Melody Gardot (b. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated U.S. jazz singer, writer, and… Read Full Bio ↴Melody Gardot (b. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated U.S. jazz singer, writer, and musician.

Born on the 2nd February 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gardot took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock, and pop musics. At the age of nineteen she was a fashion student at the Community College of Philadelphia. While cycling in Philadelphia in November 2003 she was hit by a car whose driver had ignored a red traffic light. In the accident she suffered serious head and spinal injuries, and her pelvis was broken in two places. Because of these severe injuries she was confined to her hospital bed for a year. Her musical beginning was prompted by a tending physician who was concerned with her cognitive impairment as a result of head injury sustained in the accident. He believed that music would help her brain injury improve, as it has been known to show remarkable results in improving people's cognitive ability after such trauma.

Following her doctor's suggestion, Gardot made recordings bedside, while still unable to walk, and eventually released the works as an EP: Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions (2005). Gardot's desire to be well, combined with a bit of luck, brought her to the attention of a local radio DJ at the AAA station WXPN (known for launching the careers of artists such as Amos Lee and Norah Jones). Her cognitive powers slowly but surely became pronounced, leading to the independent recording and release of her debut CD, Worrisome Heart, which was reissued in 2007 by Verve records.

Gardot is hypersensitive to light and noise, so wears dark glasses; she also uses a cane to walk. Onstage she requires a special seating unit, and wears a Transcutaneous Electro-Nerve Stimulator, a TENS device, to assist in alleviating her neuralgic muscle pain. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities on the East Coast of the U.S. to support her recordings. In 2009, working with producer Larry Klein and arranger Vince Mendoza - both known for their work with Joni Mitchell - Gardot followed up her Verve debut with My One and Only Thrill.

In 2012, she released the album The Absence.

If Ever I Recall Your Face
Melody Gardot Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Forget all that's said and done
When your heart's a lonely one
And see, my dear, that heaven is a place
Whenever I recall your face

Life can be so lucky now
Some may win and others don't know how
But I could drop my losing hand with grace

Whenever I recall your face

While leaving town you leave behind
The ones you love for who you find
But love, no other arms could take your place
Whenever I recall your face

In the oceans of your eyes
Lies a look I recognize
A glance that leaves me dancing polonaise

Whenever I recall your
If ever I recall your face

Overall Meaning

The song If Ever I Recall Your Face by Melody Gardot is a beautiful and emotional ballad about heartbreak and finding solace in memories. The opening lines "Forget all that's said and done, when your heart's a lonely one" set the tone for the song, suggesting that the pain of a broken heart can be overwhelming and difficult to overcome. The chorus "And see, my dear, that heaven is a place, whenever I recall your face" is a poetic way of expressing that memories of a lost love can bring comfort and a sense of peace.

The second verse "Life can be so lucky now, some may win and others don't know how, but I could drop my losing hand with grace, whenever I recall your face" is a reminder that life isn't always fair, and some people seem to have everything while others struggle. However, the singer finds strength in the memory of their lost love, able to accept their own losses with grace.

The final verse "While leaving town, you leave behind the ones you love for who you find, but love, no other arms could take your place, whenever I recall your face" touches on the bittersweet nature of love and life. Sometimes we have to leave behind those we love for new opportunities or relationships, but the memory of a past love remains powerful and cannot be replaced. The closing lines "In the oceans of your eyes, lies a look I recognize, a glance that leaves me dancing polonaise, whenever I recall your face" paint a vivid picture of the haunting and beautiful nature of memory and love.

Overall, If Ever I Recall Your Face is a profoundly moving song that speaks to the power of memories to heal and provide comfort in times of heartbreak.

Line by Line Meaning

Forget all that's said and done
Disregard everything that has happened in the past

When your heart's a lonely one
During times of loneliness and despair

And see, my dear, that heaven is a place
To realize that your loved one's presence brings a sense of calm and peace

Whenever I recall your face
Every time I think of you

Life can be so lucky now
Life can be full of blessings

Some may win and others don't know how
Some succeed in life while others struggle to find their way

But I could drop my losing hand with grace
Even if I'm facing difficult times, I can persevere with dignity

Whenever I recall your face
Thinking of you helps me stay strong

While leaving town you leave behind
When you move away from loved ones

The ones you love for who you find
You leave behind people you care about for new opportunities

But love, no other arms could take your place
No one else can replace the love you have for someone