Lush Life
Ella Fitzgerald Duke Ellington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those come-what-may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distinguish traces
You could see where they'd been washed away
By too many through the day
Twelve o'clock tales
Then you came along with your siren song
To tempt me to madness
I thought for awhile that your poignant smile
Was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me
Ah yes, I was wrong
Again, I was wrong
Life is lonely again
And only last year
Everything seemed so sure
Now life is awful again
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore
A week in Paris could ease the bite of it
All I care is to smile in spite of it
I'll forget you, I will
While yet you are still
Burning inside my brain
Romance is mush
Stifling those who strive
So I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And there I'll be, while I rot with the rest
Of those whose lives are lonely too
The lyrics of Ella Fitzgerald's song "Lush Life" are about a person reflecting on their past and present life experiences. The song's opening lines describe how the singer used to visit various lively and spontaneous places of entertainment to help them feel more alive. However, the people they knew there often had sad and worn expressions that were the result of living in the moment too much. The singer then sings that a person came into their life who they believed was singing a song of love that was directed towards them. But, as the singer ultimately comes to realize, this person's attentions were not real, and their "love" was nothing more than a fleeting moment of infatuation.
The song goes on to describe how life is once again lonely and how everything that was once so clear and sure is now muddied and complicated. The singer sees Paris as a possible escape from the difficulties of life but ultimately decides that the key is simply to keep smiling in spite of it all. The song's final lines paint a picture of the singer having become one of many people living lonely lives in small bars, abandoned to a life of drinking to forget their troubles and concerns.
This song is one of Ella Fitzgerald's signature pieces, and it has earned its place in the canon of American jazz standards. Its lyrics present a bleak and melancholy vision of life, yet at the same time, they suggest a kind of resilience and determination to keep smiling in the face of adversity. Overall, "Lush Life" is a poignant reflection on the human condition and the ways in which we seek to cope with the trials and tribulations of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to visit all the very gay places
I used to go to all the carefree spots
Those come-what-may places
Those spots that are spontaneous
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
Where one seeks to understand life
To get the feel of life
To grasp the essence of life
From jazz and cocktails
From music and drinks
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
The women I knew had gloomy expressions
With distinguish traces
With marks of hardship
That used to be there
That were once visible
You could see where they'd been washed away
You could see the effects that time had on them
By too many through the day
From being worn down from daily life
Twelve o'clock tales
Late-night conversations
Then you came along with your siren song
Then you appeared with your irresistible charm
To tempt me to madness
To drive me insane with desire
I thought for awhile that your poignant smile
I believed for a moment that your sad smile
Was tinged with the sadness
Was touched by melancholy
Of a great love for me
Of a deep affection for me
Ah yes, I was wrong
Oh, I was mistaken
Again, I was wrong
Once more, I was incorrect
Life is lonely again
Now life is solitary once more
And only last year
And it was only last year
Everything seemed so sure
Everything seemed certain
Now life is awful again
Now life is dreadful again
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore
Being surrounded by admirers would be tiresome
A week in Paris could ease the bite of it
A trip to Paris could lessen the pain
All I care is to smile in spite of it
All I want is to put on a happy face regardless
I'll forget you, I will
I will forget about you
While yet you are still
While you are still on my mind
Burning inside my brain
Consuming my thoughts
Romance is mush
Love is overly sentimental
Stifling those who strive
Hindering those who aim for greater things
So I'll live a lush life in some small dive
So I'll live a luxurious life in a modest place
And there I'll be, while I rot with the rest
And there I'll be, wasting away like everyone else
Of those whose lives are lonely too
Of those whose lives are also solitary
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JACK-lx4yz
used to visit all the very gay places
Those come-what-may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life from jazz and cocktails
The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distinguish traces that used to be there
You could see where they'd been washed away
By too many through the day, twelve O'clock tales
Then you came along with your siren song
To tempt me to madness
I thought for awhile that your poignant smile
Was tinged with the sadness of a great love for me
Ah, yes, I was wrong, again, I was wrong
Life is lonely again and only last year
Everything seemed so sure
Now life is awful again a trough full of hearts
Could only be a bore
A week in Paris could ease the bite of it
All I care is to smile in spite of it
I'll forget you, I will while yet you are still
Burning inside my brain
Romance is mush stifling those who strive
I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And there I'll be while I rot with the rest
Of those whose lives are lonely too
Romance is mush stifling those who strive
I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And there I'll be while I rot with the rest
Of those whose lives are lonely too
@bixsingsthemusicoflife2047
Melodically this is one tune that most singers won't even attempt. The chord changes are difficult, but Ella, as usual, just hears everything and sings it perfectly.
@prof.t.c.pfeiler1280
1,000,000% agree!!!
@MBSLC
Other planetary
@Lazarus1001
it's far from perfect. she makes tons and tons of mistakes. it is in fact a terrible performance as all her other performances are.
@bixsingsthemusicoflife2047
very funny, Lazarus.@@Lazarus1001
@peterbrown3944
Could you believe that Billy Staryhorn wrote Lush Life when he was seventeen years old .
Such great lyrics full with a sense of realism and pain !
@Anvanho
Absolutely gives me chills! (thought it was 16 years old ....? I may be off a year)
@sarahalbers5555
At 16, I didn't even know what I wanted to eat for lunch. Simply amazing...
@RonMazasco
Incredible! What a great thing to know.
@mollywolly4201
I knew he wrote it but had no idea he wrote it at 17. Astounding. How he could even imagine these things at that age. 👏👏❤️❤️. Thank you.