Jo Stafford (born Jo Elizabeth Stafford, 12 November 1917, in Coalinga, Cal… Read Full Bio ↴Jo Stafford (born Jo Elizabeth Stafford, 12 November 1917, in Coalinga, California and died July 16, 2008 at Century City, California) was an American jazz and big band singer whose career spanned the late 1930s through the early 1960s. She was known especially as a fond favorite of name bandleaders during World War II and in the years immediately after. Stafford was greatly admired for the purity of her voice and was considered one of the most versatile vocalists of the era. Even now, hers are widely held as the supreme versions of jazz standards "It Could Happen to You" and "Blue Moon." She sang with male partners on occasion, including Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. She was also considered a pioneer of modern musical parody, having won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1961 (with husband Paul Weston) for their album Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris.

By the Way
Jo Stafford Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

By the way,
Wasn't that a dream last night?
Seems I barely closed my eyes and you were there
By the way,
And to my complete surprise,
You and I were dancing on a cloud somewhere

I held you in my arms,

The joy of it was thrilling
And then I pleaded for a kiss
And you were willing

And, so we kissed,
Then I heard you say you cared,
By the way, do say it now as you did then,
Or must I wait until I dream again?

And then I pleaded for a kiss
And you were willing

And, so we kissed,
Then I heard you say you cared,

By the way, do say it now as you did then,
Or must I wait until I dream again?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jo Stafford's song "By The Way" convey the experiences of the songwriter in a dream where she meets her lover. The opening lines, "By the way, wasn't that a dream last night? Seems I barely closed my eyes and you were there," sets the tone for the singer's surprise and awe at encountering their lover in a dream. The lyrics go on to describe a dance on a cloud, and the singer holding their lover close and pleading for a kiss. The song ends with the singer asking their lover to confirm that the love they expressed in the dream is also true in real life.

The lyrics are straightforward and poetic, but they convey a sense of longing and romanticism. The dream sequence seems to represent an idealized version of the singer's desires, while the final lines suggest a desire for those feelings to be reciprocated in reality. The dreamy quality of the song adds to the emotional impact of the lyrics, with the chorus and repetition conveying a sense of yearning for connection.

Line by Line Meaning

By the way,
Introducing a topic that the singer wants to bring up

Wasn't that a dream last night?
Referring to a dream that seemed real

Seems I barely closed my eyes and you were there
Surprised to see someone in a dream that felt real

By the way,
Introducing a new topic again

And to my complete surprise,
Feeling completely caught off guard

You and I were dancing on a cloud somewhere
Feeling incredibly happy and carefree

I held you in my arms,
Feeling close to someone special

The joy of it was thrilling
Feeling incredibly happy and full of excitement

And then I pleaded for a kiss
Asking for a kiss in a vulnerable moment

And you were willing
Feeling as though the other person is willing to share intimate moments

And, so we kissed,
Describing an intimate moment between two people

Then I heard you say you cared,
Receiving affirmation of feelings from the other person

By the way, do say it now as you did then,
Asking for the affirmation to be repeated outside of the dream

Or must I wait until I dream again?
Hoping to recreate the happy dream in real life

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSEF MYROW, MACK GORDON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@nipstertunes

9y↑2

The beautiful, unmistakable voice of the lovely Ms. Stafford, Heather. Love the song! It would have been wonderful to be sitting across the table from her and the lovely Ann Sheridan. Thank you for posting this!

Jim

@TheSorrowfulFlower

nipstertunes A beautiful voice for sure, Jim! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, I think it's a beautiful song. Ha! Yes, that would have been quite a lunch date! Thanks so much for watching and for your wonderful comments! Have a marvelous new week, my friend :))

just now