Star dust
Hoagy Carmichael Trio Lyrics
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Why I spend the lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
Now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Beside a garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart, it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain
Though I dream in vain
In my heart, it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain
Hoagy Carmichael's "Star Dust" is a timeless classic that has been covered by countless artists, cementing its place in the Great American Songbook. The lyrics are a poetic exploration of memory and the power of music to transport us to feelings and moments we thought were lost in time. The song opens with Carmichael wondering why he spends his lonely nights dreaming of a song. He then reveals that the melody haunts his reverie and transports him back to a time when he was with his lover when their love was new and each kiss was an inspiration. However, that love is now gone, and his only consolation is in the stardust of the song. The singer then imagines holding his lover again, under a bright night sky, with the nightingale singing a fairytale about a paradise where roses grew. Although the dream cannot be fulfilled, the memory of the love’s refrain will remain in his heart.
The song's enduring popularity can be attributed to its beautiful melody and poignant lyrics, which explore themes of loss, nostalgia, and the power of music to evoke memories. The lyrics communicate a sense of longing that resonates with listeners, as they imagine a lost love and long for something that can never be regained. The use of stardust as a metaphor for memories creates a dreamlike quality throughout the song, emphasizing the power of imagination and the romanticism of the past. Carmichael's use of imagery, such as the nightingale's singing and the paradise where roses grew, creates a vivid picture of a love that was once real and now lives on only in memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I wonder
At times I question
Why I spend the lonely nights
Why I pass through solitaire nights
Dreaming of a song
Fantasizing of a melody
The melody
The tune
Haunts my reverie
It overwhelms my thoughts
And I am once again with you
And I'm with you once more
When our love was new
Back when love was novel
And each kiss an inspiration
And every kiss an invigoration
Oh, but that was long ago
But that was long in the past
Now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Currently, the comfort comes from the memory of the melody
Beside a garden wall, when stars are bright
Next to a garden fence, when stars are glowing
You are in my arms
I'm embracing you
The nightingale
The small bird
Tells his fairytale
Shares his fantasy
Of paradise, where roses grew
Those roses grew in a mythical paradise
Though I dream in vain
While my aspirations are unlikely to happen
In my heart, it will remain
The idea will endure inside me
My stardust melody
The memory of the song
The memory of love's refrain
The recollection of the recurring love theme
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, MITCHELL PARISH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephtousignant7318
I keep coming back to this video. I've probably watch it a few dozen times over the last year, and it always puts a smile on my face. But also, a tear in my eye as it was truly my dad's favorite tune, and not every cover did it justice. He died at age 76 back in 2006, but as a musician himself for over 35 years he would have really loved this! I'm sad he never got a chance to hear and watch it at least once, as I'm pretry sure he would have sworn it AS the finest performance of "Stardust".
As such, he would have given it his highest personal musical performance rating,... judging it simply: "Tasty" 🙂
To reach that lofty grade in his mind, the singer would have been flawless and captivating. In this performance the sultry vocals by Allison certainly were, but here also, heartfelt commitment to this old standard was mesmerizing. When you looked into the camera and then shamlessly looked away,... those eyes,... oh Allison your eyes were like a window into your soul!
A beautiful physical presence a bonus but never required to reach his highest level of appreciation. This of course was a bonus situation, making the performance even more special.
But what all too often happens is the accompianment is overpowering,... sometimes as loud as if to be the "lead", and stand out and at times overpowering the vocal performance. Ego sometimes influences the instrument player subconsciously, in wanting to compete with the singer. But the SONG is the star, the singer the conveyer of the tune, and the guitar best to reside in the bacvkround,... subtly supporting the vocals and adding lots of "color" and interesting counter point to the performance. If done right (in my dad's mind), the musician is fully heard but slightly in the backround and not overpowering.
Josh did that and more here,... with a classy intro using harmonics, leading to a subdued intimate fluttering of cords, then building into some really fine fingerstyle incorporating much of what a full orchestra might add off the original score. Then after the pause @1:07, the fingerstyle playing is superb. Josh makes it look so effortless, but there's really a lot he's doing supporting the tune with. (the pinky fretting work done @1:50 always makes me smile :-) (Chet Atkins would have loved this performance also!)
Josh is a young man, and has advanced so much over the years that I don't even know if he realizes how good his arrangement instincts and playing ability have become. Unselfish in the backround but doing huge support of the tune and vocalist. Loud enough to be clearly heard, followed and enjoyed listening to the magic, he adds loads to the performance!
Some guitarists play loud because they don't understand the nuonces that softer play can create, helping to form an intimate bond with the audience. Josh's instincts are spot on here, and we're drawn into his musical web of brilliance, and into Allison's wondrous voice and presence. Oh, and those eyes,... did I mention those eyes already? 🙂
Surely a performance worthy of top rating by my dad,... this was surely..."Tasty"!
--
Joe T
.
@kelvynification
Why is this singer not huge????? Ridiculously amazing timbre, control, intonation the whole nine yards. Wow, Wow!
@dutchy1121
I was thinking the same thing, glad I clicked on the video
@foljs5858
because nobody cares for such talent - it's all BS pop and hip hop about how big is your ass, how much plastic surgery you had, and what bling you own
@ShowCat1
Your story brought a little tear to my eye also. Thanks for sharing.
@adamtier3263
Genetics?
@kathiburgess6357
Agreed!!
@peggyfong8223
I'm 75, and this is the best version of STARDUST l've ever heard !!! 😂 l'm glad the younger generation can keep the "oldies" alive. It's absolutely beautiful. ❤
@frankbarcelona2118
Yes , a very good version , BUT for me Nat King Cole was the one and Peter Nero's piano got me to learn to play piano 22 years ago.
@brucekronberg8492
I'm the same age and agree completely. My wonderful mother and father would be up dancing and loving this rendition. Just perfect in every way.
@Jeff-jg7jh
It's so depressing that all these old people have to express how old they are. I guess this is Lawrence Welk. I hated that stuff when I was ten and now I'm, well, you know.