If I Could Be With You
Louis Armstrong And His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby, baby
I wanna be with you tonight

If I could be with you, I'd love you strong
If I could be with you, I'd love you long
I want you to know that I wouldn't go
Until I told you honey why I love you so
If I could be with you, one hour tonight
If I was free to do the things I might, things I might
I'm telling you true, I'd be anything but blue




If I could be with you, hmm babe
If I could be with you

Overall Meaning

The song "If I Could Be with You" by Louis Armstrong describes the singer's intense desire to be with his love interest. He repeatedly states that if he could be with this person, he would love them deeply and for a long time. The singer goes on to express that he wouldn't leave their presence until he told them why he loves them so. Despite his love for this person, there are factors preventing him from being with them. The singer wishes that he could spend at least an hour with this person, free to do as he pleases. He promises that if he were with them, he would not feel sad or down.


Line by Line Meaning

Baby, baby
Addressing the person he desires to be with.


I wanna be with you tonight
Expressing his desire to be with the person he is addressing tonight.


If I could be with you, I'd love you strong
If he could be with the person he is addressing, he would love them with great intensity.


If I could be with you, I'd love you long
If he could be with the person he is addressing, he would love them for a long time.


I want you to know that I wouldn't go
He wants the person he is addressing to know that he would not leave them.


Until I told you honey why I love you so
He would explain to the person he is addressing why he loves them before leaving.


If I could be with you, one hour tonight
If he could spend an hour with the person he desires to be with tonight.


If I was free to do the things I might, things I might
If he had the freedom to do the things he desires, he would do them.


I'm telling you true, I'd be anything but blue
He is telling the person he desires to be with that he would be anything but sad if he could be with them.


If I could be with you, hmm babe
Repeating his longing to be with the person he desires to be with.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HENRY CREAMER, JAMES P JOHNSON

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:

@juliapollitt8291

Fabulous in every way ❤️❤️❤️

More Versions