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.
Listening
Irving Berlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so lonely, dear
Lonely, waiting here
Waiting for you in the gloaming
While you're far away
I long for the day
When you'll weary of your roaming
Listening, listening for you
All alone feeling kind o' blue
Listening
For a knock upon the door
Growing weary waiting for
Your returning, yearning
Missing you more and more each day
Wanting you more than I can say
Because there is nothing else to do
Just a lonely thing
Listening for you
[2nd verse:]
How I long for you
When the day is through
And the shades of night are falling
How I miss you dear
For I want you near
And I seem to hear you calling
The lyrics to Irving Berlin's song "Listening" express the feelings of loneliness and yearning for a loved one who is far away. The first verse portrays the singer's longing for their beloved and their hope for a time when their partner would be weary of their travels and return to them. The refrain conveys the theme of waiting and listening for their loved one's return, with the singer feeling increasingly desolate and sad as time passes. The second verse emphasizes the singer's deep emotions and their longing for their partner's presence, with nightfall being a particularly difficult time when they hear imaginary calls from their lover.
Overall, the song highlights the universal human experience of missing someone we cherish and the overwhelming emptiness that comes with their absence. The melody and lyrics work together to create a poignant mood and tug at the heartstrings of the listener, making it a classic love song that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so lonely, dear
I feel extremely lonely without you, my love
Lonely, waiting here
I'm waiting here all alone with nothing but my loneliness for company
Waiting for you in the gloaming
I'm waiting for you in the dim light of the evening time when the world starts to fade away
While you're far away
You're not here with me and are away somewhere distant
I long for the day
I'm hoping and craving for the day when you'll finally return to my arms
When you'll weary of your roaming
I'm waiting for the day when you'll finally tire of wandering around and come back home to me
Listening, listening for you
I'm straining to hear any sign of your approach
All alone feeling kind o' blue
I'm feeling down in the dumps because I'm all alone and miss you
For a knock upon the door
I'm hoping to hear a knock on the door to signal your return
Growing weary waiting for
I'm getting tired of waiting for you and longing for your presence
Your returning, yearning
I eagerly anticipate your return and have an intense desire to be with you
Missing you more and more each day
Every day that passes without you makes me miss you more than the last
Wanting you more than I can say
I have an indescribable desire to be with you and am longing for your return
Because there is nothing else to do
I have nothing to keep me occupied while I wait for you
Just a lonely thing
All I have is my loneliness to keep me company
Listening for you
I'm listening intently for any sign of your arrival
How I long for you
I desperately want to be with you
When the day is through
When the day is over and everything has settled down
And the shades of night are falling
When darkness is creeping in and the world is growing dim
How I miss you dear
I really miss you, my love
For I want you near
I want to be close to you and feel your presence
And I seem to hear you calling
It's like I can hear your voice calling out to me, even though you're not here
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
roberto diaz moreno
Realmente muy interesante la biografía transcripta de este grandioso musico . Conocía algunos datos parciales de su vida y trayectoria, lo que sorprende es que fue autodidacta dado que no concurrió a ninguna academia, y sin embargo dejo un impresionante legado musical al American Songbook.
Chico Gaúcho
Irvin Berlin eterno
AMT
Heavenly!
Warongrat Ratanawarang
Great songs great composer great orchestras thank you 4 Mar 2020 Always
Matthew Brazille
Irving Berlin....what else can be said about the greatest American Song Writer
Ornella Morosini
Meraviglioso suono di musiche eterne di Berlin come Lo furono le musiche lo sono tutt'ora le musiche di Gershwin di Cole Porter che io adoro perché hanno fatto le migliori colonne sonore del mondo
Andrea Cavallero
Genio della musica
FoDucken
14:46 how deep is the ocean how high is the sky
Christian Jacq
Une précision concernant le titre 'Sayonara', la musique a été signée par Franz Waxman.
Cet album est très séduisant par la qualité des orchestres choisis.
Louis Defaux
I think that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced with his great music !!!!!