Louis Armstrong (1901 - 1971) was a trumpet player, singer, and bandleader, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz.
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yesterday, perhaps --
Danced with Jim and Paul
And kissed some other chaps.
Once I was young,
But never was naive.
I thought I had a trick or two
And now I know I was naive.
I didn't know what time it was
Then I met you.
Oh, what a lovely time it was,
How sublime it was too!
I didn't know what day it was
You held my hand.
Warm like the month of May it was,
And I'll say it was grand.
Grand to be alive, to be young,
To be mad, to be yours alone!
Grand to see your face, feel your touch,
Hear your voice say I'm all your own.
I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize.
I wanted love and here it was
Shining out of your eyes.
I'm wise,
And I know what time it is now.
Grand to be alive, to be young,
To be mad, to be yours alone!
Grand to see your face, feel your touch,
Hear your voice say I'm all your own.
I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize.
I wanted love and here it was
Shining out of your eyes.
I'm wise,
And I know what time it is now.
The song "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" by Ella Fitzgerald tells the story of a woman who reminisces about her youthful days, where she danced and kissed multiple men - but she was never really naive. She thought that she had some tricks up her sleeve but eventually realized she was naive. She meets someone special (presumably a romantic interest) who she highlights as being the one that made her understand what time it was. The person made her realize the importance of love and how much she needed it. The woman talks about how beautiful and sublime that time was with the person, and how it felt great to be alive, young, and madly in love.
In the second verse, the woman sings about how she didn't know what day it was, but suddenly, the person she's with held her hand and gave her warmth that felt like the "month of May." She describes the person being all hers, and their love being grand. She then highlights that at that time, she didn't even know what year it was, and life didn't feel like a prize. Though she wanted and needed love, she didn't know where to find it. But with the person she's with, she finds it shining out of their eyes. She concludes by stating that she's now wise, and she knows what time it is - meaning she knows what's essential and what she wants out of life.
Overall, the lyrics tell the story of someone who realizes the worth of love, how much they needed it, and how much it contributed to their growth and wisdom.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was young --
In the past, I was youthful and inexperienced.
Yesterday, perhaps --
It could have been yesterday or any other day in the past.
Danced with Jim and Paul
I danced with Jim and Paul at some point in the past.
And kissed some other chaps.
I also kissed some other men at some point in the past.
Once I was young,
In the past, I was youthful.
But never was naive.
But I was never gullible.
I thought I had a trick or two
I believed I had some ideas up my sleeve.
Up my imaginary sleeve.
Ideas that didn't actually exist in reality.
And now I know I was naive.
In retrospect, I realize that I was indeed gullible in the past.
I didn't know what time it was
I was unaware of my true feelings and the reality of my situation.
Then I met you.
But upon meeting you, my perception started to change.
Oh, what a lovely time it was,
It was a wonderful and enjoyable experience for me.
How sublime it was too!
It was an experience of great beauty, profundity, and intensity.
I didn't know what day it was
I was unaware of the date because I was so excited and in the moment.
You held my hand.
You were intimate and affectionate with me, which was a new and thrilling experience.
Warm like the month of May it was,
It was warm outside, like in the month of May, and it felt comforting and pleasant.
And I'll say it was grand.
I can only describe it as impressive, majestic, and magnificent.
Grand to be alive, to be young,
It was truly special to be alive and youthful at that time.
To be mad, to be yours alone!
To experience intense emotions and to belong exclusively to you.
Grand to see your face, feel your touch,
It was wonderful to look at you and to feel your touch.
Hear your voice say I'm all your own.
It was comforting to hear you say that I belonged exclusively to you.
I didn't know what year it was
I didn't pay attention to the time that had passed since I met you.
Life was no prize.
Life didn't seem to hold many rewards or opportunities to me.
I wanted love and here it was
But I found the love I was looking for with you.
Shining out of your eyes.
Your love was evident and bright in the look in your eyes.
I'm wise,
Now, I'm more knowledgeable and aware of things.
And I know what time it is now.
I know and understand my feelings and what is happening now in my life.
Lyrics ยฉ CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miltonmoore5294
A song dating from antiquity when virtually all
songs had an introductory verse, this magnificent
Richard Rodgers
and Lorenz Hart
song (1939) easily qualifies as my
favorite recording by Ella Fitzgerald.
This immortal songbird's voice had wings! What more perfect song could
ever exist to put one into a romantic mood
and feed the fires of
love!
@miltonmoore5294
Well put. (To her great credit, Marilyn Monroe
pushed to get Ella
into nightclubs and hotel rooms
during the era of
extreme prejudice
toward African
American artists.
Johnny Mathis was forced to stay
at the downtown
Dallas YMCA during an early gig
in his career.)
@JeniferLohan
Once I was young --
Yesterday, perhaps --
Danced with Jim and Paul
And kissed some other chaps.
Once I was young,
But never was naive.
I thought I had a trick or two
Up my imaginary sleeve.
And now I know I was naive.
I didn't know what time it was
Then I met you.
Oh, what a lovely time it was,
How sublime it was too!
I didn't know what day it was
You held my hand.
Warm like the month of May it was,
And I'll say it was grand.
Grand to be alive, to be young,
To be mad, to be yours alone!
Grand to see your face, feel your touch,
Hear your voice say I'm all your own.
I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize.
I wanted love and here it was
shining out of your eyes.
I'm wise,
And I know what time it is now.
Grand to be alive, to be young,
To be mad, to be yours alone!
Grand to see your face, feel your touch,
Hear your voice say I'm all your own.
I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize.
I wanted love and here it was
shining out of your eyes.
I'm wise,
and I know what time it is now.
@atticuscarr3220
โ Meant to be alive/To be young/To be mad/To be yours alone.โ
One of the loveliest songs ever written, sung by the exquisite and incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. Beautiful.
@emilerose1424
The lyric is actually "Grand to be alive...." but I like your interpretation better.
"Meant to be alive" is even more thought-provoking! Thanks for the idea.
@atticuscarr3220
@Emile Rose Emile: You are correct; the word is โgrand.โ Iโd always heard โmeant.โ And I agree with you that โmeantโ imbues the lyric with a deeper meaning. I should have been a lyricist! I was fortunate to hear Ella sing in the 70s and 80s: her voice was just as beautiful and youthful as ever.
@tesilimi
Good song for Weddings
@tesilimi
To be young to be madly in love๐๐
@williamrubinstein3442
One of the greatest songs from the Golden Age of American songwriting, 1920-60.
@3niknicholson
What a woman! What a singer! What a song! I love you Ella!
@miltonmoore5294
A song dating from antiquity when virtually all
songs had an introductory verse, this magnificent
Richard Rodgers
and Lorenz Hart
song (1939) easily qualifies as my
favorite recording by Ella Fitzgerald.
This immortal songbird's voice had wings! What more perfect song could
ever exist to put one into a romantic mood
and feed the fires of
love!
@ruthboykin9873
simply put; yes!
@josephpaul4548
I agree. Her I Could Write a Book, of course by R&H, is up there as well.