After Guy Mitchell caught his set at one club, Jerry Vale began recording demonstration discs for Columbia. When A&R supremo Mitch Miller heard his excellent voice, however, he signed Vale to his own contract. Vale first hit the charts in 1953 with "You Can Never Give Me Back My Heart" (arranged by Percy Faith), and continued during the mid '50s with "Two Purple Shadows," "I Live Each Day," and his biggest hit, "You Don't Know Me." Though his first explicitly Italian recording, "Innamorata (Sweetheart)," finally appeared in 1956, it wasn't until 1962 that Vale convinced the notoriously conservative Miller to record a full album of Italian songs. "I Have But One Heart" proved a big seller and was followed one year later by "Arrivederci, Roma" and a continental LP, "The Language of Love," both of which placed even higher than the first on the album charts.
Though the mid '60s were a trying time for traditional pop singers, Vale continued to be successful, with singles like "Have You Looked Into Your Heart" and "For Mama," and Top 40 LPs like "There Goes My Heart" and "It's Magic." Even after his albums began failing to make the charts in the early '70s, Vale remained a popular name in clubs and on television throughout the '70s and '80s. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Sunrise Sunset
Jerry Vale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older,
When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?
Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset,
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers,
Blossoming even as we gaze.
Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly fly the years.
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears.
What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?
Now they must learn from one another,
Day by day.
They look so natural together,
Just like two newlyweds should be.
Is there a canopy in store for me?
Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly fly the years.
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears.
The lyrics of Jerry Vale's song Sunrise Sunset are a contemplation on the fleeting nature of time and the changes that it brings with it. The opening lines of the song, "Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy at play?" signal a reflection on the passing of time, and how it can sometimes feel like it happens in the blink of an eye. The singer muses on when his children grew up, when his daughter became beautiful, when his son grew tall, and he realizes that he doesn't remember growing older himself. The chorus of the song, "Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset, Swiftly fly the years," serves as a reminder that time waits for no one and that it moves swiftly.
As the song progresses, the singer ponders on how he can offer some guidance to his children as they navigate life, as "Now they must learn from one another, day by day." And as he watches his children in their new roles as husband and wife, he asks if there may be a canopy in store for him - a reference to the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony where the bride and groom are married beneath a chuppah, a canopy symbolizing the home that they will build together.
Overall, the song Sunrise Sunset is a poignant reflection on the passage of time, the inevitability of change, and the timeless experience of watching one's children grow and start their own families.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the little girl I carried?
Reflecting on the swift passage of time, the singer wonders if the young woman before them is the same child they once held in their arms.
Is this the little boy at play?
The singer again reflects on the passing of time, marveling at how the young boy they remember has grown and changed.
I don't remember growing older, When did they?
The singer laments their own aging, while also questioning when exactly the children before them grew up.
When did she get to be a beauty?
The artist marvels at the young woman's beauty, once again questioning when exactly she arrived at this point.
When did he grow to be so tall?
Reflecting on the passing of time, the artist is amazed at the young man's height and how much he has grown.
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?
The singer is struck by how quickly time has passed, wondering if it was really just yesterday that the children before them were small.
Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly flow the days.
The repeated phrase 'Sunrise, sunset' speaks to the fleeting nature of time, with each passing day slipping away more quickly than the last.
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers,
Blossoming even as we gaze.
The artist marvels at the speed with which these young children are growing and maturing, with each passing moment both beautiful and fleeting.
What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?
The artist feels a sense of responsibility to help guide these young people as they navigate the world, seeking to impart any useful knowledge or assistance they can.
Now they must learn from one another,
Day by day.
While the artist may wish to guide these young people, ultimately they must learn and grow on their own, day by day, through their own experiences and interactions with the world.
They look so natural together,
Just like two newlyweds should be.
The singer observes the easy and comfortable relationship between these young people, noting how well-suited they appear to be for each other.
Is there a canopy in store for me?
The artist questions what the future may hold for themselves, wondering if there is a 'canopy' - a happy, fulfilling future - waiting for them as well.
Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly fly the years.
Once again, the passage of time is emphasized, with the years flying by as quickly as the days before them.
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears.
Each passing 'season' of life brings both joy and sorrow, with the two emotions often intertwined and inseparable.
Lyrics © BOCK IP LLC, BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerrold Bock, Sheldon Harnick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind