Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was a well-known … Read Full Bio ↴Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was a well-known American bandleader, arranger and orchestrator whose career spanned from the late 1940s until the early 1980s. Riddle is perhaps best known for his 1950s work for Capitol Records, providing jazzy big-band style arrangements to accompany such vocalists as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Later, his arranging talents were also used by Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey, Matt Monro, Linda Ronstadt, and others. His arrangements are characterized by innovative orchestration with counter melodies and instrumentation that express the emotions of each verse of a song. Interestingly, whilst arranging the Sinatra albums he received the pay of a band sideman, which was enhanced by Capitol when Nat King Cole discovered the anomaly and insisted he receive fair remuneration.

Out of My Dreams
Nelson Riddle Lyrics

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The torch I carry is handsome
It's worth its heartache in ransom
And when that twilight steals
I know how the lady in the harbor feels

When I want rain, I get sunny weather
I'm just as blue as the sky
Since love has gone, can't put myself together

Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry

Friends ask me out, I tell them I'm busy
I must get a new alibi
I hang around at home, and ask myself who is he
Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry

Dry little tear drops, my little tear drops
Hanging on a stream of dreams
Fly little memories, my little memories
Remind her of our crazy schemes

Somebody says, just forget about her
So I gave that treatment a try
Strangely enough, I got along without her

Then one day she passed me right by, oh well
I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry

Overall Meaning

In Frank Sinatra's "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," the singer uses the metaphor of hanging their tears out to dry, similar in meaning to the phrase "to air one's grievances." The singer is finding it difficult to move on after a failed love affair, feeling down and hopeless. The torch the singer carries is symbolic of the hope they still have, despite feeling heartache. The torch has a certain value that is worth the pain that comes with it. The reference to the lady in the harbor is alluding to the statue of liberty, a beacon of hope for those arriving in America.

The singer mentions wanting rain but getting sunny weather, indicating their emotional state is the opposite of the weather outside. They are feeling blue and can't seem to pick themselves up, even when their friends ask them to go out. Hanging out at home, they ask themselves who their ex-lover is with, and they can't escape their thoughts. The metaphor of streams of dreams and little memories remind them of happier times with their ex.

The singer tries to follow the advice of others and forget their ex-lover, but it doesn't work until they see them again. The last line of "I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry" implies that the singer will move on and try to let go of the past.

Line by Line Meaning

The torch I carry is handsome
The emotional burden I carry is valuable and prestigious in its own right.

It's worth its heartache in ransom
This burden is so valuable that the pain it inflicts is justifiable.

And when that twilight steals
As the day comes to an end,

I know how the lady in the harbor feels
I can empathize with the Statue of Liberty, as I too feel the weight of the world's problems on my shoulders.

When I want rain, I get sunny weather
The world seems to be against me, as even my attempts to foster a melancholy atmosphere cannot succeed.

I'm just as blue as the sky
My sadness is all-consuming, surrounding and defining me as thoroughly as the sky.

Since love has gone, can't put myself together
My life has lost its sense of cohesion since love left me - I just can't seem to pull myself together.

Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry
I'll surrender to the overwhelming sadness and wait for it to pass.

Friends ask me out, I tell them I'm busy
I'm unwilling to face social gatherings, preferring to withdraw and indulge in my own misery.

I must get a new alibi
I must come up with a new excuse to avoid spending time with others, as the old one is starting to wear thin.

I hang around at home, and ask myself who is he
Alone in my own thoughts, I question who the person I have become really is.

Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry
I'll surrender to the overwhelming sadness and wait for it to pass.

Dry little tear drops, my little tear drops
The physical manifestation of my sadness is now insignificant, reduced to small drops on my face.

Hanging on a stream of dreams
This sadness is being carried away on the ebb and flow of life's dreams and aspirations.

Fly little memories, my little memories
Nostalgic memories of happier times are fleeting, and offer little respite from my current state of despair.

Remind her of our crazy schemes
These memories serve only to remind me and the one who left me of the madcap plans we once hatched together.

Somebody says, just forget about her
Others suggest that I just move on, forget her and forget this pain.

So I gave that treatment a try
Although skeptical, I attempt to take the advice and forget about her and my pain.

Strangely enough, I got along without her
Surprisingly enough, I found that my life was still able to continue without her in it.

Then one day she passed me right by, oh well
I thought I was finally over her, but seeing her again re-ignited all the feelings of pain and loss.

I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry
I'll surrender to the overwhelming sadness and wait for it to pass.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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