The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra board of trustees created The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in 1977. Since then Erich Kunzel's efforts have made the "Pops" into an internationally known ensemble with half a dozen best-selling recordings a year and almost weekly subscription concerts.
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Begin the Beguine
Erich Kunzel Lyrics
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It brings back the sound of music so tender,
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
It brings back a memory ever green.
I'm with you once more under the stars,
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
To live it again is past all endeavor,
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
And promising never, never to part.
What moments divine, what rapture serene,
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
I know but too well what they mean;
So don't let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine.
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
Till you whisper to me once more,
"Darling, I love you!"
And we suddenly know, what heaven we're in,
When they begin the beguine
The song "Begin the Beguine" by Erich Kunzel is about the power of music to evoke memories and emotions. The lyrics describe how hearing the beguine melody brings back fond memories of a romantic night under the stars, with an orchestra playing nearby and palm trees swaying. The memory of that moment is so intense that the singer feels like they are back there again, with their loved one, swearing to love forever.
However, the memory is also bittersweet, as the joy was dispersed by clouds that came along. The singer knows all too well what it means when people curse the chance that was wasted. Therefore, the singer pleads with the band not to begin the beguine again, as it will only bring back memories and desires that can never be fulfilled. The memory of that night, and the love it represented, should remain like an ember, sleeping like a dead desire.
But despite the singer's initial reluctance, the power of the beguine melody is too strong. They ultimately give in and ask the band to begin the beguine again, hoping that they will once again find themselves in that heavenly moment with their loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
When they begin the beguine
The song reminds the singer of a beautiful memory.
It brings back the sound of music so tender,
The music of the song is gentle, and it brings back memories of a tender moment.
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
The song brings back memories of a beautiful night in a tropical location.
It brings back a memory ever green.
The artist's memory is always fresh and vivid when this song is played.
I'm with you once more under the stars,
The artist is transported back to a romantic moment under the stars.
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
The memory involves an orchestra playing music by the shore.
And even the palms seem to be swaying
The atmosphere is so beautiful that even the palm trees appear to be dancing.
When they begin the beguine.
The artist is reminded of this beautiful memory every time this song is played.
To live it again is past all endeavor,
The artist knows the memory cannot be relived, no matter how hard they try.
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
However, the song has the power to bring the memory back to life in the artist's heart.
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
The memory involves a moment where the singer and their lover promised to love each other forever.
And promising never, never to part.
They also promised to never be separated from each other.
What moments divine, what rapture serene,
The singer describes the memory as a beautiful and peaceful moment.
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
Unfortunately, this moment was short-lived as something came along to ruin it.
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
The singer hears others regret lost opportunities and understands that feeling all too well.
I know but too well what they mean;
The artist empathizes with others who have lost the opportunity to experience something beautiful.
So don't let them begin the beguine
The artist doesn't want to be reminded of the pain of lost opportunities.
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Instead, the singer wants to let their love remain a small but warm memory.
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
The singer wants to forget about lost opportunities and focus on happy memories.
When they begin the beguine.
The artist doesn't want to be reminded of the past when this song is played.
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
However, the artist ultimately gives in to the beauty and power of the song.
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
They want to relive the memory and see the same stars in the sky again.
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you!"
The singer wants to hear their lover say that they love them once again.
And we suddenly know, what heaven we're in,
When they relive the memory, they feel like they are in heaven.
When they begin the beguine.
The singer knows that this song will always have the power to transport them back to a beautiful memory.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind