Speak Low
Marisa Monte Lyrics


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Speak low
When you speak love
Our summer day
Withers away
Too soon, too soon

Speak low
When you speak love
Our moment is swift
Like ships adrift

Were swept apart
Too soon
Speak low
Darling speak low
Love is a spark
Lost in the dark
Too soon, too soon

I feel
Wherever I go
That tomorrow is here
Tomorrow is near
And always too soon
Time is so old
And love's so brief
Love is pure gold
And time a thief

We're late
Darling we're late

The curtain descends
Everything ends
Too soon, too soon
I wait
Darling I wait




When you speak low to me
Speak love to me and soon

Overall Meaning

"Speak Low" is a love song that speaks of the fleeting nature of love and time. The song urges the lover to speak softly and slowly so that the moment of passion does not fade away too early. The song's opening lines "Speak low, when you speak love" suggest that love is a language that should not be screamed or shouted but spoken tenderly and softly.


The song describes a brief moment of happiness that is like a summer day that withers away too soon. The imagery of ships adrift "our moment is swift like ships adrift," suggests a moment that feels like eternity but that is brief and fleeting. The lyrics then go on to describe the inevitability of the end of love and the abruptness in which it can happen. "Our summer day withers away too soon, curtain descends everything ends too soon."


Overall, "Speak Low" is a beautiful love song with lyrics that describe perfectly the transience and fragility of love. It is a reminder that we should cherish and make the most out of every moment of love that we have.


Line by Line Meaning

Speak low
Lower your voice, don't speak loudly


When you speak love
When you express your love


Our summer day
Our happy time together


Withers away
Disappears fast


Too soon, too soon
It happens too quickly


Our moment is swift
Our time together passes fast


Like ships adrift
Like ships moving in various directions, with no control


Were swept apart
We went our separate ways


Darling speak low
Honey, please speak softly


Love is a spark
Love is a fleeting feeling


Lost in the dark
Easily disappears into nothingness


I feel
I sense


Wherever I go
No matter where I am


That tomorrow is here
The future has arrived


Tomorrow is near
The future is approaching fast


And always too soon
And always seems to pass too quickly


Time is so old
Time has existed for a long time


And love's so brief
Love exists only for a short time


Love is pure gold
Love is valuable and precious


And time a thief
Time takes away what is valuable


We're late
We're running behind schedule


The curtain descends
The end approaches


Everything ends
All things come to an end


I wait
I'm waiting


When you speak low to me
When you speak softly to me


Speak love to me and soon
Express your love to me before it's too late




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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