Stardust
Nat Lyrics


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And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by

Sometimes I wonder, I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song

Beside the garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain




My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain

Overall Meaning

In Nat King Cole's song Stardust, the lyrics describe a bittersweet feeling of longing and reminiscing old love that has now turned into stardust. As the purple twilight time sets in, the persona's heart begins to be filled with a sense of loneliness, and although the little stars keep climbing the sky, it only reminds him of how he and his lover are apart. The lover has wandered away, leaving behind a song that will not die, which became a symbol of their love, now turned to stardust, belonging to yesterday. The persona is left dreaming of the song's melody, full of inspiration and new love, but which has become a distant memory. The only consolation he now has is in the stardust of this song that still speaks of a long gone love that he once shared with his lover.


The second verse begins with the persona still longing to be with his lover when stars appear bright beside the garden wall, and he can hold her in his arms. The nightingale's fairytale sings of a paradise where roses grow, and although he dreams of this paradise and their love that has turned to stardust, it remains only in his heart as a memory of love's refrain. The song expresses the beauty and poignant introspection of love that has faded over time but holds tightly to the memories in its melody to remind us of the joy and pain of love.


Line by Line Meaning

And now the purple dusk of twilight time
As the sun sets and darkness falls, there is a sense of sadness and loneliness.


Steals across the meadows of my heart
This sadness fills the very fiber of my being.


High up in the sky the little stars climb
The night sky is like a mirror, reflecting the light of the distant stars up into the heavens.


Always reminding me that we're apart
The stars are a symbol of our separation, and they serve to remind me of the love I have lost.


You wander down the lane and far away
My beloved has left me behind and has gone far away.


Leaving me a song that will not die
Even though my love has gone, he/she has left me a beautiful memory that will stay with me forever.


Love is now the stardust of yesterday
Our love is now a distant memory, fading like stardust in the sky.


The music of the years gone by
The memories of our love are preserved in the music that we shared, a testament to the happiness that we once knew.


Sometimes I wonder, I spend
Very often I find myself lost in thought, wondering what went wrong with our love.


The lonely nights
The nights are long and lonely without my beloved by my side.


Dreaming of a song
In my dreams, I hear our song playing over and over again, a reminder of happier times.


The melody
The tune of our song is what keeps me going, and it brings a smile to my face even in the midst of sadness.


Haunts my reverie
This melody is like a ghost that follows me around, a constant companion and reminder of what we once had.


And I am once again with you
When I hear our song, I feel like my beloved is still by my side, and it brings a sense of comfort and peace to my heart.


When our love was new
Our love was once so fresh and new, filled with hope and promise for the future.


And each kiss an inspiration
Every time we kissed, it felt like a spark of inspiration, igniting a fire within us and giving us the strength to face the world.


But that was long ago
Those happy times are in the past, and now our love is just a memory.


And now my consolation
The only thing I have left to hold on to is the memory of our love, which brings me some comfort in my sorrow.


Is in the stardust of a song
Our love might be gone, but the memories of it are still alive in the stardust of our song.


Beside the garden wall
There was a time when we used to walk along the garden wall, holding hands and enjoying each other's company.


When stars are bright
At night, when the stars are bright and shining, our love felt like it could conquer anything.


You are in my arms
I remember how it felt to hold you tight in my arms, feeling your warmth and your love.


The nightingale
The nightingale is a bird that is often associated with love and romance, and its sweet song is like a balm to my soul.


Tells his fairytale
The nightingale's song is like a fairytale, a beautiful fiction that brings a sense of joy and hope to my heart.


Of paradise, where roses grew
The nightingale's song paints a picture of paradise, where everything is perfect and beautiful, and roses grow without end.


Though I dream in vain
In my dreams, everything is perfect, and our love is still alive and well, but in reality, it's just an illusion, and I know that I'm dreaming in vain.


In my heart it will remain
Despite the pain and the sadness, the memory of our love will always remain in my heart, a testament to the beauty and power of love.


My stardust melody
Our song is like stardust, pure and beautiful, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.


The memory of love's refrain
The memory of our love is like a song, and its refrain echoes through my mind, reminding me of the happiness that we once knew.




Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mitchell Parish, Hoagy Carmichael

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@shadowenighthawke2023

Hoagy Carmichael wrote this for me
He knew my life would take on great meaning:

https://youtu.be/DjU6ZjrQulc?si=1OEOLtdkPX2dBqjn

Dedicated to all those lost loves
I have lamented over so many years

I think of you every time I listen to Stardust Memories
Clearly these words mean a lot
But I want to tell you
My life would have not been the same without you
 wherever you are
As Jimmy Durante often said walking out the Door
“Goodnight Mrs Calabash , Wherever You Are”
Listen to the end



@margaretgaskell4958

"Stardust"
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die

Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.

Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago

And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.



All comments from YouTube:

@richardbedford8120

We were married 40 years ago. She passed away last year. There is great comfort in this song for me.

@suefoot2777

I am very sorry for your loss....yes, this brings us to tears, but with so much comfort. As one person here said "...like a velvet cloak wrapping the lyrics in a warm embrace".

@laurabennett2420

Me too

@958298bordeaux

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@mattiaoria5600

❀

@Jomor44

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@emmatrevethan9375

I get emotional every time I hear this song. My late husband sang it to me on tape when we were pen friends and it became our song when we got married. He's been gone for 21 years and "Stardust" lives on in my heart.

@crazydiamond4565

😭💖✹

@firetopman

Oh, my! What a lovely memory of being sung to! So romantic.

@lizziedssg8643

❀❀❀❀❀

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