Ethel Agnes Zimmerman was born in the third floor bedroom of her grandmother's house at 359 4th Avenue in Astoria, Queens. Growing up near Famous Players-Lasky's Astoria Studios, young Ethel often watched the silent movie stars drive by in their massive cars, and she dreamed of joining their ranks one day. Her powerful voice won attention when her family worshipped at Holy Redeemer Episcopal Church, and she began making local concert appearances. She also frequently attended vaudeville performances at The Palace Theater in Manhattan, watching great stars like Fanny Brice and Sophie Tucker.
Ethel's parents Edward (an accountant) and Agnes (a school teacher) understood Ethel's love of singing, but they did not see show business as a reliable career choice for a woman. They insisted that she get a solid education with thorough training in secretarial skills, so she would have something to fall back on if her dreams of stardom didn't pan out. After Ethel graduating William Cullen Bryant High School, she earned a respectable $28 a week as a stenographer for the owner of a local factory. She picked up extra money by singing at private parties and in night clubs. Ethel was so efficient that her indulgent boss (who only came in two days a week) overlooked her taking nap breaks at the office after late night performances. When Ethel's gigs multiplied, her parents accepted the inevitable and allowed her to give up the day job and sing full-time.
Star Dust
Ethel Merman Lyrics
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Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
In this poignant ballad, Ethel Merman sings about the bittersweet experience of reminiscing about a past love. The opening lines describe the romantic setting of twilight, with its soft purplish light and the stars beginning to peek out in the sky. However, instead of feeling joy or awe at the beauty of the scene, the singer's heart is heavy with longing and sadness. The little stars that climb high in the sky serve as a constant reminder of the distance between her and her lost love.
The second verse continues with the theme of longing and nostalgia. The singer spends lonely nights dreaming of a song, which turns out to be a melody that reminds her of the time when love was new and every kiss felt like an inspiration. However, that time is now long gone, and the only comfort she can find is in the stardust of a song - the memory of that lost love that still lingers in her heart. The final line of the verse "my consolation is in the stardust of a song" is particularly poignant, as it encapsulates the idea that music can offer comfort and solace in difficult times.
In the third verse, the singer imagines herself with her lost love again, holding each other tight under the stars as the nightingale sings in the background. She describes it as a fairytale, a paradisal moment when roses grew and anything was possible. But as the verse ends, she acknowledges the futility of her fantasy: "though I dream in vain, in my heart it will remain, my stardust melody, the memory of love's refrain."
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The sun has set and the sky is tinged with purple; it symbolizes a dimming of hope and happiness.
Steals across the meadows of my heart
The sadness of twilight reminds her that her heart is empty and barren like a meadow.
High up in the sky the little stars climb
The stars in the sky rise higher and higher, offering a glimpse of hope and serenity.
Always reminding me that we're apart
The distance between her and her lover is vast, and the stars serve as a constant reminder of their separation.
You wander down the lane and far away
Her lover has left her behind and gone away, wandering down a path of his own.
Leaving me a song that will not die
Her lover has left behind a memory that will never fade, represented by a song that echoes in her heart.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The love they shared is now a distant memory, represented by the stardust of the universe that will always exist.
The music of the years gone by.
The music they shared, like stardust, will remain for eternity representing their love of the past.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
She often muses about how she spends her time when she is alone.
The lonely nights
Nights without her lover are always lonely, and she struggles to cope with the emptiness.
Dreaming of a song
She spends her nights dreaming of a song that reminds her of her lost love.
The melody
The tune of the song she dreams of is haunting and lingers on in her mind.
Haunts my reverie
The song she dreams of continues to haunt her thoughts, making it impossible to forget her lost love.
And I am once again with you
In her dreams, she is reunited with her lover, and it feels like they are together again.
When our love was new
As she dreams of the past, she remembers a time when their love was young and new.
And each kiss an inspiration
Every kiss they shared felt special and meaningful, something that inspired her to hold onto their love.
But that was long ago
The fleeting memory of their love is from a long time ago, and she cannot change the past.
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
The only thing she can find comfort in is the memory of their love, which survives like stardust in a song.
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
Outside, next to the wall of her garden, she looks up at the stars.
You are in my arms
In her dreams and memories, she holds her lover in her arms, as if he is still there.
The nightingale
The bird that sings in the night, whose song reminds her of her lover.
Tells his fairytale
The nightingale's song tells a magical story of love and happiness.
Of paradise, where roses grew
The story the nightingale sings is about a perfect world, where everything is bright and beautiful, with roses as an eternal symbol of love and beauty.
Though I dream in vain
Even when she dreams of her lover, she knows that those dreams will never become a reality.
In my heart it will remain
Despite the hopelessness of her situation, the memory of her love will always remain alive in her heart.
My stardust melody
The song that represents everything about their love and its memory, like stardust that will never fade.
The memory of love's refrain.
The song is a reminder of the past, when they were in love and shared happy moments.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind