They Can't Take That Away from Me
Fred Astaire RKO Radio Studio Orchestra/ George & Ira Gershwin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 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
In "They Can't Take That Away from Me," Fred Astaire and the RKO Radio Studio Orchestra join forces to perform George and Ira Gershwin's quintessential love song. The lyrics suggest a love affair that will inevitably come to an end, but insists that the memories will always remain. The singer is saying goodbye to his love but he doesn't want to let go of the things that made their relationship unique, the memories that they have shared, the quirks that only they know about each other; these are things that will last even after the relationship has ended. The song exudes a sense of nostalgia but also an optimistic perspective on the power of memory.
Throughout the lyrics, the singer makes a point to highlight various aspects of his lover that he will always remember, such as the way she wears her hat, sips her tea, sings off-key, and even the way she holds her knife. The little things that make their relationship special. So much so, that even though their romantic relationship may end, these moments will remain with him forever.
Overall, "They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a beautiful representation of love and human attachment. It's a song about cherishing the moments that we have with someone special and keeping those memories with us wherever we go, even if we must eventually say goodbye. It's a reminder that even though things may come to an end, moments and memories will last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Our romance won't end on a sorrowful note,
Our love story won't have an unhappy ending,
Though by tomorrow you're gone;
Even if you leave tomorrow,
The song is ended, but as the songwriter wrote,
Our relationship might come to an end, but just like a beautiful melody,
The melody lingers on.
Our memories will always remain in my heart.
They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress.
Distance might separate us, and I'll surely miss your affectionate touch.
But though they take you from me, I'll still possess.
Even if you're not with me, I'll still have our memories to cherish.
The way you wear your hat
I remember how stylish you looked with your hat on,
The way you sip your tea
I won't forget how gracefully you enjoyed your tea,
The memory of all that
All the small moments we had together,
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No one can take away the joyful memories I have of us.
The way your smile just beams
I can still see your beautiful smile in my mind's eye,
The way you sing off key
Even if your singing wasn't perfect, it was still delightful to me,
The way you haunt my dreams
You still visit me in my dreams and thoughts,
We may never, never meet again
We might never cross paths again,
On the bumpy road to love
Our journey wasn't always smooth sailing,
Still, I'll always, always keep the memory of
Nevertheless, I'll always cherish the recollection of
The way you hold your knife
I'll never forget how you held your dinner knife like a pro,
The way we danced till three
Dancing with you until the early hours was magical,
The way you changed my life
You brought significance and alteration to my life,
No, they can't take that away from me
Nothing can rob me of those memories,
No, no, they can't take that away from me
No matter who tries, they can't steal these precious moments from my grasp.
Can't take that away
It's impossible to take away what we had,
Can't take that away
Our memories of each other are indestructible,
Can't take that away from me
These memories are mine forever.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: IRA GERSHWIN, GEORGE GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joy Breeden
I would have to say that there were some fantastic song nominated for the Oscar...but I would have picked this as winner.
Perdidit Nihil
And now we turn to a very lovely combination of instrumentation for an essential Gershwin masterpiece… and pay specific notice of… the piano!
Joy Breeden
What a year for songs.
Thank you....our GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK
Ann Pommer
This IS A BEAUTY ! 🌸💮🤍🌸💮🤍🌸💮🤍