Berlin, who was Jewish, was one of the few Tin Pan Alley/Broadway songwriters who wrote both lyrics and music for his songs. Although he never learned to read music beyond a rudimentary level, he composed over 3,000 songs. Many of his songs, including "God Bless America", "White Christmas", "Alexander's Ragtime Band", and "There's No Business Like Show Business," left an indelible mark on American music and culture. He produced 17 film scores and 21 Broadway scores, in addition to his individual songs.
How Many Times
Irving Berlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A moon that has a silvery lining is shining above
The girlie says you certainly do like to coo like a dove
A nervous youth
A jealous miss
Who wants the truth
Is asking this:
How many times have you said, "I love you"?
How many times have you said, "I'll be true"?
How many wonderful sweeties have you told that to?
How many times has a certain feeling
Troubled you so that you "hit the ceiling"?
How many hands have you held all alone?
How many lips have you pressed to your own?
I'd hate to think that you kissed too many
But I'd feel worse if you hadn't kissed any
Please tell me how many times
A certain thing has puzzled me greatly, just lately, my dear
Why does a fellow always get stupid when Cupid is near?
Although I was the smartest at college that knowledge, I fear
Could never bring
A Romeo
The only thing
He wants to know
How many sighs have you sighed in my ear?
How many lies have you whispered, my dear?
How many baby blue eyes have you gazed right into?
How many loving words have you spoken?
How many promises have you broken?
How many times have you left me alone
Told me had business and yet you come home
I know where you were because I saw you
And I got home just a minute before you
Oh, baby, how many times?
The lyrics to Irving Berlin's song "How Many Times?" depict a conversation between a couple, with the woman questioning the man's romantic history and sincerity. The first verse sets the scene of the couple walking together, with a moon shining above. The girl playfully accuses the man of being overly affectionate, comparing him to a cooing dove. However, her tone changes as she becomes more serious and asks him a series of questions.
The woman's questions center around the theme of trust and doubt. She wants to know how many times he has professed love and made promises of loyalty to other women. She wonders how many times he has felt strongly about someone to the point of getting angry or upset ("hit the ceiling"). She asks about his physical encounters, wanting to know how many hands he has held all alone and how many lips he has pressed against his own. The underlying fear is that he may have been too promiscuous, but paradoxically, she would feel worse if he hadn't experienced any intimate moments.
In the second verse, the woman continues her line of questioning. She marvels at the way love affects people, causing them to behave foolishly and lose their intelligence when Cupid's influence is near. She reminisces about her own academic achievements but admits that knowledge could never provide her with the answers she seeks about his romantic past. She wants to know how many times he has whispered sweet lies in her ear, stared into other women's eyes, spoken loving words, and broken promises. She accuses him of leaving her alone under the pretense of business, only to be caught in a lie as she arrives home just minutes before him.
The lyrics of "How Many Times?" explore themes of trust, jealousy, and insecurity within a romantic relationship. The woman's questions reflect her doubts and the fear of being deceived or betrayed by her partner. The song captures the complexities and uncertainties of love, where emotions can range from playful affection to deep suspicion.
Line by Line Meaning
A fellow with his lady friend walking and talking of love
A man and his girlfriend are strolling together, engaging in intimate conversation about love.
A moon that has a silvery lining is shining above
The moon, with its shimmering glow, illuminates the sky.
The girlie says you certainly do like to coo like a dove
The girl playfully comments on the man's affectionate and sweet demeanor.
A nervous youth
The man is feeling anxious and jittery.
A jealous miss
A woman filled with jealousy.
Who wants the truth
She desires to know the truth.
Is asking this:
She poses the following question:
How many times have you said, "I love you"?
How frequently have you expressed your love?
How many times have you said, "I'll be true"?
How many occasions have you declared your faithfulness?
How many wonderful sweeties have you told that to?
How many lovely individuals have you expressed these sentiments to?
How many times has a certain feeling
On how many instances has a particular emotion
Troubled you so that you "hit the ceiling"?
Caused you such distress that you became furious?
How many hands have you held all alone?
How often have you held someone's hand in solitude?
How many lips have you pressed to your own?
How many times have you kissed someone's lips?
I'd hate to think that you kissed too many
I would dislike the thought of you having kissed numerous individuals
But I'd feel worse if you hadn't kissed any
Yet, it would trouble me more if you hadn't kissed anyone at all
Please tell me how many times
Kindly inform me of the precise number of occurrences
A certain thing has puzzled me greatly, just lately, my dear
Recently, my dear, I have been greatly perplexed by a specific matter
Why does a fellow always get stupid when Cupid is near?
I wonder why a man becomes foolish whenever love is in the air.
Although I was the smartest at college that knowledge, I fear
Despite being the most intelligent student at college, I am afraid
Could never bring
It could never provide me with
A Romeo
The qualities of a romantic and passionate lover
The only thing
The sole matter
He wants to know
He is eager to find out
How many sighs have you sighed in my ear?
How many times have you gently exhaled sighs while close to my ear?
How many lies have you whispered, my dear?
How frequently have you deceitfully whispered falsehoods, my beloved?
How many baby blue eyes have you gazed right into?
How many times have you stared deeply into innocent blue eyes?
How many loving words have you spoken?
How many affectionate words have you expressed?
How many promises have you broken?
How many commitments have you failed to fulfill?
How many times have you left me alone
On how many occasions have you abandoned me
Told me had business and yet you come home
Claiming you had important matters to attend to, but you return home
I know where you were because I saw you
I am aware of your whereabouts because I witnessed it firsthand
And I got home just a minute before you
Furthermore, I arrived home only a minute prior to your arrival
Oh, baby, how many times?
Oh, my dear, how frequently?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rudi Herold
With my experience of knowing 1920s music, I would stay this one is a fine example tune of the era!
Al Banghart
This song had been going around in my head for ever and now I found it finally. Amazing, written by Irving Berlin. Who recorded it in the 40 when I would have heard it? Anyone know?
Antonio Campagnefilho
parabens lindas musicas inesqueciveis e imortais
victorbrunswick
Musical perfection!
brent g
fantastic
SlyGuySaysHi
So... good...
Eli Guy
oh, fantastic sound, like live... time machine. where and when am I?
Maurizio Catalano
a deep tought, it's true. this kind of music is free time machine