What'd I Say
Dionne Warwick Lyrics


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The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you
While combing my hair, now
And wondering what dress to wear, now
I say a little prayer for you

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever and ever, we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only mean heartbreak for me

I run for the bus, dear
While riding I think of us, dear
I say a little prayer for you
At work, I just take time
And all through my coffee break-time
I say a little prayer for you

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever and ever, we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only mean heartbreak for me

Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum
(I say a little prayer for you)
Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum
(I say a little prayer for you)

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever and ever, we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only mean heartbreak for me

My darling, believe me
For me there is no one but you
Please love me too
I'm in love with you
Answer my prayer
Say you love me too
Why don't you answer my prayer? Yeah
You know every day I say a little prayer




I said, I say, I say a little prayer
Why don't you just answer my prayer?

Overall Meaning

"I Say a Little Prayer" by Dionne Warwick is a classic love song that emphasizes the idea of day-to-day love and being grateful for one's partner. The lyrics talk about a woman who, from the moment she wakes up, thinks about her significant other and says a little prayer for them. She shows her love by thinking about her partner while she's getting ready for her day, thinking about them at work during her coffee breaks, and even thinking about them while riding the bus. She talks about how forever they will stay in her heart and how living without them would only mean heartbreak for her. She then pleadingly asks her partner to answer her prayer and to love her too.


The song primarily emphasizes the feeling of love and how a person can think about their loved one throughout their day. It also shows how an individual feels when they love someone so much and cannot imagine a life without them. The song also tells the story of how sometimes when people are in love, they can feel insecure and are always asking for reassurance from their partner.


Overall, "I Say a Little Prayer" is a beautiful expression of love and commitment between two people who want to spend their life together.


Line by Line Meaning

The moment I wake up
As soon as I wake up in the morning


Before I put on my makeup
Before I start getting ready for the day


I say a little prayer for you
I hope that you'll have a good day and that everything will go well for you


While combing my hair, now
As I'm getting ready, specifically while combing my hair


And wondering what dress to wear, now
And trying to decide what to wear for the day


I say a little prayer for you
I hope that you'll have a good day and that everything will go well for you


Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
I will always care about you


And I will love you
I have strong feelings for you


Forever and ever, we never will part
We will always be together and never separate


Oh, how I'll love you
I will love you very much


Together, together, that's how it must be
We need to be together and support each other


To live without you
If I didn't have you in my life


Would only mean heartbreak for me
I would be very sad and lonely


I run for the bus, dear
When I'm trying to catch the bus


While riding I think of us, dear
I think about our relationship while I'm on the bus


At work, I just take time
While I'm at work, I take a moment


And all through my coffee break-time
Specifically during my coffee break at work


I say a little prayer for you
I hope that you're having a good day and that everything is going well for you


Bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum
A music interlude


(I say a little prayer for you)
I hope that you're doing well and that good things are happening in your life


My darling, believe me
Listen to what I'm saying


For me there is no one but you
I only have strong feelings for you


Please love me too
I hope that you feel the same about me


I'm in love with you
I have romantic feelings for you


Answer my prayer
Please respond to my request


Say you love me too
Let me know that you have feelings for me as well


Why don't you answer my prayer? Yeah
Why aren't you responding to my request or giving me the attention that I want?


You know every day I say a little prayer
I hope that every day is a good day for you


I said, I say, I say a little prayer
I always have good thoughts for you


Why don't you just answer my prayer?
Why aren't you responding to my requests?




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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