painted from memory
Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach Lyrics
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Didn't you notice the resemblance?
Doesn't it look like she could speak?
Those eyes I tried to capture
They are lost to me now forever
They smile for someone else
Funny how looks can be deceiving But she's not easily painted from memory
You'd think that I would know by now
Those eyes I tried to capture
They are lost to me now forever
They smile for someone else
And so this had to be
Painted from memory
She is gone and I must accept it
She is lost to me now
But I can't look away just yet though
She smiles for someone else
(And so this had to be)
(Painted from memory)
Funny, now I can see
How looks can be deceiving
(And so this had to be)
(Painted from memory)
Funny, now I can see
How looks can be deceiving
The lyrics of Painted From Memory by Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach describe the heart-wrenching pain of losing someone who was once so close and familiar. The opening lines, "such a picture of loveliness, didn't you notice the resemblance?" suggest that the person the singer is speaking of may be someone who resembles someone else he has known or loved before. He goes on to describe her eyes, which he tried so hard to capture, but now are lost to him forever. These are the eyes he used to see every day but are now only a memory. Although she is gone and he must accept it, he can't help but continue to look at her, even though she smiles for someone else now.
The beauty of the song lies in its ability to convey the complexity of the singer's feelings. He is simultaneously accepting of the fact that she is gone, yet cannot help but be entranced by her. The line "funny how looks can be deceiving, but she's not easily painted from memory" encapsulates this perfectly. It's as if the singer cannot quite let go of the memory of her, even though he knows that she is no longer his.
Line by Line Meaning
Such a picture of loveliness
Describe a beautiful image
Didn't you notice the resemblance?
Point out the similarities in this picture with reality
Doesn't it look like she could speak?
The picture gives an illusion of life or human emotion
Those eyes I tried to capture
The artist tried to capture the essence of the woman's eyes
They are lost to me now forever
The artist can no longer capture the woman's essence as she is gone
They smile for someone else
The woman no longer smiles for the artist as she is with someone else
Funny how looks can be deceiving
Appearances can be misleading
But she's not easily painted from memory
The artist cannot easily capture the essence of the woman from memory
You'd think that I would know by now
The artist should have known better
And so this had to be
It was necessary for the artist to paint from memory
She is gone and I must accept it
The woman is gone and the artist must come to terms with it
But I can't look away just yet though
The artist still fixates on the woman
Funny, now I can see
The artist finds a humorous irony in the situation
How looks can be deceiving
Appearances can be misleading
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Rob954ever
The ENTIRE Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello collaboration is some of the most beautiful music of my lifetime.
@tomhyland4077
Their most beautiful song.
@philthomas8351
Nice pairing of artists. Rest in peace Burt.
@cjl2964
Exquisitely sung ❤
@hugh-johnfleming289
It is so nice to have this to return to from time to time... Such a stunning collection of recordings.
@lindastella9832
Pretty...
@pokemepokeme2831
❤
@wnerko7484
Burts overcast 1970s day vibe.never gets old.i want to hear Elvis do Long Ago Tomorrow.BJ killed on it.theres really no need for anyone else to do it.but im a big BJ Thomas fan.and a big Elvis Costello fan
@danfoster-hy8mo
Heart breaking
Full blown snot bubbles.
@RudolphCasas
Beautiful song is sung 🎉🎉🎉