They Can't Take That Away from Me
Fred Astaire & Johnny Green & His Orchestra Lyrics


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Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Though by tomorrow you're gone
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The melody lingers on.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.

The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me

The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me

We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of

The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away from me

We may never, never meet again
On the bumpy road to love
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of

The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No, they can't take that away




Can't take that away
Can't take that away from me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "They Can't Take That Away from Me" by Fred Astaire and Johnny Green & His Orchestra speak about a love that, even though it might come to an end, will still be remembered forever. The song is an upbeat, jazzy number that celebrates the memories and experiences shared by the singer and their loved one. The first two stanzas set the scene for what will follow, with the singer acknowledging that their relationship might not survive the next day. But even though they might be parted from their lover, the melody and memories of their time together will always be with them.


The rest of the song is a list of the little things the singer loves about their partner, from the way they wear their hat, to the way they sing off-key or hold their knife. These memories, and the way their lover has changed their life, are something the singer treasures and will never forget. The chorus repeats the sentiment that "they can't take that away from me," emphasizing that even if their relationship ends, these memories and experiences will always remain important.


Overall, "They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a celebration of love and the memories that come with it. Even if a relationship doesn't last forever, the little moments and quirks that make it special are something that can never be taken away.


Line by Line Meaning

Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Despite your departure tomorrow, our relationship won't end unhappily.


Though by tomorrow you're gone
You will be leaving tomorrow.


The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
The song may have ended, but its melody lives on.


The melody lingers on.
Even though the song has ended, its tune remains in my mind.


They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
I may miss your gentle touch if they separate us.


But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
Even if we are apart, I will still cherish our memories.


The way you wear your hat
I love the way you wear your hat.


The way you sip your tea
I adore the way you sip your tea.


The memory of all that
I will never forget these things.


No, no, they can't take that away from me
Even if they separate us, these memories are forever mine.


The way your smile just beams
Your smile is so radiant and beautiful to me.


The way you sing off key
You may not sing perfectly, but I absolutely love it.


The way you haunt my dreams
I dream about you often, and I never want to forget how you make me feel.


We may never, never meet again
It's possible we may never see each other again.


On the bumpy road to love
Our journey through love has not been smooth, but we are still grateful for what we have.


Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
Regardless of what happens, I will never forget


The way you hold your knife
Your manner of holding a knife is charming to me.


The way we danced till three
Our nights spent dancing together will always be special to me.


The way you changed my life
You have transformed my life, and I am forever grateful to have met you.


No, they can't take that away from me
Even if we part ways, I will always treasure what we shared.


Can't take that away
These precious memories and feelings cannot be taken from me.


Can't take that away from me
No matter what happens, these memories will always be mine.




Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Jo Jo

I bawl. Everytime. Fred sings and it just sends me.

Alan O'Neill

Well...that made me lugh...hope you don't mind...I think I know how you feel

Trombonology Erstwhile

This is my all-time favorite version of one of my favorite Gershwin numbers. The great Astaire fully and beautifully captures the mood of Ira's lyric. I love the way Johnny Green phrases the melody in the opening chorus, too.

Daniel Weinstein

"Slap That Bass" was also memorably recorded by Astaire and Green, in a different, and wonderful, arrangement from the film.

Tony Stone

"The way you changed my life"

Best song lyric ever?

Liz Doyle

PURE CLASS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
YEH HE HAD IT ALL FRED ASTAIRE 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐

Lar M

This could be George Gershwin last work before he passed away the same year in 1937.

americandancebands

Believe GG last work was "Love is Here to stay" or "Love Walked In" for MGM 1938 film, song by Kenny Baker.

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