Sophisticated Lady
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra/Rosemary Clooney Lyrics


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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

The opening lines of "Sophisticated Lady" by Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton evoke imagery of a lover recounting the past of the sophisticated lady. The lyrics reveal the lady's past, where romance came into her life at an early age, igniting in her an intense flame, only to be extinguished later, leaving her disillusioned. The lyrics suggest that, despite this disillusionment, the lady grew wise and was changed, and the lover sees her as she is now. She now smokes and drinks, is nonchalant, but there is a sadness in her heart. The person who once held passion, love and desire is now just a sophisticated lady who no longer understands her heart's true purpose.


The last four lines of the verse reveal a great deal of vulnerability on the part of the sophisticated lady. Despite her overt sophistication, there is something missing in her life. She has lost her love and longs for it, shedding tears when she is alone. The song remains relevant today as it speaks to the human experience, where one may have success in life, but still, something may be missing. The sophisticated lady seems to be living in contrast to her heart's desire, attempting to fill the void with superficial material possessions.


Fun Facts about the song:


Line by Line Meaning

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


And in this heart of yours burned a flame
You had a strong passion burning in your heart


A flame that flickered one day and died away
This passion eventually died and disappeared


Then, with disillusion deep in your eyes
Afterwards, you felt disappointed and had a lack of faith


You learned that fools in love soon grow wise
You realized that being foolish in love doesn't last and people grow wiser with time


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


I see you now
I see you currently


Smoking, drinking, never thinking of tomorrow, nonchalant
You engage in smoking and drinking without thinking about the future, showing a casual attitude


Diamonds shining, dancing, dining with some man in a restaurant
You spend your time dazzling in expensive jewelry; dancing and dining with different men


Is that all you really want?
Is this truly what you desire?


No, sophisticated lady
You are a refined and elegant woman


I know, you miss the love you lost long ago
I'm aware that you long for the love you lost a long time ago


And when nobody is nigh you cry
And when you are alone, you cry




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, IRVING MILLS, MITCHELL PARISH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Valerie S

My absolute favorite Rosemary Clooney song

gigmeister53

I just read in a bio of Billy Strayhorn that Clooney was pregnant and unable to travel, so recorded her tracks in LA on top of prerecorded tracks from Ellington in NY - one of the first times this sort of thing was done.

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