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.

What Now My Love
Nelson Riddle Lyrics

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What now my love?
Now that you've left me
How can I live through another day?
Watching my dreams turn into ashes
And all my hopes into bits of clay
Once I could see, once I could feel
Now I am numb, I've become unreal

I walk the night without a goal
Stripped of my heart, my soul

What now my love?
Now that it's over
I feel the world closing in on me
Here come the stars, tumbling around me
There's the sky where the sea should be

What now my love?
Now that you're gone
I'd be a fool to go on and on
No one would care, no one would cry
If I should live or die

What now my love?

Now there is nothing
Only my last goodbye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nelson Riddle's song "What Now My Love?" delve into the emotional aftermath of a breakup, exploring the feelings of despair, emptiness, and confusion that follow the departure of a loved one. The singer is left pondering how they can continue living in the absence of their partner. They describe watching their dreams disintegrate before their eyes and their hopes turning into mere fragments. The once vibrant and sensitive individual has now become numb and detached from reality. Aimlessly wandering through the night, they feel as though their heart and soul have been stripped away.

As the song progresses, the singer contemplates the future without their love. They feel claustrophobic as the world seems to be closing in on them. The mention of stars tumbling around and the absence of the sea in the sky represent a distorted and surreal perception of the world. The person they once relied on for support and happiness is now gone, leaving them questioning whether it is even worth continuing to live. The final lines express a sense of finality, with the singer realizing there is nothing left but to say goodbye.

Overall, "What Now My Love?" portrays the deep pain and confusion experienced when a significant relationship ends. It speaks to the fear of being alone, the loss of identity, and the struggle to find purpose and meaning in life after such a loss.

Line by Line Meaning

What now my love?
What is my course of action, my love?

Now that you've left me
Now that you have departed from my life

How can I live through another day?
How can I endure the passing of another day?

Watching my dreams turn into ashes
Observing my aspirations transform into ruins

And all my hopes into bits of clay
And witnessing all my expectations crumble

Once I could see, once I could feel
In the past, I had the ability to perceive, to experience

Now I am numb, I've become unreal
Now I am devoid of sensation, I have lost touch with reality

I walk the night without a goal
I traverse the darkness aimlessly

Stripped of my heart, my soul
Deprived of my emotions, my essence

What now my love?
What is my course of action, my love?

Now that it's over
Now that it has come to an end

I feel the world closing in on me
I sense the world encroaching upon me

Here come the stars, tumbling around me
Here come the stars, falling, circling around me

There's the sky where the sea should be
The sky occupies the place where the sea once existed

What now my love?
What is my course of action, my love?

Now that you're gone
Now that you have departed

I'd be a fool to go on and on
It would be foolish of me to continue persisting

No one would care, no one would cry
No one would show concern, no one would shed tears

If I should live or die
Whether I continue to exist or perish

What now my love?
What is my course of action, my love?

Now there is nothing
Now there is emptiness

Only my last goodbye
Merely my farewell, my final goodbye

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Carl Sigman, Gilbert Becaud, Pierre Delanoe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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