"I Know Him So Well" is a duet from the concept album and subsequent musical Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Sung by Elaine Paige as Florence and Barbara Dickson as Svetlana. In this duet, two women – Svetlana, the Russian chess champion's estranged wife, and Florence, his mistress – express their bittersweet feelings for him and at seeing their relationships fall apart.
MEMORY
Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson Lyrics
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Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory, All alone in the moonlight
I can dream of the old days
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every streetlamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon
It will be morning
Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in.
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
(Music interlude)
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
A streetlamp dies; another night is over
Another day is dawning...
Touch me!
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun...
If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun.
The song Memory by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson is a poignant ballad that speaks of nostalgia and longing for past happiness. The opening lines set the scene, with the singer observing the stillness of midnight, the moon shining in the sky, and a sense of loneliness pervading the surroundings. The singer reflects on the past, wishing to return to a time where they felt beautiful and knew what happiness was. The lyrical and evocative language expresses a yearning for the way things used to be and the comfort of returning to happy memories.
The following lines detail the imagery of street lamps and the somber tones they leave behind, warning of the futility of attempting to hold onto the past. The chorus repeatedly echoes the sentiment that the memory is all that remains, and while the singer longs for days gone by, they must continue to face each new morning and start again. The final lines of the song call out for the listener to "touch me," to share in the experience of living memories, and to appreciate the beauty of each new day.
Overall, the song Memory is a stirring ode to the power of nostalgia and the transcendence of happy memories, despite the inevitable passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight not a sound from the pavement
It's midnight, and the streets are empty and quiet
Has the moon lost her memory?
Is the moon no longer shining as brightly as it used to?
She is smiling alone
The moon is the only one shining in the sky
In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet
The street lamps light the way, but fallen leaves gather at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
The wind is starting to blow, making a mournful sound
Memory, All alone in the moonlight
I'm alone with my memories under the light of the moon
I can dream of the old days
I can reminisce about the past and imagine a time from before
I was beautiful then
I used to be beautiful at that time
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
I can recall a moment when I was truly happy, but it's just a memory now
Let the memory live again
I want to relive the memory and feel the happiness once more
Every streetlamp seems to beat
Each streetlamp flickers like it's beating, like a warning
A fatalistic warning
It feels like a warning that something bad is going to happen
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
Someone whispers and the streetlamp flickers
And soon It will be morning
Morning will arrive soon
Daylight
The sun is rising
I must wait for the sunrise
I need to wait for the sun to rise and start a new day
I must think of a new life
I need to start thinking about a new life ahead
And I mustn't give in.
I can't give up now
When the dawn comes
When the sun is up
Tonight will be a memory too
Tonight is just another memory to add to the list
And a new day will begin
And a new day will bring a new start
Burnt out ends of smoky days
I'm left with the remnants of my past, my life up in smoke
The stale cold smell of morning
The morning air feels dull and lifeless
A streetlamp dies; another night is over
Another night ends, as an old streetlamp dies
Another day is dawning...
But there's always a new day ahead
Touch me!
I need someone to touch me and bring me back to reality
It's so easy to leave me
It's so easy to forget about me and leave me alone with my thoughts
All alone with the memory
I'm here all alone with my memories
Of my days in the sun...
I remember my happier days, when I was in the sun
If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is
If you touch me, and bring me back to reality, you'll understand what happiness means to me
Look, a new day has begun.
Look, a new day is here and I'm ready to start again
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind