Stardust
Dave Brubeck Lyrics


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And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.

Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song

Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain




My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.

Overall Meaning

The song "Stardust" expresses feelings of nostalgia and heartbreak. The singer opens up about the feelings they experience as they witness the sunset and stars rising in the sky. The purple dusk of twilight time is a metaphor for the end of a romantic relationship, and the stars that are climbing high into the sky serve as a reminder that the two people are separated. The lyrics reveal a deep sense of loss as the person is left with memories of a love that has ended, but these memories are still cherished in the form of a melancholy song.


The singer of the song is haunted by the melody of a song that echoes their past memories. They reminisce about the time when their love was new and fresh with every kiss. However, the love they once shared is now a thing of the past. The singer tries to find solace in the stardust of the song, as it has become a memory of their love's refrain. The lyrics reveal a poignant yearning for the lost love and deep despair for the present situation.


Overall, the song "Stardust" portrays a heart-wrenching tale of a love that has ended, leaving behind only bittersweet memories in the form of a melody.


Line by Line Meaning

And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The evening time is upon me, where the sun has gone down and the sky is filled with hues of purple and blue.


Steals across the meadows of my heart
This time of day causes a soft and introspective mood that stretches across my heart and fills my thoughts.


High up in the sky the little stars climb
The stars start to ascend into the night sky, far reaches of the universe coming to life.


Always reminding me that we're apart
The stars remind me of how far apart we are, and how they are the only constant that link us in the distance.


You wander down the lane and far away
You have left me to go away and I am left here on this path alone.


Leaving me a song that will not die
The only thing you left behind was this song and it will always stay with me.


Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The love we shared now exists as memories and will always be a part of the past.


The music of the years gone by.
The music from that time brings me nostalgia and evokes memories of times that were simpler.


Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
At times I ponder how I spend my time thinking about the past and memories of you.


The lonely nights
When I am all alone with no one to hold close in my heart.


Dreaming of a song
Dreaming of a tune I heard in my youth, filled with sentiment and emotion.


The melody
The tune plays smoothly in my heart and fills me with a tender feeling.


Haunts my reverie
The melody carries with it memories and nostalgia that returns to me in a dream or memories.


And I am once again with you
Whenever I hear this melody, I feel like I am with you once again.


When our love was new
Back when the love we shared was new and flourishing with possibility.


And each kiss an inspiration
Each kiss used to draw feelings of inspiration and hope for something more, something grand.


But that was long ago
Those days of new love and excitement are long gone now, and those memories are from back then.


And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
I have found solace in the memory of that old tune that echoes my heartstrings - it reminds me of love's triumphant rise and fall, and the memories that swell within.


Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
At times when the stars are shining in the sky, I walk besides the garden wall.


You are in my arms
In my mind and heart, you are with me and I feel your embrace.


The nightingale
The beautiful bird who sings heartwarming tunes into the night, nearby.


Tells his fairytale
The bird's melody is so beautiful, it tells a story of bliss and perfection.


Of paradise, where roses grew
The story is of a world where roses flourish and everything is beautiful and perfect.


Though I dream in vain
Although I dream of having you near me again, it is nothing but a dream that cannot be fulfilled.


In my heart it will remain
The dream will remain in my heart as a reminder of the time we shared, the love we felt and the moments we lived.


My stardust melody
This old tune that reminds me of our past love and our journey together.


The memory of love's refrain.
The old tune that brings me back to love's sweet embrace and the memories of the moments we shared.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@pamelawomack3076

mornings have improved since I started listening to this beautiful jazz instead of the news

@ScalerWave

I was never a Jazz fan until listening to Paul Desmond.

@stevenlowel486

When I first heard this piece, I was driving and I was only a couple blocks from home and got lost! This song is so hauntingly beautiful that I play it often before I sleep and I hear it in my dreams

@Shaker626

How long ago was that, may I ask?

@danielfavre7741

Paul Desmond is so expressive and unfolds so feeling that reaches our sensibility.

@jeremywheeler5522

Just astonishingly beautiful in its inventive improvisation of perhaps the greatest melody ever written for a popular song by the talented Mr Hoagy Carmichael. At 83 I sit here and wonder about how such near perfection can exist in a world so totally screwed up by humanity.

@karlirvine8774

What a lie

@marketccess1

From Paul’s horn to God’s ears. How lucky for us to be in the audience!

@williamneumyer7147

Very nice combination of the cut with the photo montage.

@The_Preacher_LLC

I just want you to know. I grew up on Paul & Dave cause my old man played Paul. Did gigs in his early 20’s. Sounded just like him. Carnegie Hall was my bible. I was missing him so much today and vis just crusherd me missing my Pop. Im 40. You posting this, just made my day. I thank you. Take care.

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