The Last Time I Saw Paris
J. Kern Lyrics

A lady known as Paris, Romantic and Charming
Paris is personified as a woman who is known for being romantically glamorous.

Has left her old companions and faded from view
Paris is no longer the same vibrant city it once was.

Lonely men with lonely eyes are seeking her in vain
People are searching for the vibrant Paris they once knew and loved but are unsuccessful in their attempts.

Her streets are where they were, but there's no sign of her
Paris still exists physically but the essence that once defined it is gone.

She has left the Seine
The Parisian lifestyle that once existed along the banks of the Seine River is no longer present.

The last time I saw Paris, her heart was warm and gay,
The last time the singer witnessed Paris, the city was full of life and warmth.

I heard the laughter of her heart in every street caf,
The jovial spirit of the city could be heard throughout in the sounds of the people enjoying themselves in cafes.

The last time I saw Paris, her trees were dressed for spring,
In the singer's memory, the trees of Paris were adorned with new leaves and the hope that springtime brings.

And lovers walked beneath those trees and birds found songs to sing.
The singer remembers people in love taking walks under the trees, while birds chirped joyfully.

I dodged the same old taxicabs that I had dodged for years.
The everyday hustle and bustle of the city remained the same for years.

The chorus of their squeaky horns was music to my ears.
The cacophony of the taxis' horns was an integral part of the city's soundscape that the singer enjoyed.

No matter how they change her, I'll remember her that way.
The singer will always remember Paris as it was in his memory, and no current changes can subvert that.

I'll think of happy hours, and people who shared them
The singer thinks fondly of the time spent with people who made Paris lively and joyous.

Old women, selling flowers, in markets at dawn
It is a nostalgic remembrance by the singer of Parisian markets bustling with life where the old women would sell flowers in the early hours of the day.

Children who applauded, Punch and Judy in the park
The innocent delights of children watching Punch and Judy puppet shows in the city's park are still fresh in the singer's memory.

And those who danced at night and kept our Paris bright
The people who danced all night to keep the city alive in the singer's memory are remembered with admiration.

Til the town went dark.
The city that once buzzed with life and joy is now dark and dull, with no signs of its former glory.