Sophisticated Lady
Duke Ellington Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They say into your early life romance came
And in this heart of yours burned a flame
A flame that flickered one day and died away
Then, with disillusion deep in your eyes
You learned that fools in love soon grow wise
The years have changed you, somehow
I see you now
Smoking, drinking, never thinking of tomorrow, nonchalant
Diamonds shining, dancing, dining with some man in a restaurant
Is that all you really want?
No, sophisticated lady




I know, you miss the love you lost long ago
And when nobody is nigh you cry

Overall Meaning

Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Lady is a song that delves into the inner thoughts and emotions of a woman who appears to be living a life of wealth and luxury, but is actually longing for something more. The first verse speaks about how the woman's heart was once full of passion and love, but over time, she became disillusioned and learned that love can be fleeting. As a result, she has become jaded and indifferent towards love, living in the moment without any thought of the future.


The chorus of the song poses a question to the woman, asking if the materialistic lifestyle she is living is truly what she desires. The answer is a resounding no – the sophisticated lady misses the love she once had and cries when she is alone. The song's lyrics paint a picture of a woman who, despite appearing to have everything she could want, is ultimately unfulfilled and lonely.


The bittersweet tone of the song is emphasized through Ellington's use of minor chords, which contribute to the melancholic and reflective mood of the piece. The lyrics are also notable for their use of alliteration, with the repeated "s" sounds in "sophisticated lady" adding a sense of elegance and refinement to the song.


Line by Line Meaning

They say into your early life romance came
They say that early on in your life, you experienced romance.


And in this heart of yours burned a flame
You felt a strong passion in your heart at that time.


A flame that flickered one day and died away
This passion was short-lived and eventually faded away.


Then, with disillusion deep in your eyes
Afterwards, you became disappointed and disillusioned.


You learned that fools in love soon grow wise
You realized that those who fall in love eventually become wiser about it.


The years have changed you, somehow
Over time, you've changed in some way.


I see you now
I can now see how you've changed.


Smoking, drinking, never thinking of tomorrow, nonchalant
Nowadays, you smoke, drink, and don't think about the future. You're carefree and indifferent.


Diamonds shining, dancing, dining with some man in a restaurant
You're enjoying the luxury life, shining in diamonds, and spending time with men in fancy restaurants.


Is that all you really want?
Is all of this really what you want in life?


No, sophisticated lady
I know you're not truly fulfilled.


I know, you miss the love you lost long ago
You miss the love you had in the past that you lost a long time ago.


And when nobody is nigh you cry
When you're alone, you cry because you're not truly happy.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edward Kennedy Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@tonietoney5917

Wow, here I sit in front of my laptop using my great wireless speakers - coming up on 84 and reminiscing about listening as a toddler to this kind of music in Long Beach, California's wonderful Municipal Auditorium surrounded by the Rainbow Pier. Both are gone now but thank goodness the music has been saved. As I watched my father and mother in that building dancing to live big band music, knowing that soon dad would get pulled back into the Navy again after what happened at Pearl - this music saturated all of the spaces in my little brain. An 18 year old mother and a 27 year old dad, locked together romantically on the dance floor to this exquisite type of music is a memory I will cling to until I die. It never was the same after that war. When dad returned in '46, permanently messed up, he told me, "Now son, you and your buddies won't have to worry about any wars!" Too bad that didn't pan out. This music simultaneously breaks my heart and fills me with joyful thoughts. How can that be possible? Why can't we all just be good to each other worldwide?
You must hear Harry Carney play this on the bari sax.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brqxEdwsTQs

@drunkenvampire4179

Duke Ellington and Bill Evans are definitely my favorite musicians to ever perform in Jazz.

@miguelangelnunez6990

I'm Here for Murakami's "After Dark" book, the midnight bar scene!

@ClaudioLaureano936

Me too. Great book with a great "soundtrack".

@TheOtherOne7isBlueMaid

Yesssss!

@alejandroirra9816

yo tmb xD

@AruminDes

Omg me too. I'm currently reading it. 2021 and this lockdown gave me a good chance to read some great books.

@srishtaayy

I was looking for the comment haha! I search all the songs he mentions

6 More Replies...

@preciousthing101

BRILLIANT!!!! this melody completely transported me somewhere else. From Good ol' El Paso Tx to a cold Manhattan night.

@rougeotn2647

Duke Ellington is from washington DC.

More Comments

More Versions