Finding his voice in a school choir, Crawford began his professional career still a teenager. Having some luck on the London stage in the early 60s, he then found his way onto the BBC and starred in various programmes such as 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'. He also had film roles in 'The War Lover', 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'. and 'How I Won the War' (which brought him into the same work as John Lennon).
Andrew Lloyd Webber's casting of him opposite Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton as the Phantom in 1986 shot his career into high gear. Winning a Tony Award for his role, Crawford also had the aforementioned tune, "The Music Of The Night", reach the British Top Ten. He has released several studio albums such as 'A Touch of Music in the Night' and 'On Eagle's Wings' among others.
MEMORY
Michael Crawford Lyrics
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Has the moon lost her memory
She is shining alone.
In the lamplight the whithered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan.
Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower
And a rose that is fading
Roses wither away
I am waiting for the day
Now Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn
Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife
Announces the cat who can now be reborn
And come back to a different jellicle life
Memory, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Burnt out ends of smokey days
The stale cold smell of morning
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Sunlight, through the trees in the summer
Endless masquerading
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking
The memory is fading
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun
The song "Memory" from the musical "Cats" was originally written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and has become one of the most iconic and beloved songs from musical theater. The lyrics begin with a description of a quiet midnight scene, where the moonlight shines alone and the wind begins to moan. The singer then observes the beauty of nature in the form of a dewy sunflower and a fading rose. The desire to turn towards the sunflower and face the dawn indicates a yearning for hope and new beginnings.
The second half of the lyrics introduces the character of Old Deuteronomy, who represents a figure of authority and wisdom. Old Deuteronomy's announcement of a rebirth and the potential for a new life stands in stark contrast to the melancholy emotions of the first half of the lyrics. The chorus of "Memory" evokes a sense of nostalgia and a longing to return to happier times. The lyrics describe the pain of loneliness and the desire to be touched and understood. The final line of the song signifies the hope that a new day will bring new possibilities for happiness and a fresh start.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
It is midnight, and the pavement is silent.
Has the moon lost her memory
The moon is alone and shining.
She is shining alone.
The moon has no companion.
In the lamplight the whithered leaves collect at my feet
The lamplight makes the withered leaves gather at my feet.
And the wind begins to moan.
The wind starts to make a deep, sad sound.
Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower
In the daylight, there is dew on the sunflower.
And a rose that is fading
A rose is gradually losing its beauty.
Roses wither away
The roses will lose their beauty eventually.
Like the sunflower I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
Like the sunflower, I long to face the new day.
I am waiting for the day
I am eager to see the new day.
Now Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn
Old Deuteronomy appears just before dawn.
Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife
The silence is so palpable that you could cut it with a knife.
Announces the cat who can now be reborn
Old Deuteronomy announces the cat that can be reborn now.
And come back to a different jellicle life
The reborn cat will have a new Jellicle life.
Memory, turn your face to the moonlight
Memory, look at the moonlight.
Let your memory lead you
Let your memory guide you.
Open up, enter in
Open your mind and enter the realm of memory.
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
If you discover what happiness truly means.
Then a new life will begin
A new life will start for you.
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
Memory, alone in the moonlight.
I can smile at the old days
I am happy when thinking of the old days.
I was beautiful then
I looked beautiful at that time.
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
I reminisce about the time when I knew what true happiness was.
Let the memory live again
Let that memory come alive again.
Burnt out ends of smokey days
The fag end of smoky days.
The stale cold smell of morning
The cold morning air smells stale.
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
The streetlamp goes off, signaling the end of another night.
Another day is dawning
A new day is starting.
Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I have to wait for the sunrise.
I must think of a new life
I have to plan for a new life.
And I mustn't give in
I should not lose hope or surrender.
When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too
When the dawn arrives, the night will become a memory too.
And a new day will begin
Then a new day will commence.
Sunlight, through the trees in the summer
Sunlight filtering through the trees in summer.
Endless masquerading
Endless pretending.
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking
Like a flower when dawn is breaking.
The memory is fading
The memory is becoming weak.
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
Touch me, and it's effortless to leave me.
All alone with the memory
All alone with the memory of the past.
Of my days in the sun
Of my days enjoying the sun.
If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is
If you touch me, you'll know what true joy is.
Look, a new day has begun
See, a new day has started.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind