Her credits include being an original cast member of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1968), the female lead (Sheila) in the Los Angeles company of Hair (1968), a number 1 single "The Right Time of the Night" (1977) and 3 Oscars for Best Song - "It Goes Like it Goes," from Norma Rae (1980), "Up Where We Belong," (with Joe Cocker) from "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982), & "I've Had the Time of My Life," (with Bill Medley) from "Dirty Dancing" (1987). (Her duets with Cocker & Medley were also #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.)
She toured with Leonard Cohen in 1972 & 1979. In 1987, she recorded "Famous Blue Raincoat" - an album of Cohen's compositions.
Nightengale
Jennifer Warnes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And that love was just a memory
But a nightingale followed me back home
Where my love was waiting there for me
I have lost my faith as lovers often do
When the storm clouds gather overhead
But a nightingale sang a note so true
And to think that I said,"Love was for fools"
And that time would never heal
These old wounds
But the nightingale saved a prayer for me
In the twilight, he played a faithful true
I have heard the lark over the vale
And I've heard the lonesome whippoorwill
But the sweetest song is the nightingale?s
And I know I?ll never get my fill
And to think that I said,"Love for fools"
And that time would never heal these old wounds
But the nightingale saved a prayer for me
In the twilight, he played a faithful tune
In Jennifer Warnes's song Nightingale, the singer portrays a story of losing faith in both love and oneself but eventually finding reassurance and hope in a simple yet powerful song of a nightingale. The opening line seems to paint a picture of sadness and loneliness, and the belief that love and happiness were lost memories. The nightingale appears to symbolize a change in this feeling as it follows the singer home where they find their love waiting for them.
As the song progresses, the lyrics reveal that the singer had lost faith in love and their ability to trust it which could be attributed to the accumulated pain and disappointment in relationships. However, the nightingale's song gives a glimmer of hope and comfort by singing a note that is "so true" it dissolves their fear. The lyrics seem to suggest that the nightingale's song has the power to heal and reinstate faith in love. The singer even reflects on how they had once dismissed love as foolish, but the nightingale's song has become a prayer that has given them a renewed perspective.
Overall, the song Nightingale poetically reveals that in times of doubt and heartache, sometimes the simplest things like the sweet tune of a bird, can offer hope and a catalyst towards healing and reassurance.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday, I thought that I walked alone
I felt isolated and without love the day before.
And that love was just a memory
I believed that my love life was over, reminiscent of past relationships.
But a nightingale followed me back home
The bird symbolized hope, showing me that it was still possible to find love despite my prior beliefs.
Where my love was waiting there for me
Returning home, I found my true love waiting for me, which the nightingale seemed to have helped me discover.
I have lost my faith as lovers often do
I have become disillusioned with love, as is common among those who have been hurt or experienced heartbreak.
When the storm clouds gather overhead
Metaphorically speaking, when difficult times happen, my faith in love lessens.
But a nightingale sang a note so true
The bird showed me a new way of thinking about love, one that was authentic and genuine.
That I knew I'd lost my fear instead
I became fearless in a sense, realizing that not all love is the same and that I could still find happiness in my love life.
And to think that I said, 'Love was for fools'
Previously, I believed that love was something only foolish people partook in.
And that time would never heal these old wounds
I thought I would never recover from past heartbreak.
But the nightingale saved a prayer for me
The bird seemed to symbolize hope and a new beginning, offering me solace and comfort during a difficult time.
In the twilight, he played a faithful tune
At dusk, the bird sang a beautiful and trustworthy song.
I have heard the lark over the vale
I have heard other birds sing in beautiful settings.
And I've heard the lonesome whippoorwill
I have also heard sad and lonely birds sing their songs.
But the sweetest song is the nightingale's
Out of all the different bird songs I have heard, the nightingale's is the most beautiful and comforting.
And I know I?ll never get my fill
I will never tire of hearing the nightingale's song and the hope it represents.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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