MEMORY
Hayley Westenra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory
She is smiling alone
In the lamp light
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile like the old days
I was beautiful, then I remember
The time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning

Daylight
I must wait for the sun rise
I must think for the new life
And I mustn't give in

When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And the new day will begin

Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
A street lamp dies
Another night is over
Another day is dawning

Touch me !
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with my memory
Of my days in the sun




If you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hayley Westenra's song Memory evoke feelings of nostalgia and introspection. In the first stanza, the image of midnight and the quietness of the pavement creates a serene and melancholic atmosphere. The moon is personified as having lost her memory, possibly alluding to the idea that the past is no longer relevant in the present. However, the moon is still smiling alone in the lamp light, symbolizing acceptance and finding beauty in the moments of solitude.


In the second stanza, the song's title is repeated and the singer recalls a moment from the past where they were once happy. There is a twinge of sadness in the realization that those moments cannot be relived, but the singer still wishes for the memory to live again. The repetition of "all alone in the moonlight" emphasizes the theme of loneliness, but also highlights the idea that memories can be cherished even in the absence of others.


The final stanza alludes to the cyclical nature of life. The burnt out ends of smoky days represent the end of a chapter, while the onset of a new day signals the beginning of something new. The line "touch me" acts as a plea to be understood and to find happiness. The song ultimately conveys the idea that even though certain experiences cannot be repeated, memories can still provide comfort and a sense of meaning.


Line by Line Meaning

Midnight
The time of night when it is dark and quiet


Not a sound from the pavement
There is no noise coming from the street


Has the moon lost her memory
The moon seems to have forgotten something


She is smiling alone
The moon looks happy but there is no one there to enjoy it with her


In the lamp light
The only source of light comes from the street lamps


The withered leaves collect at my feet
Dead leaves are piling up around me


And the wind begins to moan
The wind is making a low, mournful noise


Memory
The memory of happier times


All alone in the moonlight
Feeling very lonely in the darkness


I can smile like the old days
Remembering a happier time and feeling happy again


I was beautiful, then I remember
Remembering a time when the singer was beautiful


The time I knew what happiness was
Remembering a time when the singer was happy


Let the memory live again
Wanting the happy memory to come back


Every street lamp seems to beat
The street lamps seem to pulse or throb


A fatalistic warning
A warning of something bad that is going to happen


Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
Someone is talking quietly and the street lamp is flickering


And soon it will be morning
The night is almost over and the sun is about to come up


Daylight
The time of day when it is light outside


I must wait for the sun rise
Waiting for the sun to come up


I must think for the new life
Thinking about a new beginning


And I mustn't give in
Not giving up or losing hope


When the dawn comes
When the sun rises


Tonight will be a memory too
The memories of the night will be remembered


And the new day will begin
A new day is starting


Burnt out ends of smoky days
The remains of burnt things from the past


The stale cold smell of morning
The smell of a cold, early morning


A street lamp dies
A street lamp goes out


Another night is over
The night has ended


Another day is dawning
A new day is starting


Touch me !
A request to be touched


It's so easy to leave me
It would be easy to abandon the singer


All alone with my memory
Feeling lonely with only memories to keep the singer company


Of my days in the sun
Remembering happier times


If you touch me
The physical sensation of touch


You'll understand what happiness is
Feeling happy again because of the touch




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Esther M. Heart

Traumhaft schöööööön wie Hayley Westenra - Memory - singt. Für mich schöner als das von Barbara Streisand. Danke fürs hochladen dieses schönes Liedes. lg,

Kaoru Redruby

+Esther Maier
You are welcome and thank you for your comment. I'm glad that you enjoyed this song. :)
Thank you for your compliment and encouragement, you are one of the friends who keep me going in my effort to make better videos. Blessings to you!
Your Friend Kaoru

antonio curameng

Ms Hayley Westenra is EXCEPTIONAL in all respects ! ! ! Besides having excellent vocals, she's very beautiful and gracious and charming ! ! ! Thank you, Ms. Hayley, for making my day truly special. I immensely enjoy your performances. Keep it up and God bless and keep you always ! ! !

High Tower

Voice of an angel.

Tom Quigley

Beautiful cover -- better than Streisand's. Would love to hear her do a full medley of songs from West Side Story.

Rosaire Dubrule

the perfect voice for this song

Doug Danielson

Beautifully done but you could never make Hayley look like an old cat

Ana Ferraz

Just amazing!

Bill Stein

Thanks,
What a marvelous talent

msaito36

Dear Kaoru, Thank you very much for your wonderful video and nice singing!!!*****
I love it!!!
I am very happy to share a wonderful time with you!!!
Have a wonderful lovely day and time!!!
Hugs♥♪ــرا ✿دخـتر خانـــوم✿ مے نـامــند

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