The Shadow Of Your Smile
Jack McDuff Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The shadow of your smile
When you have gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn

Look into my eyes my love and see
All the lovely things you are to me
Our wistful little star
It was far, too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so did I

Now when I remember spring
All the joys that love can bring




I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile

Overall Meaning

The Shadow of Your Smile is a poignant ballad by Jack McDuff that beautifully expresses the deep yearning when a loved one is gone. The song highlights the impact of a lover's absence on an individual's life. The lyrics demonstrate the lasting presence of love even when a person is no longer present physically. The shadow of their memory is enough to warm the dawn and color one's dreams. The poet has captured the essence of love that lingers even after a lover's departure.


The second stanza emphasizes the depth of love and how much it means to the singer. The poet calls upon the listener to look into their eyes and see all the beautiful things they mean to them. The fact that the singer can remember the joys of love demonstrates that it is a powerful catalyst that leaves an indelible mark on our hearts. Therefore, even though the lover is gone, they will leave a shadow of their smile that would be a lasting memory.


Line by Line Meaning

The shadow of your smile
The memory of your happy face


When you have gone
Once you've left my life


Will color all my dreams
Will influence all my thoughts and memories


And light the dawn
And bring hope to the start of each day


Look into my eyes my love and see
Please gaze into my eyes and understand


All the lovely things you are to me
All of the wonderful qualities you possess that I admire


Our wistful little star
Our small, nostalgic symbol


It was far, too high
It seemed unreachable and distant


A teardrop kissed your lips
A droplet of water met your mouth


And so did I
And so did I share in your sadness


Now when I remember spring
When I reminisce on the season of rebirth


All the joys that love can bring
All of the happiness that love can provide


I will be remembering
I will envision


The shadow of your smile
The memory of your happy face




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul Webster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jeanpaulbaldinger1726

Écouté ce matin 5h10 sur jazz radio
Magnifique 💕

@marshalllsmith2095

( Shadow Of Your Smile Haven't ) heard this cut in over fifty years....

What a difference a day makes.

@Spectrescup

You youngsters with your jeans round your knees- this is where you're meant to have your waistband.

@bennyjazzful

WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 74yo Aussie fan.

@marcottavi2655

i've must have been 20 years old or maybe 19 , around 2005, 2006....i did order an album by the post, i was trying to find back an old blues guitar tune somebody played to me when i was a kid , i've made a mistake and when i opened the letter this album was inside . i put it on and was instantly fascinated by the groove and the sound of "the shadow of your smile ", and the whole album .. i started to play it on repeat.. i was living with my mum who was back on product at the time , i was young and happy and sad meanwhile, i was in love and i was listening to this on my own in my room on a cheap cd player . I will never forget it

@KinnyMack

nuff respect to JacK McDuff and everybody involved in creating this timeless masterpiece.  yeah i am gonna say that hip-hop brought me to this particular piece, but again nuff respect to the originators!  

@Jm-ue8ze

Capital steez, action bronson . Who else used it?

@medallionmotionpictures

what a smokers delight this is. the organ takes me to paradise brother jack mcduff is angelic with his blessed hands. thanks for this post. one of my favorites.

@theflyingnimbus9705

RIP STEEZ

@JJJerrel

thank you action bronson for sampling this and keeping good music alive

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