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.
Remember
Irving Berlin Lyrics
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One little smile, and after a while, a longing to forget
One little heartache left as a token
One little plaything carelessly broken
Remember the night
The night you said, "I love you"
Remember?
Remember you vowed
Remember?
Remember we found a lonely spot
And after I learned to care a lot
You promised that you'd forget me not
But you forgot
To remember
[2]
Into my dreams you wandered it seems, and then there came a day
You loved me too, my dreams had come true, and all the world was
May
But soon the Maytime turned to December
You had forgotten, do you remember?
Irving Berlin’s song, Remember, talks about the heartache of a fleeting romantic encounter that resulted in a broken heart. The song starts with the singer reminiscing about that one kiss that led to hours of deep regret. The singer then recalls the memory of a little smile that once transformed into a longing to forget that brief romantic moment. The lyrics illustrate the aftermath of a broken heart and the feeling of being nothing but a heartache left as a token.
The singer then requests the listener to remember that one fateful night when they said “I love you.” The song highlights the human tendency to make unfulfilled promises in the heat of the moment. The lyrics remind the listener of the empty vow that was made “by all the stars above you,” promising never to forget the singer. However, as the song progresses, it reveals that those vows were soon forgotten, and the singer was left with nothing but memories of the past.
The latter half of the song tells the story of the singer’s dreams coming true, and how life was beautiful, like a month of May. However, it soon turns into December, with an indication that the person who once loved the singer soon forgot their promises. The lyrics depict the fact that the world may seem bright and sunny during May, but it does not take long for the warmth to fade away, leaving us with a cold, dark December.
Overall, Irving Berlin’s Remember apprises us in a bittersweet way, that any romantic encounter, big or small, leaves an impact and may result in a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
One little kiss, a moment of bliss, then hours of deep regret
A small act of intimacy leads to a short-lived moment of happiness followed by prolonged remorse
One little smile, and after a while, a longing to forget
Initially, a smile brings joy, but with time, it becomes a reminder of the past and provokes a desire to erase its memory
One little heartache left as a token
A minor heartbreak serves as a reminder of emotional pain
One little plaything carelessly broken
Something once cherished was ruined due to neglect or carelessness
Remember the night
The night you said, "I love you"
Remember?
Recall the night when you first professed your love
Remember you vowed
By all the stars above you
Remember?
Reminisce when you made a vow to hold onto those feelings forever
Remember we found a lonely spot
And after I learned to care a lot
You promised that you'd forget me not
But you forgot
To remember
Think back to the time we found a place where we were alone, and I fell in love with you. You swore to never forget me, but you did not keep that promise.
Into my dreams you wandered it seems, and then there came a day
You loved me too, my dreams had come true, and all the world was May
You appeared in my dreams, and they eventually became a reality, and life was good.
But soon the Maytime turned to December
You had forgotten, do you remember?
Things changed, we drifted apart, and you seem to have forgotten our love. Can you still recall those feelings?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Benjamin Altman
I had the privilege of being able to play this song with Jo in college in NY (purchase). I remember being blown away when she did this solo. Such a tremendous talent.
Payette Forward
Ditto!
THE MIGHTY ORQ
Man, she nailed the Hank Mobley solo. Great work!
Thomas .Hennessey
Very true
David Linx
Amazing artist!
JOSE MESIA HERRERA
Bellisima, sexy y talentosa, una muy linda voz, hecha para el Jazz. Que gran artista... Felicitaciones !!!
Savio Miranda
She is magnificent!
Danilo Vasiloff
Maravilla voz
foxdaleprincess
So amazing!!!😍
John Jarou
i've never heard of Jo Lawry before, but i can hear the Hank Mobley influence here. pretty good work. the girl can sing reminds me a little bit of Barbara Streisand.