The Shadow of Your Smile
Don Cornell Lyrics

The Shadow of Your Smile is a song that presents the bittersweet emotions and memories associated with the memory of a loved one who has left. The lyrics tackle a particularly poignant theme of melancholy and poignant wistfulness, especially how the memory of that person's smile color all of their dreams and bring light to dawn. The song is a lovely tribute to a departed loved one whose presence is missed, from the refrains of "when you have gone" to "our wistful little star/it was far, too high/A teardrop kissed your lips/And so did I."

The artist pleads with his love to gaze upon him, deep into his eyes, and view the loveliness within that only she can see, thus the line "Look into my eyes, my love and see/All the lovely things you are to me." The chorus remembers the past pleasures of love and the sweet sadness of the bygone era - "Now when I remember spring/All the joys that love can bring/I will be remembering/The shadow of your smile."

The song leaves its listeners with a sense of longing and whimsy. The Shadow of Your Smile was so well matched to The Sandpipers' vocal harmony style that it is no surprise that it became one of their most well-known tracks.