Irene's older brother, Roy Kral, was a successful musician when Irene started singing professionally as a teenager. She sung with bands on tours led by Woody Herman and Chubby Jackson, former Herman bass player.
Irene joined Maynard Ferguson's band in the late 1950s and sang with groups led by Stan Kenton and Shelly Manne.
Irene then started a solo career until her death at 46 years of age. She was a ballad singer who stated that Carmen McRae was one of her inspirations.
Irene was made more famous posthumously when Clint Eastwood used her recordings in his 1995 movie, The Bridges of Madison County.
(from Wikipedia)
I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
Irene Kral Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was the sweetest melody
I know I lost heaven 'cause you were the song
Since you and I have drifted apart
Life doesn't mean a thing to me
Please come back, sweet music, I know I was wrong
You know that we were meant to be more than just friends, just friends
I let a song go out of my heart
Believe me, darlin', when I say
I won't know sweet music until you return some day
I let a song go out of my heart
Believe me, darlin', when I say
I won't know sweet music until you return some day
"I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" is a ballad about lost love, written by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Henry Nemo, and John Redmond. Irene Kral recorded the song in 1963, and her rendition is widely regarded as one of the finest versions. The song tells the sad story of a couple who have separated, and the singer realizes that without their partner, they've lost the most important part of their life - their love.
The first stanza talks about the singer losing the most beautiful and amazing part of their life, compared to a sweet melody they cannot forget. The second stanza reveals that since the couple has drifted apart, life has lost all meaning to the singer. They realize that the person who meant the most to them in life was their partner, and that they were the "song" that had now left their heart. The third stanza asks if it is too late for the singer to make amends and if they can go back to the way things used to be. They plead to their former partner to come back to them and to bring the sweet music of love and happiness back into their life. The final stanza reiterates the fact that the singer won't know sweet music until their partner comes back into their life.
The song taps into the classic theme of lost love and its aftermath, a somewhat universal feeling that most people can relate to. The clever use of the metaphor of a song leaving someone's heart is a poignant way to describe the sorrow of a break-up. The lyrics in this song are simple but powerful. The song has been recorded by many famous musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
Line by Line Meaning
I let a song go out of my heart
I failed to express my emotions and feelings through music and let go of a beautiful melody that was once in my heart.
It was the sweetest melody
The song that I let go of was the most beautiful and sweetest melody that I had ever heard or composed.
I know I lost heaven 'cause you were the song
I lost everything that was heavenly because you were the song that I let go of. The music that I lost was symbolic of our relationship that I ruined.
Since you and I have drifted apart
Our relationship has come to an end, and we have drifted apart from each other.
Life doesn't mean a thing to me
My life has become meaningless, and I don't find pleasure or joy in anything that I do anymore.
Please come back, sweet music, I know I was wrong
I am aware that I made a mistake, and I want the music, which represents our relationship, to come back into my life. I am ready to make amends and apologize for my actions.
Am I too late to make amends?
I am not sure if it is too late to mend our relationship.
You know that we were meant to be more than just friends, just friends
I believe that our relationship was more than just a friendship, and we had a special connection.
Believe me, darlin', when I say
I am sincere and honest when I say that what I feel and express is genuine.
I won't know sweet music until you return some day
I won't find happiness, peace or joy in life until you come back to my life. Only then will I experience the sweetness of the melody, that you and I once shared, again.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duke Ellington, Henry Nemo, John Redmond, Irving Mills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind