Laura
Jerry Wald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Footsteps that you hear down the hall.
The love that floats on a summer night,
That you can never quite recall.
And you see Laura on a train that is passing through.
Those eyes how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you,
In Jerry Wald's "Laura," the titular character is the face that haunts the singer throughout the song. She is elusive and mysterious, with only occasional glimpses and echoes that hint at her existence. Wald uses vivid imagery to convey the sense of Laura as a ghostly presence, with her face appearing "in the misty lights" and her footsteps echoing down the hall. Even when she seems to be present, as in the train passing through, the singer can't quite pin her down – he "can never quite recall" her love, and ultimately realizes that his memories of her are only a dream.
Line by Line Meaning
Laura is the face in the misty lights.
Laura is the beautiful woman who appears captivating in the dim lights.
Footsteps that you hear down the hall.
Suggesting Laura's proximity, her footsteps can be heard down the hall.
The love that floats on a summer night,
The love that people experience on a cool summer night that goes with the wind.
That you can never quite recall.
The desirable feeling of love that's difficult to remember, but is still worth chasing.
And you see Laura on a train that is passing through.
Laura appears in your unconscious self when you're least expecting it.
Those eyes how familiar they seem
Laura's eyes seem familiar as if they have met before.
She gave your very first kiss to you,
Laura is the woman who gave you your first kiss, which is unforgettable.
That was Laura but she's only a dream.
Laura is just a figment of the imagination, and that reality would never live up to this dream.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Raksin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind