Autumn Leaves
Don Sebesky Lyrics


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The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment




Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Don Sebesky's song Autumn Leaves is a reflection on the passage of time and the transient nature of love. The song begins with a serene scene of falling autumn leaves outside a window, symbolic of the passing of time and the impermanent nature of life. The leaves of red and gold remind the singer of his lover's lips and the sweet memories of summer kisses and holding hands. However, as the days grow longer and winter approaches, the singer realizes the absence of his darling and the emptiness that comes with it.


The second verse, sung in French, adds another layer to the song's meaning. It speaks of a love that was once shared but has since been lost due to the inevitability of life. The lovers used to live together, and the singer reminisces about the days when they both loved one another. However, life has a way of separating those who love each other silently, without a sound. This metaphor is expressed through the image of the sea, which erases the footprints of separated lovers on the beach.


Overall, the song is imbued with a sense of melancholy and longing, a desire to hold onto those moments of love that are fleeting and vulnerable to time's passing. The lyrics of Autumn Leaves remind the listener of the beauty and fragility of love and the importance of cherishing it while it lasts.


Line by Line Meaning

The falling leaves drift by the window
The leaves of trees fall and fly past the window.


The autumn leaves of red and gold
The leaves on the ground are in the colors of autumn, red and gold.


I see your lips, the summer kisses
I can still see your lips and feel the kisses we shared during the summer.


The sun-burned hands I used to hold
I miss holding your hands which were sunburned from spending time together outdoors.


Since you went away the days grow long
After you left, each day seems longer and harder to bear.


And soon I'll hear old winter's song
Winter is coming, and with it, the sadness and loneliness that come with the cold and dark months.


But I miss you most of all my darling
Of all the things I miss, I miss you the most, my beloved.


When autumn leaves start to fall
As the leaves fall, it reminds me of the beautiful moments we shared during autumn.


C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
This is a song that represents us and our love.


Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
You loved me, and I loved you.


Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
We lived together sharing every moment.


Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
You loved me, and I loved you equally.


Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
But life separates those who love each other, without warning or reason.


Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Suddenly and quietly, without making any noise.


Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
The sea washes away the footprints of separated lovers on the sand.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Baribrotzer

Credits: (re-arranged to be slightly more readable)

- Arranged and Conducted by Don Sebesky

SOLOISTS:
- Flugelhorn (tracks: 1, 3, 10) – Tom Harrell
- Tenor Saxophone (tracks: 1, 3, 10) – Joe Lovano
- Harmonica (tracks: 2, 8) – Toots Thielemans
- Vibraphone (tracks: 3, 4, 6 to 9, 11) – Dave Samuels
- Clarinet (tracks: 4, 7, 9, 13) – Eddie Daniels
- Alto Saxophone (tracks: 5, 12) – Lee Konitz
- Flute (tracks: 6, 11) – Hubert Laws
- Valve Trombone (tracks: 7, 9) – Bob Brookmeyer
- Vocals (track: 2) – John Pizzarelli, (track: 8) – Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan, Peter Eldridge, Darmon Meader, New York Voices (track: 11) – Jeanie Bryson

ENSEMBLE:
- Trumpet, Flugelhorn (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12), – Barry Ries, Brian O'Flaherty, Glenn Drewes, Joe Mosello
- French Horn (tracks: 1, 5 to 7, 10, 12, 13) – Peter Gordon
- Trombone, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12) – Jim Pugh , John Mosca
- Bass Trombone, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12) – Alan Raph
- Tuba, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12) – Randy Andos

- Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Chuck Wilson
- Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Lawrence Feldman
- Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Dave Tofani
- Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, English Horn (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Tom Christensen
- Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Kenny Berger

- Guitar (tracks: 2, 4)– John Pizzarelli, (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7 to 12) – Larry Coryell, (track: 8) – Ken Sebesky
- Bass (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12) – Eddie Gomez, (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 9, 10) – Marc Johnson
- Percussion (track: 3) – Sue Evans, (track: 6) – Joe Passaro
- Drums (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 9, 10) – Joe LaBarbera, (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12) – Marty Morell
- Additional Drums (tracks: 5, 7, 10) – Dennis Mackrel
- Cymbal (tracks: 8) – Dennis Mackrel

- Violins (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13)–Cenovia Cummins, Dale Stuckenbruck, Evan Johnson, Joel Pitchon, Laura Seaton, Lisa Matricardl, Martin Agee, Max Ellen, Roy Lewis, Shinwon Kim.
- Violas (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – Jesse Levine, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Mitsue Takayama
- Cellos (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – Caryl Paisner, Sarah Carter
- Bass (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – John Miller
- Harp (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – Stacey Shames

