Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Lesley Garrett Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They, asked me how I knew,
My true love was true,
I of course replied, something here inside,
Can not be denied.

They, said some day you'll find,
All who love are blind,
When you heart's on fire, you must realize,
Smoke gets in your eyes.

So I chaffed them, and I gaily laughed,
To think they would doubt our love,
And yet today, my love has gone away,
I am without my love.

Now laughing friends deride,
Tears I cannot hide,
So I smile and say, when a lovely flame dies,
Smoke gets in your eyes,





Smoke gets in your eyes.

Overall Meaning

The song Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Lesley Garrett is a bittersweet ballad about the end of a love affair. The lyrics describe how the singer's friends warned her that love can make you blind, but she was confident that her love was true. However, now that her love has left her, she feels the sting of their words as tears come to her eyes. She tries to put a good face on it, but she knows that she can't hide the pain.


The first verse begins with the question of how the singer knew her love was true. It's a rhetorical question that's meant to introduce the next line, which explains the singer's certainty about her love. She believes that her love is true because it comes from inside her, a feeling that cannot be denied. The second verse is more cautionary. The singer's friends warn her that love can be blinding, a warning that she scoffs at because she is so sure of her love. But when the relationship ends, the singer is left alone and struggling to deal with the loss.


The chorus of the song is the most famous part, and it speaks to the feeling that smoke gets in your eyes when something you've cherished is destroyed. The smoke is a metaphor for the pain and confusion that comes with a failed relationship, especially one that was so intense and sincere. The final verse reflects on the aftermath of the relationship, with the singer hiding her tears behind a smile and accepting that sometimes love dies.


Overall, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is a touching and insightful exploration of the complexity of human relationships, and the pain that comes with the end of a connection that was once so strong.


Line by Line Meaning

They, asked me how I knew,
Someone asked me how I knew that my true love was really true.


My true love was true,
I knew that my true love was actually true.


I, of course replied, something here inside,
I answered that it was because of something innate within me.


Can not be denied.
It is an undeniable feeling I have.


They, said some day you'll find,
Others said that someday I would find out.


All who love are blind,
That everyone who falls in love becomes blind to reason.


When your heart's on fire,
When you feel passionately in love.


You must realize,
You need to recognize the harsh reality.


Smoke gets in your eyes.
That love can cloud your judgment and make you suffer.


So I chaffed them, and I gaily laughed,
I made fun of their lack of understanding and laughed it off.


To think they would doubt our love,
I couldn't believe they could doubt the genuineness of our love.


And yet today, my love has gone away,
But today, my love has left me nevertheless.


I am without my love.
I am left alone without the one I loved.


Now laughing friends deride,
Friends now make fun of me.


Tears I cannot hide,
I can't conceal my tears of sorrow.


So I smile and say, when a lovely flame dies,
So I put on a brave face and say that when love fades away,


Smoke gets in your eyes.
It can leave you heartbroken and disillusioned.


Smoke gets in your eyes.
A bittersweet reminder that love can be painful and hard to forget.




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@Dreamer98198

Hi, darling. Incredible pics of "smoke"-- fascinating! And what a voice! OMG. Unbelievably, I have never heard of Lesley Garrett, but this song was great (of course, I heard the song before, just not by her). Will continue to look and listen.

@TheLittleMissT

Beautiful! I'm having trouble viewing vids atm but sounds amazing, but then you know I love Lesley :) Thanks and have a great weekend!

@harryhagan5937

This is so fab! Thanks! I'm a new and ardent fan. She is wonderful.
I must have this album!

@RomanticTunes

Dear Harry:  THANK YOU for watching and listening.  I'm very pleased you were entertained.  :-}
Ms. Garrett is a British soprano, but I'm not sure if she is still active on stage.  This track came from her 1996 album 'Soprano In Hollywood' with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Paul Bateman, conductor.  It's a Silva Screen Records release, SLIKD 6013.
Among my uploads or in the playlists on this channel, you'll find other crossover tracks from Kiri Te Kanawa, Sylvia McNair, Frederica von Stade, and Dawn Upshaw.  Hope you'll find something you enjoy.  :-}
Happy New Year!

@McGravity1

She has a visual appeal and personality which is rare in opera singers.  She is best seen in closeup.

@McGravity1

Unusually good lyrics.   This was associated with Jo Stafford.

More Versions