Willow Weep For Me
June Christy & Stan Kenton Lyrics
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Willow weep for me
Bend your branches down
Along the ground and cover me
Listen to my plea
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Lovely summer dreams
Gone and left me here
To weep my tears along the stream
Sad as I can be
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Whisper to the wind
And say that love has sinned
To leave my heart a sign
And crying alone
Murmur to the night
And hide her starry light
So none will find me sighing
Crying all alone
Weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down
Along the ground and cover me
Listen to me plea
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Whisper to the wind
And say that love has sinned
To leave my heart a sign
And crying alone
Murmur to the night
And hide her starry light
So none will find me sighing
Crying all alone
Weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down
Along the ground and cover me
Listen to my plea
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Willow
Willow
Weep for me
The song "Willow Weep For Me" is a lyrical lament of lost love and deep sadness. The first verse is directed towards a willow tree, calling it to “weep for me.” The willow tree is a metaphor for the sadness that pervades the singer's heart. The tree's branches are asked to "bend … along the stream that runs to sea," where the singer's tears are said to flow, highlighting the strength of the pain they are experiencing.
The second verse reflects on the loss of a lover's dream, and the fact that this dream has left the singer behind. The tone is one of deep sadness and despair. The request to the willow tree to weep for them is repeated, reflecting a feeling of hopelessness as if the only thing that can fully understand the pain is nature itself. The third verse is particularly poignant, as the singer asks the willow tree to "whisper to the wind and say that love has sinned." The singer alludes to the idea that love itself is sinning, implying there is a sense of betrayal, deep mistrust, or even self-blame for what has occurred.
Overall, "Willow Weep For Me" is a powerful ballad of lament for lost love with deeply emotive lyrics, a perfect fit for the jazz influence and sound it is known for.
Line by Line Meaning
Willow weep for me
The singer asks the willow tree to shed tears with them as they lament their sorrow.
Bend your branches green along the stream that runs to sea
The singer implores the willow tree to bow down in despair alongside the nearby stream.
Listen to my plea
The singer requests the willow tree to attentively hear their heart's cry of agony.
Gone my lover's dream
The artist mourns the loss of their significant other and their once-beautiful love story.
Lovely summer's dream
The artist nostalgically remembers the days of summer, which were bright and dreamlike when their lover was around.
Gone and left me here to weep my tears into the stream
The singer expresses how their lover abandoned them to drown in tears by the stream.
Sad as I can be
The singer laments their sadness, which is at its peak.
Hear me willow and weep for me
The artist affirms that they desire the willow's company as they cry out their pain to the world.
Whisper to the wind and say that love has sinned
The artist tells the willow tree to spread the word about how their relationship failed because of their partner's wrongdoing.
Leave my heart a-breaking, and making a moan
The artist feels that their heart has been shattered into pieces and wants the willow to give voice to their despondent moaning.
Murmur to the night to hide her starry light
The singer wishes that the starry night conceals any evidence of their emotional breakdown and heartbreak, so as not to attract unnecessary attention.
So none will find me sighing and crying all alone
The artist desires solitude during their grieving process; they don't want to be comforted by anyone else or have their tears noticed.
Oh, weeping willow tree
The singer addresses the willow tree as a figure of empathy.
Weep in sympathy
The singer implores the willow tree to cry tears of shared sorrow.
Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me
The singer asks the willow tree to envelop them within its branches as a sense of protection and comfort.
When the shadows fall, bend, oh, willow, and weep for me
The artist asks the willow tree to weep in their presence once night falls and shadows veil the world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ann Ronell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@caileanjack6284
Lovely version. It always makes me think of a film noir with the piano and June's vocals. VERY CLASSY indeed
@colsomemiah6095
1953.......on every radio.....also artistry in rhythm....Momm said.....
@tuxguys
One of only two Kenton tracks I have ever really liked.
(Coincidentally, Ms. Christy also has a vocal on the other one.)
Recorded July 25, 1946, in Hollywood, and I think the reason I like it is because, intermittently roaring as it is, the stuff that's done to this Bluesy Non-Blues in this arrangement reminds me of the French Impressionists, especially Maurice Ravel.
(Of course, the arranger is not Kenton, it's Pete Rugolo.)