, love,
In matters of love, it is important to speak subtly and softly.
Our summer day withers away
Love is fleeting and, like the summer, it won't last forever.
Too soon, too soon.
The time spent with a loved one is never enough and always ends too quickly.
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
The moments spent with a lover are like ships on the sea - they are fleeting and easily swept apart.
We're swept apart too soon.
Like ships that are blown apart by a storm, lovers are often separated by life's circumstances.
Speak low, darling speak low,
Like a secret shared between two people, love is best expressed in whispers and soft words.
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love can be fleeting and easily lost, like a spark in the darkness.
Too soon, too soon,
Love, like time, moves too quickly and before you know it, it's over.
I feel wherever I go
No matter where I am, I am always thinking of my lover.
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
Time moves fast and tomorrow comes quickly, bringing us one day closer to the end of our love story.
And always too soon.
Just like how time brings tomorrow too soon, love always ends too quickly.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Time is a long-lasting concept while love, in comparison, is fleeting and short-lived.
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
Love is a precious and valuable thing while time takes it away from us, like a thief.
We're late darling, we're late,
We have missed our chance at love and now it's too late to go back in time.
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Just like the end of a play, love has an ending and when it comes, everything is over.
Too soon, too soon,
Love always ends too quickly, making it feel like it passed by in a blink of an eye.
I wait darling, I wait
I wait for you to speak to me, to express your love for me.
Will you speak low to me,
Will you talk to me softly and in secret about the love that you feel?
Speak love to me and soon.
Speak of love to me and soon, before time takes it away.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Matt Masion
So awesome!
raymond laracuenta
Very nice!!!
Виноградник и Сады Елисеевых
Without rhythm, and so you can see a high pro! And even at such a mature age-Super!!!
Polixenia Graf
Thank you! 😘👏👏👏
TreebytheSea831
2:56 why i like watching jazz as a guitarist
Dude on a computer
This is not Manha de carnival! Gorgeous as well, though.
Michael Fox
“Speak Low” - not “Manha de Carnaval”
World of Jazz
Thank you!
Pedro Duge
Jazz or Bossanova?
the godfather
Dommage que la démonstration , sublime , soit polluée d'une rythmique assourdissante ...