Jerome Kern (1885-1945). Born in New York. American composer who grew to fa… Read Full Bio ↴Jerome Kern (1885-1945). Born in New York. American composer who grew to fame in the 1920's because of his contributions to musical theatre (Broadway). He moved to Hollywood in the mid-30s to work on film scores, but continued his association with Broadway. Some of his most charming songs were penned by P. G. Wodehouse.

Smoke gets in your eyes
Jerome Kern Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They asked me how I knew my true love was true
I of course replied
"Something here inside cannot be denied"
They said "someday you'll find
All who love are blind"
When your heart's on fire
You must realize
Smoke gets in your eyes

So I chaffed them and I gaily laughed
To think they could doubt my love
Yet today my love has flown away
I am without my love

Now laughing friends deride tears I cannot hide
So I smile and say
"When a lovely flame dies
Smoke gets in your eyes"

Now laughing friends deride tears I cannot hide
So I smile and say

"When a lovely flame dies
Smoke gets in your eyes"

Overall Meaning

In the song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," the singer is musing on the nature of love and how it can blind a person to its faults in the beginning. When asked how they knew their love was true, the singer replied that they could not deny the feeling inside them. Others warned them that love can make people blind, but the singer was certain of their feelings. However, as the song progresses, we see that the singer's love has left them, and they are left with tears they cannot hide. The song ends on the bittersweet note that when a lovely flame dies, "smoke gets in your eyes," implying that even when love fades, the memory of it lingers.

Line by Line Meaning

They asked me how I knew my true love was true
Someone asked me how I recognized that my beloved was actually my true love.

I, of course, replied, "Something here inside cannot be denied"
I was absolutely certain about my love, and I replied that I had an unmistakable feeling inside me.

They said, "Someday you'll find all who love are blind"
They remarked that eventually, I'll realize that everyone who loves is unable to see the imperfections, flaws, or difficulties in their lover or the relationship.

When your heart's on fire, you must realize Smoke gets in your eyes
If you're in love, you need to understand that, like smoke, the passion and intensity can cause you to become blinded to the realities of the situation.

So I chaffed them, and I gaily laughed, to think they could doubt my love
I gently teased or mocked them for questioning my commitment to my love and found it amusing that they did not understand my depth of devotion.

Yet today my love has flown away, I am without my love
Unfortunately, my love has left me, and now I'm feeling lonely and empty inside.

Now laughing friends deride tears I cannot hide, so I smile and say
Presently, my laughing buddies hassle me over unhidden emotional outbursts, and so I pretend to be fine and unconcerned.

When a lovely flame dies, Smoke gets in your eyes
When a charming, endearing love story comes to an end, the intense feeling of sadness, disappointment, and emptiness can impair one's judgement, similar to how smoke can irritate and blur your eyesight.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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