OTHER CREDITS:
- Contractor [Brass And Woodwinds] – John Mosca
- Contractor [Strings] – John Miller
- Coordinator [Production] – Katherine Neubauer
- Copyist – Anita Brown, Khadafy Khan, Lynn Welshman
- Design – Greenberg Kingsley
- Engineer – Jay Newland
- Engineer [Assistant] – Jason Standard, Joe Shatoff, Keith Shortreed, Ken Ross, Mark Fraunfelder
- Executive-Producer – Steven Gates
- Mastered By – Jay Newland, Tom MacCluskey
- Mixed By – Don Sebesky, Jay Newland
- Photography By [Additional] – David Sokosh, Jana Leon
- Photography By [Cover] – Chris Ferebee
- Producer – Don Sebesky, John Snyder
- Recorded June 4 & 9, 1997 at Sound on Sound Recording, New York City.(tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13)



All comments from YouTube:

Baribrotzer

Credits: (re-arranged to be slightly more readable)

- Arranged and Conducted by Don Sebesky

SOLOISTS:
- Flugelhorn (tracks: 1, 3, 10) – Tom Harrell
- Tenor Saxophone (tracks: 1, 3, 10) – Joe Lovano
- Harmonica (tracks: 2, 8) – Toots Thielemans
- Vibraphone (tracks: 3, 4, 6 to 9, 11) – Dave Samuels
- Clarinet (tracks: 4, 7, 9, 13) – Eddie Daniels
- Alto Saxophone (tracks: 5, 12) – Lee Konitz
- Flute (tracks: 6, 11) – Hubert Laws
- Valve Trombone (tracks: 7, 9) – Bob Brookmeyer
- Vocals (track: 2) – John Pizzarelli, (track: 8) – Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan, Peter Eldridge, Darmon Meader, New York Voices (track: 11) – Jeanie Bryson

ENSEMBLE:
- Trumpet, Flugelhorn (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12), – Barry Ries, Brian O'Flaherty, Glenn Drewes, Joe Mosello
- French Horn (tracks: 1, 5 to 7, 10, 12, 13) – Peter Gordon
- Trombone, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12) – Jim Pugh , John Mosca
- Bass Trombone, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12) – Alan Raph
- Tuba, Euphonium [Baritone Horn] (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 10, 12) – Randy Andos

- Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Chuck Wilson
- Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Lawrence Feldman
- Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Dave Tofani
- Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, English Horn (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Tom Christensen
- Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 8, 10, 12, 13) – Kenny Berger

- Guitar (tracks: 2, 4)– John Pizzarelli, (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7 to 12) – Larry Coryell, (track: 8) – Ken Sebesky
- Bass (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12) – Eddie Gomez, (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 9, 10) – Marc Johnson
- Percussion (track: 3) – Sue Evans, (track: 6) – Joe Passaro
- Drums (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 9, 10) – Joe LaBarbera, (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12) – Marty Morell
- Additional Drums (tracks: 5, 7, 10) – Dennis Mackrel
- Cymbal (tracks: 8) – Dennis Mackrel

- Violins (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13)–Cenovia Cummins, Dale Stuckenbruck, Evan Johnson, Joel Pitchon, Laura Seaton, Lisa Matricardl, Martin Agee, Max Ellen, Roy Lewis, Shinwon Kim.
- Violas (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – Jesse Levine, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Mitsue Takayama
- Cellos (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – Caryl Paisner, Sarah Carter
- Bass (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – John Miller
- Harp (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13) – Stacey Shames

OTHER CREDITS:
- Contractor [Brass And Woodwinds] – John Mosca
- Contractor [Strings] – John Miller
- Coordinator [Production] – Katherine Neubauer
- Copyist – Anita Brown, Khadafy Khan, Lynn Welshman
- Design – Greenberg Kingsley
- Engineer – Jay Newland
- Engineer [Assistant] – Jason Standard, Joe Shatoff, Keith Shortreed, Ken Ross, Mark Fraunfelder
- Executive-Producer – Steven Gates
- Mastered By – Jay Newland, Tom MacCluskey
- Mixed By – Don Sebesky, Jay Newland
- Photography By [Additional] – David Sokosh, Jana Leon
- Photography By [Cover] – Chris Ferebee
- Producer – Don Sebesky, John Snyder
- Recorded June 4 & 9, 1997 at Sound on Sound Recording, New York City.(tracks: 2, 4, 6, 11, 13)

In tune

Really appreciate you
Making it easier to identify the players.
Never knew Ken Sebesky played guitar.

Victoria Racz

AMAZING album, and thank you for listing the entire personnel!

Henri de Lagardère

Your attentiveness and communicative train of thought are consoling and joyous character traits, and with Massimo Casulini's channel gone, yours is our #1 jazz album channel. Our tastes seem to overlap so much that it's like seeing my own collection online. John Pizzarelli remembering the placid piano giant together with Toots was poignant, to say the least.

In tune

Blue Born Is a good channel also. Is it a competition or people sharing their musical perspectives?
Either way we all are lucky for these channels.
diegodobini2 is worth checking out. I look forward to all these daily offerings

SantAgusti16

what Bill said in that interview is still very true and right. Thanks for sharing

Leandro Hernan Bardach

Soft and yet very powerful harmonies in this beautiful blowing phrases.

Karl G

Incredibly soul lifting. Thanks for uploading.

Volzer 77

Que coisa mais linda... 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

francesco barresi

Great music !! Thanks for sharing

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