She was the first American singer to record at Abbey Road Studios in England. Her fan base even included Asia and the Philippines. She had 7 top hits, including "Why Don't You Believe in Me?", "Your Cheating Heart," "Almost Always," and "Have You Heard?"
She married composer Tony Acquaviva in 1956. In 1964, she dropped out of the public eye to take care of him and did so until 1986, when Mr. Acquaviva passed away. She began to tour again in the 1990's. She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Autumn Leaves
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
The first two lines of the song Autumn Leaves by Joni James bring to mind a melancholic image of a person watching the leaves fall, most likely from the sadness that comes from missing someone. The red and golden hues of the leaves perhaps represent the relationship that once burned brightly but has now faded like the leaves of autumn. The following line, "I see your lips, the summer kisses," shows that the memory of past moments shared with a loved one is still vivid in the mind of the person singing the song. However, those lips and memories are now just ghosts of the past. The fourth line continues the theme of nostalgia, and the "sun-burned hands" that were once held now feel like they belong to a stranger.
The second stanza suggests that the separation from the loved one has made the days longer and soon the cold winter season will arrive, but it is the autumn season that hits the person hardest, bringing back memories of their lost love. The French verse, "C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble," which translates to "This is a song that resembles us," evokes a sense of relatability and universality that the pain of love and loss is a common human experience. The verse speaks of two people who loved each other while living together, but life has separated them, leaving their love to disappear quietly like fading footsteps on sand, which is a poignant image of the sadness felt when love is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
The falling leaves drift by the window
The leaves are dropping from the trees and fluttering by the window due to the autumn breeze.
The autumn leaves of red and gold
In the season of autumn, the leaves that fall from the trees have the colors of red and gold.
I see your lips, the summer kisses
I am reminded of the summer memories of our kisses with the sight of your lips.
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
I reminisce about holding your hands during the summer days and feeling the warmth and tan from the sun on them.
Since you went away the days grow long
My days seem to have become longer since you left, and time passes slower than before.
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
As the season transitions from autumn to winter, I will soon start to hear the sounds of winter and the snowfall.
But I miss you most of all my darling
Out of everything I miss in my life, I miss you the most, my love.
When autumn leaves start to fall
My feelings of longing for you intensify when I see the autumn leaves falling from the trees.
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
This is a song that is similar to us and our love story.
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
You loved me and I loved you, and we shared a deep affection.
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
We lived together as a pair.
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
You who loved me and me who loved you, we were a perfect match.
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Unfortunately, life often separates those who love each other.
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
It happens so slowly and silently that one might not even notice the separation.
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
In the end, even the ocean waves wash away the footprints on the sand left by two lovers who are no longer together.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JAMES (JIM) E. MURPHY, JOE DON GARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind