Time Was
Jimmy Dorsey Lyrics


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Time was when we had fun
On the school yard swings
When we exchanged graduation rings
One lovely yesterday
Time was when we wrote
Love letters in the sand
Or lingered over our coffee and
Dreaming the time away.
Picnics and hay rides and mid-winter
Sleigh rides and never apart
Hikes in the country and
There's more than one tree
On which I've a place in your heart
Darling, every tomorrow will be complete




If all our moments are half as sweet
As all our time was then

Overall Meaning

The Jimmy Dorsey's song "Time Was" talks about nostalgia and the simpler times in life. The lyrics evoke memories of a time when the joys of life were simpler, and the little things brought tremendous happiness. The song opens with reminiscing about happy childhood days swinging in the school yard and exchanging graduation rings, which takes listeners back to a phase in their lives full of innocence, wonder, and hope.


The lyricist then reflects on the time when love was still young and adventurous, and the couple wrote love letters in the sand or passed the time over a cup of coffee. The song underscores the importance of experiencing life's simple pleasures such as picnics, hay rides, and hikes in the country, and the memories that come along with them. These moments are presented as instrumental to the couple's relationship, and the lyrics suggest that these memories and moments are what hold them close in their hearts years later.


The chorus is a beautiful ode to the past and the memories it has created, with the singer wishing that every tomorrow will be just as sweet as the beautiful memories from the past. Overall, this song carries a strong message of cherishing the simple moments that make up a significant part of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Time was when we had fun
There was a time when we used to have fun


On the school yard swings
We would have fun on the swings in the school yard


When we exchanged graduation rings
We exchanged graduation rings and it was a happy moment


One lovely yesterday
There was a particular day in the past that was wonderful


Time was when we wrote
There was a time when we used to write


Love letters in the sand
We used to write love letters on the sand


Or lingered over our coffee and
We used to enjoy our coffee leisurely, lingering over it


Dreaming the time away.
We would spend the time dreaming and not doing anything else


Picnics and hay rides and mid-winter
We used to have picnics, hay rides even in mid-winter


Sleigh rides and never apart
We used to ride in a sleigh and never be apart


Hikes in the country and
We used to go hiking in the countryside


There's more than one tree
There are several trees


On which I've a place in your heart
I have a special place in your heart, as there are several trees


Darling, every tomorrow will be complete
My love, every tomorrow will be complete


If all our moments are half as sweet
If all the moments we spend together are just half as sweet


As all our time was then
As the time we spend together before




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW POWELL, DAVID ALAN TURNER, MARTIN ROBERT TURNER, STEVE UPTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@travist7777

What adorable lyrics!

@josephfollo7530

The tune has an alternate set of lyrics and title. Called "Dreaming" and recorded by Al Bowlly, it was released the previous year (1940). This is a really nice version of the song too.

@khussein6409

NICE!

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