I Cover the Waterfront Alternate Take
Lester Young Lyrics


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I cover the waterfront,
I'm watching the sea,,
Will the one I love,
Be coming back to me?

I cover the waterfront,
In search of my love,
And I'm covered by,
A starless sky above.

Here am I,
Patiently waiting,
Hoping and longing,
Oh! How I yearn!
Where are you?
Are you forgetting?
Do you remember?
Will you return?

I cover the waterfront,
I'm watching the sea,




For the one I love,
Must come back to me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lester Young Trio’s “I Cover the Waterfront” describe the longing and yearning for a loved one who left and wondering if they will ever return. The singer of the song is standing by the sea, looking over the waterfront, hoping to catch a glimpse of the one who they love. The opening line “I cover the waterfront” has a double meaning, referring not only to the physical act of covering the waterfront with one’s gaze, but also to the metaphorical meaning of being thorough and exhaustive in one’s search.


The second verse describes the singer’s ongoing search for their love, saying they are “covered by a starless sky above” which suggests feelings of loneliness and heartbreak. The third verse expresses the hope and pain of waiting for their loved one to return, with the singer asking whether they are being forgotten and left behind. The song ends with a repeat of the opening verse, with the hope that the one they love will come back to them.


Overall, the song portrays the feeling of a deep, emotional connection to someone who is gone, and the hope and yearning for their return. The use of the surrounding sea and waterfront imagery creates a sense of vastness and loneliness, emphasizing the feeling of longing that the singer is experiencing.


Line by Line Meaning

I cover the waterfront,
I am walking along the shoreline


I'm watching the sea,
I am gazing at the ocean


Will the one I love,
Am I longing for my beloved?


Be coming back to me?
Will they return to me?


I cover the waterfront,
I walk back and forth by the shore


In search of my love,
I search for my beloved here


And I'm covered by,
My heart is shrouded by


A starless sky above.
The dark, starless sky overhead.


Here am I,
I am here, present


Patiently waiting,
Waiting patiently for you


Hoping and longing,
Deeply yearning and full of hope


Oh! How I yearn!
My longing is intense


Where are you?
I wonder where you are


Are you forgetting?
Have you forgotten about me?


Do you remember?
Do you still remember me?


Will you return?
Will you come back to me?


I cover the waterfront,
I keep walking by the shore


I'm watching the sea,
I keep watching the ocean


For the one I love,
Hoping the one I love will come soon


Must come back to me.
Because they belong with me.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EDWARD HEYMAN, JOHN W. GREEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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