When Day Is Done
Jimmy Durante Lyrics


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Since you've gone away one thing is clear to me
You were dearer than dear to me
From the moment you came
Evenings by your side I learned to love the night
But the loveliness of the night
Is no longer the same.

When day is done and shadows fall
I dream of you
When day is done
I think of all the joys we knew

That yearning, returning to hold you in my arms
Don't go, love




I know, love
Without you night has lost its charm

Overall Meaning

The opening lyrics of Jimmy Durante's When Day Is Done express the singer’s feelings of loss and heartache in the absence of a loved one. Durante's admission that his significant other was "dearer than dear" further accentuates the singer’s feelings of isolation without their beloved. Although Durante has memories of loving evenings spent with his partner, he acknowledges that the night is no longer the same without them. The loss of his lover has diminished the beauty of the night and rendered it incomplete.


The chorus, consisting of the repeated statement "When day is done," drives home the point that the absence of Durante's lover has left him pining for her. He dreams of his partner when the shadows fall and thinks of the joys they knew during happier times. The bridge of the song expresses Durante's unquenchable yearning for his lover’s embrace. He entreats her to stay and admits that without her, the night has lost its charm. Durante's melancholy lyrics and impassioned delivery are hallmarks of a love song that remains as relevant today as when it was first written.


Line by Line Meaning

Since you've gone away one thing is clear to me
I can see plainly now that you've left me


You were dearer than dear to me
There was no one more precious to me than you


From the moment you came
Ever since you came into my life


Evenings by your side I learned to love the night
Being with you in the evenings made me appreciate the beauty of the night


But the loveliness of the night
However, the beauty of the night


Is no longer the same.
Now seems less appealing without you by my side.


When day is done and shadows fall
When night comes and darkness creeps in


I dream of you
You occupy my thoughts


When day is done
When the sun sets


I think of all the joys we knew
I reminisce of our happy moments together


That yearning, returning to hold you in my arms
I long for the moment when we are together again and I can embrace you


Don't go, love
Please don't leave me


I know, love
I am aware and understand


Without you night has lost its charm
The night has lost its appeal in your absence




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KATSCHER ROBERT, B.G. DESYLVA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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