I've Told Every Little Star
Jerome Kern Lyrics
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I've told every little star
Just how sweet I think you are
Why haven′t I told you?
I've told ripples in a brook
Made my heart an open book
Friends ask me am I in love
I always answer yes
Might as well confess
If the answer′s yes
Maybe you may love me too
Oh my darling if you do
Why haven′t you told me?
Friends ask me am I in love
I always answer yes
Might as well confess
If the answer's yes
Maybe you may love me too
Oh my darling if you do
Why haven′t you told me?
In Jerome Kern's song "I've Told Every Little Star," the singer wonders why they haven't expressed their affection to the person they love. They convey how they have confided in the stars and the natural elements, such as ripples in a brook, about the sweetness they see in the person. Despite this, they have not mustered the courage to directly communicate their feelings.
The lyrics explore the internal struggle of the singer, reflecting on the pressure from friends who inquire if they are in love. Though they always answer in the affirmative, it is clear that the singer is hesitant to disclose their love interest. They hope that by revealing their emotions, the person they are infatuated with may reciprocate their love. The song ends with a plea for the person to confess their love if they feel the same way, as the singer wonders why they haven't been told.
Overall, "I've Told Every Little Star" delves into the vulnerability and fear of expressing love. It captures the longing and desire for reciprocation, as the singer yearns for the person they adore to reveal their own feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Why haven't I told you?
I wonder why I haven't expressed my feelings for you
I've told every little star
I've confided in the twinkling stars about how much I adore you
Just how sweet I think you are
I've shared with them the depth of my admiration for your sweetness
Why haven't I told you?
Again, I question why I haven't let you know
I've told ripples in a brook
I've whispered my affection to the ripples gracefully flowing in the brook
Made my heart an open book
I've laid bare my heart's desires, making it an open book
Why haven't I told you?
Once more, I ponder over my reluctance to reveal my emotions
Friends ask me am I in love
My friends inquire whether I am in love
I always answer yes
Without fail, my response is always affirmative
Might as well confess
It's best to admit and reveal
If the answer's yes
Given that the answer is indeed yes
Maybe you may love me too
Perhaps there's a possibility that you might also feel love for me
Oh my darling if you do
Oh, my dearest, if you happen to love me
Why haven′t you told me?
Why haven't you communicated your sentiments to me?
Friends ask me am I in love
Once again, my friends inquire if I am in love
I always answer yes
Consistently, I respond affirmatively
Might as well confess
It's better to disclose and admit
If the answer's yes
If indeed the answer is yes
Maybe you may love me too
There's a chance that you may reciprocate my love
Oh my darling if you do
Oh, my beloved, if you feel the same
Why haven′t you told me?
Why haven't you conveyed your feelings to me?
Writer(s): Jerome Kern, Oscar Ii Hammerstein
Contributed by Sarah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@martijn130370
Very moving, especially as this was the song that Hammerstein hummed to him when he was taken into the hospital. From wikipedia:
In the fall of 1945, the composer Jerome Kern returned to New York City to oversee auditions for a new revival of Show Boat, and began to work on the score for what would become the musical Annie Get Your Gun, to be produced by Rodgers and Hammerstein. On November 5, 1945, at 60 years of age, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while walking at the corner of Park Avenue and 57th Street. Identifiable only by his ASCAP card, Kern was initially taken to the indigent ward at City Hospital, later being transferred to Doctors Hospital in Manhattan. Hammerstein was at his side when Kern's breathing stopped. Hammerstein hummed or sang the song "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" from Music in the Air (a personal favorite of the composer's) into Kern's ear. Receiving no response, Hammerstein realized Kern had died.
@nancythompson8247
I heard Kenny Baker sing this song on the Jack Benny show of June 12, 1938. So beautiful and sweet.
@Corporations8MyBaby
The fidelity of this is great. The recording technique of RCA Victor got so good between 27 and 32... night and day.
@Trombonology
Delighted to find this first, very sweet rendition -- I adore this song. ... So, too, evidently, did its composer: According to Wikipedia, Oscar Hammerstein II, who provided the beguilingly innocent lyrics for "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star," was at Kern's side when the tunesmith drew his last breath, at Doctors Hospital in Manhattan, on November 11, 1945. Hammerstein hummed or sang the song, one of Kern's favorites from his own work, into the composer's ear and, receiving no response, realized that the man, known simply as "The Dean" among his contemporaries in the field, had died. ... You don't find songs like this one anymore.
@dholm5058
JACK DENNY WONDERFUL PAUL SMALL NEE KLEIN GREAT!! TRY MERV GRIFFIN ON THE VOCAL WITH FREDDY MARTIN
@martijn130370
a shame this is nowhere on cd, not even a Vocalion release.
@say-cred
older version has a slightly different chords than the linda scott version. More interesting in my opinion.
@vintagegoldenage
love this early version compared with linda scott's, although her's is very good for the 60s
@1967kurtsnotdumb
?linda scott remake from an old 78. Who would have thought.
@stuarthirsh
Lol....I'm sorry....I hadn't heard that expression in a while......That's exactly what I thaught....I would have figured it was one of those early 60s writers or producers like Leiber and Stoller or Phill Spector or Jerry Gotleib and Carol King.......and then....Whamo......better go ask Miss Scott's Grand daddy or something....