Irving Berlin (11 May 1888 – 22 September 1989), born Israel Isidore Baline… Read Full Bio ↴Irving Berlin (11 May 1888 – 22 September 1989), born Israel Isidore Baline, in Tyumen, Russia (according to other sources possibly Mogilev, now Belarus), was an American composer and lyricist. He was one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history.

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.

The Song Is Ended
Irving Berlin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
A moment of bliss we spent
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts' content
The song is ended
But the melody lingers on
You and the song are gone

But the melody lingers on
The night was splendid
And the melody seemed to say
"Summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may"
There 'neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon
The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn

You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on

Overall Meaning

These lyrics describe a beautiful moment of dance, romance and song that the singer remembers nostalgically. The memories take the singer back to a heavenly dance where he shared a moment of bliss with his beloved one. They danced into the night singing a love song to their hearts' content. The melody of the song is still lingering on though his loved one and the song are gone. The singer recalls that the night was splendid and the love song they sang made them feel like they had to take happiness while they can, for summer will pass away soon.

The moonlight enhanced their feeling of romance and made it seem like the love song they were singing ended too soon. The descending moon was the end of the night and the break of dawn signals the time when the singer found out that his beloved one had left him, and the song was also over. However, the melody of the song remains in his memory, keeping alive the feelings and memories of that beautiful and romantic night.

Line by Line Meaning

My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
I am reminiscing about a joyous moment in my past

A moment of bliss we spent
A fleeting time of pure happiness

Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
We were in love and our feelings were expressed through music

As into the night we went
Our happiness continued well into the night

And sang to our hearts' content
We could not stop singing, we were so in love

The song is ended
The moment has passed, the happiness is gone

But the melody lingers on
The memory of that happiness remains

You and the song are gone
The love and the music have both left

But the melody lingers on
Only the memory of the music and love remain

The night was splendid
The evening was wonderful

And the melody seemed to say
The music seemed to have a message of its own

"Summer will pass away
"This happiness will not last forever"

Take your happiness while you may"
Enjoy the moment while it lasts

There 'neath the light of the moon
We were together in the moonlight

We sang a love song that ended too soon
Our love was short-lived, and now it is over

The moon descended
The night came to an end

And I found with the break of dawn
When morning came, I realized that the happiness was fleeting

You and the song had gone
The love and the music were no longer present

But the melody lingers on
The memory of the music and love remains

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, IMAGEM U.S. LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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The Song Is Ended
Irving Berlin

My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
A moment of bliss we spent
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts' content

The song is ended
But the melody lingers on
You and the song are gone
But the melody lingers on

The night was splendid

And the melody seemed to say
"summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may"

There 'neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon

The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn
You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on