Memory
Original Cast Of Cats Lyrics
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See the dew on the sunflower
And the rose that is fading
Roses wither away
Like the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day
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
A time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale, cold smell of morning
The streetlamp dies in the cold air
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 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 lyrics of "Memory" from Cats are about nostalgia, loss, and the pain of remembering something that can never be relived or regained. The first verse begins with the singer looking at flowers that are fading and withering away. They express a yearning to turn their face to the dawn and leave behind the past. However, in the chorus, the singer is taken back to a time in the past when they were happy. They encourage the listener to remember the happiness they have experienced in their lives and to let that memory lead them to a new beginning.
The second verse describes the singer's memories of their past, the "burnt out ends of smoky days," and the "stale, cold smell of morning." Despite the pain of these memories, the singer remains hopeful and determined to think of a new life. The bridge describes the fleeting nature of memories, like "sunlight through the trees in summer," which eventually fades away. The final chorus brings the song to a close, with the singer inviting the listener to touch them and understand their happiness.
Overall, "Memory" is a poignant and emotional song about the power of memories to both comfort and torment us.
Line by Line Meaning
Daylight
Observation of nature in the morning
See the dew on the sunflower
The evidence of dew found on plants in the morning
And the rose that is fading
The flower that has reached the end of its life cycle
Roses wither away
All living things eventually expire
Like the sunflower
Comparing the life cycle of the rose to that of the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
Longing and anticipation for the new day to begin
I am waiting for the day
Patiently waiting for the new day to arrive
Memory
Reflection on the past
Turn your face to the moonlight
Directing oneself towards the serenity of the moon
Let your memory lead you
Allowing oneself to be guided by memories
Open up, enter in
Inviting oneself to explore and embrace memories
If you find there
When you discover within your memory
The meaning of what happiness is
Understanding the true essence of joy
Then a new life will begin
A new beginning awaits with knowledge and insight
All alone in the moonlight
Feeling lonely while basking in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
Nostalgic reminiscence without sadness or regret
I was beautiful then
Beheld as charming in those remembered times
I remember
Mindful recall of past memories
A time I knew what happiness was
A moment when true bliss was experienced
Let the memory live again
Allowing past memories to come to life and resurface
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The remains of spent and tiring times
The stale, cold smell of morning
The chilling and lifeless scent of daybreak
The streetlamp dies in the cold air
The streetlamp extinguishes itself in the frigid air
Another night is over
A night has passed and is now gone
Another day is dawning
A new day is emerging
I must wait for the sunrise
Anticipating the arrival of a new day
I must think of a new life
Cognizant of the need for a fresh start
And I mustn't give in
Not succumbing to the challenges and trials of life
When the dawn comes
When the sun begins to rise
Tonight will be a memory too
Acknowledgment that the current night will eventually become a memory
And a new day will begin
Optimistically expecting the start of a new day
Sunlight through the trees in summer
Radiant sunshine beaming through the verdant foliage
Endless masquerading
Never-ending pretending to be something else
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking
Metaphorical comparison of masks and flowers to new beginnings
The memory is fading
The recollection is gradually disappearing
Touch me
The desire for human contact
It's so easy to leave me
A fear of abandonment by others
All alone with the memory
Being left to ponder memories by oneself
Of my days in the sun
Reflecting on times of happiness and tranquility
If you touch me
The restorative power of human contact
You'll understand what happiness is
Grasping the true meaning of joy
Look, a new day has begun
Celebrating the start of a new day filled with hope and possibility
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@heisthomaz8184
Memory, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory leave you
Open up, enter me
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 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
@nkbujvytcygvujno6006
Lyrics:
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 a time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
A street lamp 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
JEMINA:
Sunlight, through the trees in summer
Endless masquerading
GRIZABELLA AND JEMIMA:
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking
GRIZABELLA:
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
@TheShowsMustGoOn
What's your favourite Elaine Paige performance?
Here she is singing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxR-1mZem8Q
@enolamsamoht
Yup, Andrew Lloyd Webber is known for recycling his characters into new ones for new productions
@redsidebiker
Simple, this one. Don't Cry is Julie Covington's song. Julie chose to not do the West End.
@Broadwaygirl918
All of them
@graceannemorgan1035
For me the choice is easy
Memory this one.
@donreed
I'm new here. Specializing in headless homophones. Care for one?
@kashiichan
Everyone always talks about how well Elaine Paige sings this role -- and she DOES -- but no one ever mentions how well she ACTS it. This is fantastic.
@ROYALP100
Yes, and that is the difference Paige can also ACT!
@deiiisan
It just feels so natural that it almost goes unnoticed!
@HaydnC5
This is why I believe Elaine is the best Grizabella, she acts it so perfectly. Most other artists I see tend to try and belt as much as they can, but that's not the point of the song at all. It's about the raw emotion of a character that is literally on their last legs, thinking they are going to dye alone and forgotten about, pleading to be accepted again.