April in Paris
Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstron Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never new my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling

That no one can ever reprise
I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never new my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris




Whom can I run to
What have you done to my heart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "April in Paris" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong are about the beauty of spring and how it can evoke emotions that one may not have experienced before. The singer begins by admitting that they have never really understood the allure of the season until they experience it in Paris. The warm breeze, the blossoming chestnuts, and the holiday tables under the trees make the singer feel alive in a way they never thought possible. The chorus repeats the feeling of April in Paris being something that cannot be replicated or forgotten.


The second verse is similar to the first, as if the singer cannot stop reliving their experience. They describe how they never knew of the joy that spring could bring, and how they'd never felt their heart sing until this moment. The final lines of the song acknowledge how this experience has changed the singer and their heart, and how they feel lost without it.


The song beautifully captures the feeling of falling in love with a place or a moment in time. Paris serves as the backdrop for the singer's awakening, but the lyrics suggest that this feeling could happen anywhere - it's all about being open to the beauty of your surroundings.


Line by Line Meaning

I never knew the charm of spring
I had never before experienced the alluring beauty and freshness of spring.


I never met it face to face
I had never encountered spring in person or fully appreciated its intrinsic qualities.


I never new my heart could sing
I had never realized that my heart could be filled with such joy and happiness until now.


I never missed a warm embrace
I had never felt the absence of a comforting and affectionate hug until this moment.


Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Until I arrived in Paris during the month of April, with the delightful sight of chestnut trees blossoming.


Holiday tables under the trees
I witnessed tables set up outdoors, beneath the trees, for people to enjoy their meals and festivities.


April in Paris, this is a feeling
The presence of spring in Paris during April creates an emotional state that cannot be replicated or expressed in words.


That no one can ever reprise
This unique feeling or experience cannot be reenacted or recreated by anyone else.


Whom can I run to
I am so overwhelmed by this newfound emotion and sensation that I am unsure who I can turn to for comfort or support.


What have you done to my heart
This feeling has had such a powerful impact on my heart and emotions that I cannot fully comprehend it or describe its effects.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: E. Y. HARBURG, VERNON DUKE

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
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@118Psalm

I'm plenty old enough to have listened
to this recording many times and have done so. Tonight I listened
with greater attention than ever before. The nuances in the singing
and playing are special and probably can't be repeated by any other
performers. It is a masterpiece of jazz music by Ella and Louis. I
have heard this song performed in many different ways over the years.
Some seem to think it needs to be loud and not so slow to be
appreciated, and to keep everyone from dozing off maybe. But, if you
can hear more than just the melody and the words, you'll hear two
artists more than performing. They are living and breathing music.
That's what I call art.



@felixj8190

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never knew my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never knew my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace
Till April in Paris
Whom can I run to
What have you done to my heart



@Wolfhoundersful

I never knew the charm of spring
Never met it face to face
I never new my heart could sing
Never missed a warm embrace

April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
No one can ever reprise

I never knew the charm of spring
Never met it face to face
I never new my heart could sing
Never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris
Whom can I run to
What have you done to my heart
What have you done to my heart



All comments from YouTube:

@tabithademero9088

Sometimes I wish I lived when jazz was on every bar live

@SuperBC10

Sometimes? Me all of the time ❤

@jazzheadjan6176

If only we could. This song is a song to fall in love to.

@11111Serenity

My GOD YES! Me too ❤

@carlsonmatthewt

No merde Sherlock.

@lauriebaker4489

You didn't always get Ella at those bars, but yeah, it was great!

9 More Replies...

@LordoftheFleet

Yes, it's sheer magic. Although we are so lucky to have this marvellous recording of Ella and Louis singing this magnificent, nostalgic and masterly crafted melody, let us not forget the composer of the song; Vladimir Aleksandrovich Dukelsky. Vladimir was born in 1903 into a "West Russian" (Belarusian) noble family in the village of Parfyanovka. At the age of eleven, Vladimir Dukelsky was admitted to the Kiev Conservatory, where he studied composition with Reinhold Glière and musical theory with Boleslav Yavorsky. In 1919, his family escaped from the civil war in Russia, and they eventually obtained American visas and sailed on the SS King Alexander to New York. In 1922 in New York, George Gershwin befriended the young immigrant and suggested that Dukelsky Americanize his surname. Thus, Vladimir Dukelsky became Vernon Duke. Besides "April in Paris" Vernon Duke also wrote "Autumn in New York", "I Can't Get Started", "Taking a Chance on Love" and many other, now famous, songs. He also wrote three symphonies, a violin concerto, a cello concerto, a piano concerto, ballet music and piano music.

@hatbpto5180

Thank you!

@LauraMorland

Wow, merci, thank you for this fascinating history.

@jmac3106

Fascinating. Thank you.

More Comments