Joyce has in her baggage an extensive discography and about 400 recordings of her songs by some of the biggest names in Brazilian popular music, such as Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Ney Matogrosso, Edu Lobo, Emílio Santiago, Boca Livre, Mônica Salmaso, Leny Andrade, Nana Caymmi, Zizi Possi, Elizeth Cardoso, Simone and many others. Internationally, she has been recorded by big names like Annie Lennox, Wallace Roney, Omara Portuondo, Black Eyed Peas, David Sanchez, Jon Lucien, Claus Ogerman, Gerry Mulligan, Till Brönner, Flora Purim and others. Her compositions have been used in soundtracks for films (such as Robert Altman's "The Player" and "Legally Blonde"), animations (she participated in the soundtrack of the Japanese anime "Wolf's Rain" in partnership with Japanese composer Yoko Kanno), TV shows and theater performances.
She received 4 Latin Grammy nominations and has so far 34 individual CDs and 2 DVDs, besides compilations and participations. Currently, her work also follows an international path, with world tours every year and recordings of new albums in different countries, without ever losing her Brazilian-feminine identity. She performs annually on the Blue Note circuit in Japan, and in jazz festivals and tours in Europe, the United States, and Canada.
Speak Low
Joyce Lyrics
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When you speak love
Our summer day
Withers away
Too soon, too soon
Speak low
When you speak love
Like ships adrift,
Were swept apart
Too soon
Speak low
Darling speak low
Love is a spark
Lost in the dark
Too soon, too soon
I feel
Wherever I go
That tomorrow is here
Tomorrow is near
And always too soon
Time is so old
And love's so brief
Love is pure gold
And time a thief.
We're late,
Darling we're late
The curtain descends,
Everything ends
Too soon, too soon
I wait,
Darling I wait
When you speak low to me,
Speak love to me and soon.
The song "Speak Low" by Joyce is a melancholic medley about the fleeting nature of love and time. The lyrics start with a command to "speak low" and speak love, creating an atmosphere of hidden passion and secrecy. The metaphor of a summer day that withers away too soon captures how a moment of love can seem too short-lived despite its intensity. The imagery of ships adrift swept apart adds to the tragic and unresolved quality of fleeting love.
Throughout the song, the sense of urgency and vulnerability is heightened with the idea that time is old and love is brief, but precious like pure gold. The line "our moment is swift" conveys the transience of love and captures the bittersweetness of experiencing something meaningful but temporary. The chorus brings to attention how love can be lost in the dark, and how it slips away too soon. The song ends with the realization that everything ends too soon - the curtains descend, and time runs out. In the end, there is a plea to speak love to the singer and to do it soon, capturing the desperation of the moment.
Overall, "Speak Low" is a contemplative, poignant song about love and loss, using powerful imagery and suggestiveness to create an atmosphere of longing and fleetingness.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low
Lower your voice
When you speak love
When you express your feelings of love to me
Our summer day
Our time together
Withers away
Passes too quickly
Too soon, too soon
Ends too soon
Our moment is swift
Our time together is brief
Like ships adrift,
Like ships drifting apart
Were swept apart
We are separated too soon
Darling speak low
My love, please lower your voice
Love is a spark
Love is brief and fleeting
Lost in the dark
Difficult to hold on to or find
I feel
I have a strong sense
Wherever I go
No matter where I am
That tomorrow is here
The future is already upon us
Tomorrow is near
The future is very close
And always too soon
But always ends too soon
Time is so old
Time has been around for so long
And love's so brief
Love is so short
Love is pure gold
But love is precious like gold
And time a thief.
And time takes it away from us
We're late,
We don't have much time left
Darling we're late
My love, we don't have much time left
The curtain descends,
The show is over
Everything ends
All good things must come to an end
I wait,
I am waiting for you
Darling I wait
My love, I am waiting for you
When you speak low to me,
When you speak to me in a quiet voice,
Speak love to me and soon.
Please tell me you love me before it's too late.
Contributed by Christopher A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.