Over fifty years after his death, his music continues to be performed both in popular and classical contexts. In Weill's lifetime, his work was most associated with the voice of his wife, Lotte Lenya, but shortly after his death "Mack the Knife" was established by Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin as a jazz standard; his music has since been recorded by other performers ranging from The Doors, Lou Reed, Sting and PJ Harvey to New York's Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; singers as varied as Teresa Stratas, Ute Lemper, and Marianne Faithfull have recorded entire albums of his music.
Speak Low
Kurt Weill Lyrics
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Our summer day withers away
Too soon, too soon.
Speak low when you speak, love,
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
We're swept apart too soon.
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Too soon, too soon,
I feel wherever I go
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
And always too soon.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
We're late darling, we're late,
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Too soon, too soon,
I wait darling, I wait
Will you speak low to me,
Speak love to me and soon.
Kurt Weill's song Speak Low from the musical One Touch of Venus expresses the fleeting nature of love and life. The lyrics are addressed to a lover and depict the singer's desire to savor their time together before it is gone. The metaphor of summer fading to fall is used to highlight how quickly time passes and how brief moments of joy can be. The use of the phrase "Speak low" suggests that the singer wants to keep their love and passion a secret, and perhaps protect it from the inevitable passing of time. The idea of tomorrow as always being near and here suggests the fleeting nature of life itself and how important it is to make the most of every moment.
The lyrics can be seen as having universal significance, as they speak to the human experience of love and loss. The paradox of love being pure gold while time is a thief is a poignant statement about the ephemeral nature of life. The final lines of the song convey a sense of urgency, as the singer desperately pleads for their lover to speak softly and express their love before it is too late. The song is a powerful reminder of the importance of living in the present moment and cherishing those we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low when you speak, love,
Lower your voice when you talk about love,
Our summer day withers away
The time we have together is limited, and it is ending soon like the summer day coming to an end.
Too soon, too soon.
It is ending earlier than we want it to.
Speak low when you speak, love,
Lower your voice when you talk about love,
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
Our time together comes and goes quickly, like ships drifting away.
We're swept apart too soon.
We are being pulled apart earlier than we would like.
Speak low, darling speak low,
Lower your voice, my love,
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love can be easily lost or forgotten, like a spark in the darkness.
Too soon, too soon,
It ends before we are ready for it to.
I feel wherever I go
No matter where I am,
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
The future is coming sooner than we think, and that future is already here with us.
And always too soon.
And it always passes too quickly.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Time feels like it has lasted forever, while love feels fleeting and temporary.
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
Love is valuable and precious, but time takes it away from us.
We're late darling, we're late,
We didn't realize how little time we had together until it was almost over.
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
The end is near, everything is coming to an end.
Too soon, too soon,
It all comes to an end earlier than we want it to.
I wait darling, I wait
I am waiting for you, my love.
Will you speak low to me,
Will you lower your voice when you talk to me,
Speak love to me and soon.
And express your love to me soon.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KURT WEILL, OGDEN NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tom Valveede
What a wonderful performance! She sings as Part of the orchestra, and never tried to out-do their sounds.
Her lovely voice blends in so very well. Thank you for this excellent video! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tom Valveede
@Westin Bentlee
Thanks for the tip! Very kind.
MasonMP
Absolutely beautiful
Chamber Muses
An almost bittersweet yearning is so beautifully portrayed here by Véronique and the delightful Dalia Stasevska - with the Orchestre National a team made in heaven.
Daphne Anson
Yet another masterpiece from the Golden Age of American popular music, 1920-60, by a recent refugee.
Ronan Collett - Baritone
Utterly beautiful
Antal Livia
Magical!
Yale Sanders
Beautifully Done. But the song came from Weill's show One Touch of Venus
Jacques Arveiller
Superbe
Hannu Reittu
Great!