The pronunciation of Hammerstein's surname is often anglicized, to /ˈhæmərstiːn/ HAM-ər-steen. Hammerstein himself, however, kept a more German pronunciation of the vowels, /ˈhæmərstaɪn/ HAM-ər-stine.
It Might As Well Be Spring
Oscar Hammerstein II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I'd say that I had spring fever
But I know it isn't spring
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
Walking down a strange new street
Hearing words that I have never heard
From a girl I've yet to meet
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
That it might as well be spring
It might as well be spring
The song “It Might As Well Be Spring”, from the 1945 musical State Fair, written by the illustrious duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, expresses the idea of yearning for something you don’t have, even if it isn’t the appropriate time for it. The song goes on to describe how the singer feels ‘restless as a willow in a windstorm,’ and ‘jumpy as a puppet on a string’. They are unable to communicate what is missing, although they feel ‘starry-eyed and vaguely discontented/ Like a nightingale without a song to sing’. The singer longs to experience something new and different, walking down a strange new street, and hearing words they’ve never heard before from a girl they’ve yet to meet.
The central message of the song is that even if the singer is experiencing an unknown feeling that could pass off as spring fever, it isn’t the right time of year to feel it. The feeling could be interpreted as an urge to move on from their current situation, whether that be a relationship, job, or place. The song is about the universality of this feeling and how everyone can experience it at some point in their lives. The use of imagery and metaphor adds to the beautiful melancholic tone of the song and has made it an enduring classic.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm
I'm feeling anxious and unsettled, like a willow tree swaying back and forth in a strong wind.
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I'm feeling nervous and easily agitated, like a puppet that is being constantly pulled and tugged on its strings.
I'd say that I had spring fever
But I know it isn't spring
I feel a sense of restlessness and excitement that is often associated with springtime, but I know that it's not actually the season causing these feelings.
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
I feel both dreamy and unsatisfied, like a nightingale without a beautiful melody to sing.
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
When it isn't even spring?
Why am I feeling such restlessness and anticipation when spring is not yet even here?
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
Walking down a strange new street
Hearing words that I have never heard
From a girl I've yet to meet
I find myself daydreaming of new and exciting experiences, of wandering down unfamiliar streets and hearing fresh, intriguing words from someone I've not yet encountered.
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
I am preoccupied with fanciful thoughts, just like a spider weaving its webs, and I feel a sense of gleeful abandon, like a child on a swing. Despite not having seen any typical signs of spring like flowers and birds, I feel like spring has arrived.
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
That it might as well be spring
I feel happy yet wistful, as though springtime has arrived, but only in my mind.
It might as well be spring
Even though it's not the season, I feel such a strong sense of rejuvenation and hope that it might as well be spring.
Lyrics © IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@superguitarman727
The things I used to like, I don't like any more,
I want a lot of other things I've never had before,
It's just like my mama says, I sit around and mourn
Pretending that I am so wonderful and knowing I'm adored
I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm,
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string,
I'd say that I had spring fever,
But I know it isn't spring.
I'm as starry eyed and gravely discontented,
Like a nightingale without a song to sing.
Oh, why should I have spring fever,
When it isn't even spring?
I keep wishing I were somewhere else,
Walking down a strange new street,
Hearing words I have never never heard,
From a man I've yet to meet.
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams,
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing,
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud,
Or a robin or a bluebird on the wing,
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way,
That it might as well be spring,
It might as well be, might as well be,
It might as well be spring.
@endercat1050
Man, my grandma who's 86 and has memory problems has always been a walking jukebox, and he's always singing this song around the house and it sounds amazing
@garyroberts3859
Sounds like you have memory problems to, a grandma is usually a woman.
@elizabethmcandrew4985
I am 86 and this has been a favourite since I saw this film as a child
@jeffdawson2786
In a world gone mad, these songs are a source of joy and comfort.
@manuelorozco7760
And the movie's postwar American setting couldn't be timelier
@hollyidrucker6897
One of my mothers fave songs. I lost her back in March of this year at the age of 96. I was brought up with these movies . I feel closer to her by watching them.
@tonietoney5917
I'm so very sorry about the loss of your mother. I think of mine every single day. Several of those terrific songs of her younger years are triggers that cause me to feel closer to my mother. Aren't we lucky to have such a wonderful way to escape into those fond memories!
@judykoenn6080
😂
@juliedeleon999
She looks like a portrait come alive! ❤ so nostalgic, so mesmerising ❤
@12classics39
When it zooms in on Harry’s message to her and she just rolls her eyes, that says it all about their relationship. Show don’t tell done right.