Jeri Southern (real name: Genevieve Lillian Hering; August 5, 1926 - August… Read Full Bio ↴Jeri Southern (real name: Genevieve Lillian Hering; August 5, 1926 - August 4, 1991) was a jazz pianist and singer.

Born in Royal, Nebraska, Hering began playing piano at age three, and at age six started formal study in classical piano. She studied classical piano and voice at Sacred Heart in Omaha, Nebraska where she became interested in jazz.

After beginning her career at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha she joined a United States Navy recruiting tour during World War II. In the late 1940s, she worked in Chicago clubs where she once was a supporting vocalist for Anita O'Day. She became known for what might be deemed torch songs.

She signed with Decca Records in 1951 and became known both for pop and jazz. The 1950s saw her at the height of her importance. In that decade she sang in a few films and in 1957 she had a top 30 hit with "Fire Down Below". After her switch to Capitol Records she had success doing interpretations of Cole Porter with Billy May arranging some of the more humorous examples.

In the 1960s she gave up music to teach and later moved to Hollywood to work on film composing with Hugo Friedhofer. She also wrote Interpreting Popular Music At The Keyboard during her final years. She died in Los Angeles of pneumonia in 1991.

Let's Fall In Love
Jeri Southern Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Our hearts are made of it
Let's take a chance
Why be afraid of it?

Let's close our eyes
And make our own paradise

Little we know of it
Still we can try
To make a go of it

We might have been meant for each other
To be or not to be, let our hearts discover

Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Now is the time for it
While we are young
Let's fall in love

We might have been meant for each other
To be or not to be, let our hearts discover

Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Now is the time for it

While we are young
Let's fall in love

Overall Meaning

Jeri Southern's song "Let's Fall in Love" is a classic love song, and the lyrics are an encouragement for two people to take a chance on love. The lyrics suggest that falling in love is something that should be experienced by everyone, regardless of any fear or uncertainty that may come with it. The first stanza of the song explains that love is something that is within every person's reach, and that our hearts are made for it. The suggestion is that there is no reason to hold back or be afraid of taking a chance on love.

The second stanza offers a possible solution to any anxieties a person may have about falling in love. The suggestion is made that two people should "close our eyes" and "make our own paradise," implying that they can create their own perfect love story together. The stanza also acknowledges that love is something that is not fully understood by many people, but it is still worth trying to make a go of it.

The final stanza reinforces the idea that two people who may have been meant for each other should take the chance to discover their feelings for each other. The song encourages the listener to fall in love while they are young, implying that the all-consuming emotions of youth are the perfect time to experience the fullness of love.

Line by Line Meaning

Let's fall in love
Suggesting that they both should fall in love

Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Asking why they shouldn't fall in love

Our hearts are made of it
Implying that they are in love

Let's take a chance
Encouraging the idea of taking a risk for love

Why be afraid of it?
Asking why they should be afraid of love.

Let's close our eyes
Suggesting that they should visualize a perfect moment

And make our own paradise
Encouraging the idea of creating their own perfect world of love

Little we know of it
Acknowledging that they don't know much about love

Still we can try
Suggesting that they can still pursue love despite not knowing much about it.

To make a go of it
Suggesting to take a chance and try to make their relationship work

We might have been meant for each other
Believing that they may be soulmates

To be or not to be, let our hearts discover
Whether they are meant to be or not, they should let their hearts explore and discover their true feelings

Now is the time for it
Emphasizing the urgency of falling in love

While we are young
Implying that they should fall in love while they are young

Let's fall in love
Reiterating the idea that they should fall in love

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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