She was a dancer at the Folies Bergere in Las Vegas. and met Andy Williams when he pulled over to aid her on a desert road. They married on Christmas Day 1961 and had three children, Noelle, Christian and Robert. In 1968, she appeared in "The Party" with Peter Sellers and sang "Nothing to Lose" by Henry Mancini. Longet recorded a series of five MOR albums for A&M Records between 1966 and 1970 and two albums for Williams's Barnaby label in 1971 and 1972. She also made frequent acting appearances in television series and appeared from time to time on Williams' variety series and specials. Williams called Longet a beautiful, sleek brunette with large doe eyes, "my favorite French singer". She and Williams separated in 1969 but did not divorce until 6 years later.
Longet has never performed again after the criminal trial, and the Sabich family initiated civil proceedings to sue Longet. The case was eventually settled out of court for a large monetary settlement, with the proviso that Longet never tell or write about her story. They also demanded that Claudine withdraw from public circulation her recording of "Bang Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down."
Sunrise Sunset
Claudine Longet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn over night to sunflowers
Blossoming even as they gaze
Sunrise, sunset x2
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Is this the little girl I carried
Is this the little boy at play
I don′t remember growing older
When did they
When did she get to be a beauty
When did he grow to be so tall
Wasn't it yesterday they were tall
Sunrise, sunset x2
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn over night to sunflowers
Blossoming even as they gaze
Sunrise, sunset x2
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
Sunrise, sunset x2
The song “Sunrise Sunset” by Claudine Longet is a beautiful and poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the passage of life. The lyrics serve as a reminder of how quickly time moves, and how things can change in the blink of an eye. The first two lines, “Sunrise, sunset, swiftly flow the days,” set the tone for the song, as it speaks about how time moves quickly and how one must cherish every moment. The verse speaks to how nature changes so quickly, as the “seedlings turn over night to sunflowers, blossoming even as they gaze.”
As the song continues, it speaks of how children grow up so quickly and how time passes without one even realizing. Lines such as “Is this the little girl I carried, is this the little boy at play, I don’t remember growing older, when did they?” conjure up feelings of nostalgia and the desire to hold on to cherished moments. The lyrics go on to speak about how quickly children grow up, asking “When did she get to be a beauty, when did he grow to be so tall, wasn't it yesterday they were small?” This serves as a reminder to cherish moments and to appreciate every stage of life.
The song ends with the repetition of the first verse, “Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years, one season following another, laden with happiness and tears.” The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the inevitability of time and how it moves on, regardless of how one feels about it.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunrise, sunset
The passing of time from day to night, or from season to season
Swiftly flow the days
The days pass quickly and seemingly without notice
Seedlings turn over night to sunflowers
Small and fragile beginnings can lead to beautiful and strong outcomes
Blossoming even as they gaze
The growth and transformation happens so fast that it can go unnoticed or taken for granted
Swiftly fly the years
The years pass quickly and before one knows it, a lot of time has gone by
One season following another
Time passes in an orderly and cyclical manner, with one season leading to another
Laden with happiness and tears
Life is composed of both happy and sad moments, and both are important to cherish
Is this the little girl I carried
Reflecting on the past and how quickly children grow up
Is this the little boy at play
Reflecting on the past and how quickly children grow up
I don't remember growing older
Time passes so quickly that one may not even notice themselves growing older
When did they
Reflecting on the changes and growth of others over time
When did she get to be a beauty
Reflecting on the growth and beauty of someone else over time
When did he grow to be so tall
Reflecting on the growth and height of someone else over time
Wasn't it yesterday they were tall
Reflecting on how quickly time has passed and how different things are now compared to before
Writer(s): Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock
Contributed by Elizabeth J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.