<… Read Full Bio ↴Gary Bartz (born in 1940) is an American alto and soprano saxophonist.
Since graduating from The Juilliard School he has worked with Charles Mingus, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Max Roach, and Jackie McLean, as well as performing and recording with his own groups, among them the Gary Bartz NTU Troop, which combined soul, funk, African folk music, hard bop, and avant-garde jazz.
In 2005, Bartz won a Grammy for playing on McCoy Tyner's album Illuminations.
He currently teaches at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music when not touring.
Speak Low
Gary Bartz Lyrics
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Our summer day withers away
Too soon, too soon.
Speak low when you speak, love,
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
We're swept apart too soon.
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Too soon, too soon,
I feel wherever I go
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
And always too soon.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
We're late darling, we're late,
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Too soon, too soon,
I wait darling, I wait
Will you speak low to me,
Speak love to me and soon.
The lyrics of Gary Bartz's "Speak Low" are a lament for the ephemeral nature of love and the fleetingness of time. The first stanza emphasizes the urgency of the moment, with the singer imploring their lover to speak softly and savor the present before it slips away. The second verse compares love to a spark in the dark, a metaphor suggesting both its intense but short-lived nature. The third and final stanza acknowledges the inevitability of time's passing, comparing it to an old thief stealing the brief moments of pure gold that love represents. The line "we're late darling, we're late" is particularly poignant, suggesting a sense of regret or missed opportunities.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the transience of love, and a reminder to cherish it while it lasts. The repeated use of "too soon" underscores the sense of brevity and impermanence that the singer is wrestling with.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low when you speak, love,
Lower your voice when you speak of love, as our time together is limited.
Our summer day withers away
Our time together is fleeting and will soon come to an end.
Too soon, too soon.
Our time together is ending too soon, before we want it to.
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
Our moment together moves quickly, like ships floating aimlessly on the water.
We're swept apart too soon.
We are separated from each other far too early.
Speak low, darling speak low,
Darling, keep your voice low as you speak of love, as our time together may soon come to an end.
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love is something that can easily disappear, like a spark in the darkness.
Too soon, too soon,
Our time together is ending too soon, before we want it to.
I feel wherever I go
No matter where I am, I have a sense that our time together is limited and will soon come to an end.
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
I have a feeling that our time together is almost up and that the end is near.
And always too soon.
Our time together always ends too soon.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Time is long-lasting, but love is a fleeting emotion - it is here and gone before we know it.
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
Love is like precious, pure gold and time takes it away like a thief steals valuable items.
We're late darling, we're late,
We are running out of time, my dear, and we are late to take advantage of the precious moments we have left together.
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Like a play that comes to an end as the curtain falls, all good things must come to an end.
Too soon, too soon,
Our time together is ending too soon, before we want it to.
I wait darling, I wait
I am waiting for you to speak of love to me, to make the most of the time we have left together.
Will you speak low to me,
Will you speak softly of love to me, as our time together is limited?
Speak love to me and soon.
Speak of love to me quickly, as our time together may soon come to an end.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KURT WEILL, OGDEN NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind