Cats
Lesley Garrett Lyrics


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Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower
And a rose that is fading
Roses whither away like the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day

Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone in the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan

Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Every street lamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in when the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin

Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
The street lamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning

Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun if you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is





Look
A new day has begun

Overall Meaning

The song "Memory" by Lesley Garrett from the musical "Cats" is a haunting and melancholic tune that speaks to the theme of nostalgia and longing, as well as the idea of finding acceptance in the present moment. The first stanza of the song is a description of the physical world, with dew on a sunflower, a fading rose, and the yearning to embrace the dawn. The second stanza describes the night time, where the moon seems to have lost its memory and leaves are withering on the ground. The central chorus of the song, "Memory, all alone in the moonlight, I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then," speaks to the universal experience of looking back on past moments with a mixture of joy, nostalgia, and longing. The third stanza describes the experience of waiting for the sunrise and the promise of a new day, while the final stanza speaks to the cyclical nature of life, with each day representing a new beginning.


Line by Line Meaning

Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower
Observing the dew on the sunflower as the day begins


And a rose that is fading
A fading rose solemnly reminds of the fleeting nature of life


Roses whither away like the sunflower
Both the roses and the sunflowers wither away as time passes by


I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
Longing for a new day to begin and all that it could bring


I am waiting for the day
Patiently waiting for the new day to arrive


Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
The stillness of the night is deafening


Has the moon lost her memory?
Questioning whether the moon remembers the past


She is smiling alone in the lamplight
The moon appears to be happy in the light of the lamp


The withered leaves collect at my feet
The leaves have fallen and left a mark on the ground


And the wind begins to moan
The eerie sound of the wind sets a melancholic tone


Memory, all alone in the moonlight
Reliving a memory while being alone in the presence of the moonlight


I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then
Reflecting on a time where beauty was present and finding joy in it


I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Nostalgic and reminiscent of a time where true happiness was experienced


Let the memory live again
Reviving the memory and reliving it once more


Every street lamp
Each lamp post along the way


Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
The flickering of light warns of the inevitable end


Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
A mutter is heard and the light flickers, signifying the end of the night


And soon it will be morning
Anticipating the arrival of morning


Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
Waiting for the sun to rise and the new day to begin


I must think of a new life
Contemplating the prospects of a new life with the dawn


And I mustn't give in when the dawn comes
Must not succumb to temptation to be stagnant when the new day arrives


Tonight will be a memory too
The present moment will soon become a distant memory too


And a new day will begin
Embracing the new beginning with open arms


Burnt out ends of smoky days
Never-ending days that have come to an unsatisfying end


The stale cold smell of morning
Morning appears lackluster and dull


The street lamp dies, another night is over
The streetlamp extinguishes as another night is gone


Another day is dawning
Conveying the arrival of a new day


Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
Finding comfort in human touch while acknowledging the ease of abandonment


All alone with the memory
Reveling in the memory and the solitude it brings


Of my days in the sun if you touch me
Taking a trip down the memory lane and finding the warmth of those sunny days


You'll understand what happiness is
Only if you experience it yourself will you know what true happiness really is


Look
Inviting the listener to pay attention to the world around them


A new day has begun
Celebrating the arrival of a bright and promising new day




Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Mary White

This is brilliant. Not only is Lesley such a great sport, it's made all the funnier by the fact that Lily sings surprisingly well too.

Ann Ingham

Paul's (Lily's) singing is superb. Spot on. Paul's various Cat growls etc are brilliant. Lesley have obvious enjoyment in doing this!

Valerie Breathet

For those of you who are wondering about this song’s history, it dates back nearly two centuries! The great Italian composer, Rossini, is credited with it, but apparently it was compiled by another from an opera composed by Rossini. The title is β€œDuetto buffo di due gatti.”

Scented-leaf Pelargonium

I remember Hinge & Bracket doing this years ago. Wonderfully funny . 😁🀣🀩

Nadia Davies

Hinge and Bracket were wonderful with this song Lily and Lesley great too !
.

Gigi Trinidad

πŸ€£πŸ˜‚πŸ€£. I love this song! Part 2 has the β€œarff” ballad, didn’t make the cut with the choir, conflicted with the cats 🀣. It was beautiful with the choir, it was so funny just the two of you. Great job! πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ†

C Marq

This is seriously funny... and Leslie is a good sport! Never seen them before but a very good suggestion from Youtube

Magda Hearne

Brilliamt...thanks for posting...
I loved it when they did Three Little Maids too πŸ˜…πŸ’–πŸ’–πŸ’–

redhairkid

I remember seeing this when it was first screened and it is still as bloody hilarious!

Kelly Dalstok

I can only think of how much fun the composer must’ve had coming up with this song.
I just looked it up; it’s a compilation of three fragments from different compositions to which someone (presumably English composer Robert Lucas Pearsall) added these lyrics.

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