Romance
Kitty Carlisle Lyrics
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To teach the nightingale to sing
A very pretty song: "I love you".
Romance, a legend on an old brocade,
A prince who tells a country maid: "I love you".
Now where this whimsy comes from, I don't know;
Romance, a flower that will bloom awhile
With sunshine from a lover's smile,
That lover's tears bedew! Ah!
Yet, when I seek this beauty,
Flower of youth's first dawning,
I find a prosy work-a-day world
Stretching and yawning!
Love is locked up in cages,
Kept for a poet's pages;
Life and adventure
Don't seem to be paying attention to me!
And so I dream of fair Romance
And let my fancies weave pretty stories.
And tho' I know they are not so,
I like to go wand'ring amid their wistful glories.
My princes become what I mold them,
And they stay for the breath of a sigh!
I open my arms to enfold them,
And they're gone like a breeze rushing by.
Ah, this is a humdrum world,
But when I dream I set it dancing.
When life is gray, I have a way to keep it gay,
Passing the time of day with love.
The song "Romance" by Kitty Carlisle is an ode to the idea of Romance as a force or entity that can bring light and beauty into the world. The lyrics explore different manifestations of Romance, from the "play boy" who is "born each spring" to "teach the nightingale to sing" to the "legend on an old brocade" who tells a country maid "I love you." However, the singer notes that this whimsical and lovely force is elusive and fleeting, arriving just as it is about to depart. Despite this, the singer dreams of fair Romance and weaves stories of princes and beauties, acknowledging that these are just fancies but finding respite in their wistful glories.
The lyrics of "Romance" reveal a deeper meaning beyond just the joy and whimsy of love and beauty. The contrast between the beauty of Romance and the "prosy work-a-day world" hints at the idea that there is something missing from the mundane reality of everyday life. The line "love is locked up in cages, kept for a poet's pages" suggests that love and beauty must be sought out and captured, rather than simply existing in the world. This is a theme that resonates with many people, who often feel that the everyday world is lacking in magic and wonder, and that they must actively seek out beauty and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Romance, a play boy who is born each spring
To teach the nightingale to sing
A very pretty song: "I love you".
Romance is personified as a young man who comes around every spring to teach the nightingale how to sing a beautiful song of love.
Romance, a legend on an old brocade,
A prince who tells a country maid: "I love you".
Romance is likened to a beloved story on an old brocade, where a prince professes his love to a simple country girl.
Now where this whimsy comes from, I don't know;
For when it comes it's just about to go.
The source of this feeling of Romance is unclear, and it seems to be fleeting and temporary.
Romance, a flower that will bloom awhile
With sunshine from a lover's smile,
That lover's tears bedew! Ah!
Romance is compared to a flower that blooms briefly, nourished by the sunlight of a lover's smile, which is then watered by the tears of that same lover.
Yet, when I seek this beauty,
Flower of youth's first dawning,
I find a prosy work-a-day world
Stretching and yawning!
Despite searching for this youthful beauty and Romance, one finds only a dull and mundane everyday world that seems to be tired and uninterested.
Love is locked up in cages,
Kept for a poet's pages;
Life and adventure
Don't seem to be paying attention to me!
Love seems to only exist in the pages of poetry and stories, while real life and adventure seem to ignore or neglect the singer.
And so I dream of fair Romance
And let my fancies weave pretty stories.
And tho' I know they are not so,
I like to go wand'ring amid their wistful glories.
In the absence of real Romance, the singer dreams and fabricates their own stories of love, and enjoys venturing into the wistful and nostalgic feeling that comes with it.
My princes become what I mold them,
And they stay for the breath of a sigh!
I open my arms to enfold them,
And they're gone like a breeze rushing by.
The artist's idealized princes and romantic figures only exist in their imagination, and disappear as quickly as they appear.
Ah, this is a humdrum world,
But when I dream I set it dancing.
When life is gray, I have a way to keep it gay,
Passing the time of day with love.
The world may be dull and monotonous, but through dreaming and imagining love and Romance, the artist can add color and excitement to their life, and find a way to stay happy and content.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BETH GIBBONS, PAUL DAVID WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind