In the 1950s, Mellé's paintings and sculptures were shown in New York galleries and he created the cover art for albums by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. Mellé played the tenor and baritone saxophone with George Wallington, Max Roach, Tal Farlow, Oscar Pettiford, Ed Thigpen, Kenny Dorham and Zoot Sims.
As a film and television composer, Mellé was one of the first to use electronic instruments (which he built himself), either alone or as an added voice among the string, wind, brass, and percussion sections of the orchestra. He was the first to compose a main theme for a television series arranged entirely for electronic instruments (Rod Serling's Night Gallery).
His film credits span 125 motion pictures including My Sweet Charlie, That Certain Summer, The Andromeda Strain, The Judge and Jake Wyler, several Columbo TV movies, Frankenstein: The True Story, The Six Million Dollar Man and Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
Melle died of a heart attack at his home in Malibu, California.
Long Ago And Far Away
Gil Mellé Lyrics
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I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me
Long the skies were overcast
But now the clouds have passed
You're here at last
Chills run up and down my spine
Aladdin's lamp is mine
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you
Long ago and far away
I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me
Long the skies were overcast
But now the clouds have passed
You're here at last
Chills run up and down my spine
Aladdin's lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you
Just one look and then I knew
(Him, with her humming along)
That all I longed for long ago
Was you
The opening lines "Long ago and far away, I dreamed a dream one day" indicate a sense of nostalgia and a longing for something that was once desired or even thought impossible. The dream that is being referred to has now become a present reality, and the repetition of the phrase "long ago and far away" emphasizes the distance between then and now. The singer expresses a sense of disbelief that what was once dreamed of is now a reality - "The dream I dreamed was not denied me". The references to Aladdin's lamp and chills up and down the spine elevate the romantic undertones of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago and far away
Once upon a time and in a distant place
I dreamed a dream one day
I had a hopeful vision while sleeping one day
And now that dream is here beside me
That vision has now come true and is now with me
Long the skies were overcast
The weather has been gloomy for a long time
But now the clouds have passed
But now the bad days are gone
You're here at last
You are finally here
Chills run up and down my spine
I'm feeling extreme excitement and joy
Aladdin's lamp is mine
I feel like I have a magical genie granting my wishes
The dream I dreamed was not denied me
My hopeful vision has not been denied but has become reality
Just one look and then I knew
With just one glance, I realized
That all I longed for long ago was you
That what I have been longing for all this time is you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind