The Shadow of Your Smile
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Lyrics
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You held a piper in your hand to mend its broken wing
Now I'll remember many a day and many a lonely mile
The echo of a piper's song, the shadow of her smile
The shadow of your smile, when you are gone
Will color all my dreams and light the dawn
Look into my eyes my love and see
Our wistful little star was far too high
A teardrop kissed your lips and so did I
Now when I remember spring, all the joy that love can bring
I will be remembering the shadow of your smile
The lyrics to "The Shadow of Your Smile" by Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass are a poignant reflection on the memory of a former lover. The song begins with a description of a day spent walking along the sand in early spring, during which the singer finds a piper with a broken wing. This moment becomes a metaphor for the fragility of love and the need to nurture it when it is broken. The singer then reflects on the many lonely miles traveled and the haunting echoes of the piper's song and the shadow of the smile of the former lover.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the lasting impact that the former lover has had on the singer's life. The shadow of her smile is said to color all of his dreams and light the dawn. He implores his former lover to look into his eyes and see all the lovely things she still represents to him. The final verse of the song returns to the memory of spring and the promise of love, but acknowledges that it was ultimately unattainable. The singer will always be left with the shadow of the former lover's smile.
Overall, "The Shadow of Your Smile" is a beautifully crafted song that captures the bittersweet nature of romantic memories. It is a reminder that even in the pain of lost love, there can still be beauty and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
One day we walked along the sand, one day in early spring
We took a walk on the beach during the start of spring
You held a piper in your hand to mend its broken wing
You had a bird whose wing needed fixing that you held in your hand
Now I'll remember many a day and many a lonely mile
I'll remember all the days and miles traveled on my own
The echo of a piper's song, the shadow of her smile
The sound of the bird's song and the memory of your smile will stay with me
The shadow of your smile, when you are gone
The memory of your smile will still remain even when you're not with me
Will color all my dreams and light the dawn
The thought of your smile will brighten my future dreams and mornings
Look into my eyes my love and see
Look into my eyes and see my love for you
All the lovely things you are to me
All the wonderful things you mean to me
Our wistful little star was far too high
Our dreams and aspirations were too out of reach
A teardrop kissed your lips and so did I
I kissed your lips as tears streamed down your face
Now when I remember spring, all the joy that love can bring
When I think of spring, I'll remember the happiness that love brings
I will be remembering the shadow of your smile
I will always remember the memory of your smile
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind