Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-born bandlead… Read Full Bio ↴Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-born bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and continued well into the 1960s. Though his professional orchestra-leading career began at the height of the swing era, Faith refined and rethought orchestration techniques, including use of large string sections, to soften and fill out the brass-dominated popular music of the 1940s.

The Girl from Ipanema
Percy Faith & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Long ago and far away
I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me
Long the skies were overcast
But now the clouds have passed
You're here at last
Chills run up and down my spine
Aladdin's lamp is mine

The dream I dreamed was not denied me
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you

Long ago and far away
I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me
Long the skies were overcast
But now the clouds have passed
You're here at last
Chills run up and down my spine
Aladdin's lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you

Just one look and then I knew
(Him, with her humming along)
That all I longed for long ago

Was you

Overall Meaning

The Girl from Ipanema is a hit Bossa Nova song by Antonio Carlos Jobim, and in this particular version, performed by Percy Faith and His Orchestra, the lyrics speak of long-awaited love. The first stanza describes the fulfillment of a dream that once seemed unattainable. The imagery of overcast skies and passing clouds serves as a metaphor for the singer's past struggles, which have now been resolved with the arrival of their beloved. The line "chills run up and down my spine" suggests the powerful emotions that have been stirred within the singer now that the dream has become a reality.

The second stanza repeats the first, but adds a subtle change. Instead of saying "All I longed for was you," the singer declares "That all I longed for long ago was you." This change implies that the singer had perhaps forgotten about this dream until the arrival of their beloved, at which point the memory returns. It also adds a melancholic note to the love affair, suggesting that maybe the singer waited too long to pursue their dream.

Line by Line Meaning

Long ago and far away
It was a distant memory, something from a different time and place.

I dreamed a dream one day
I had an idea, a vision of what I wanted.

And now that dream is here beside me
My dream has become a reality, and it's right here with me.

Long the skies were overcast
For a while everything seemed dark and gloomy.

But now the clouds have passed
But now things have shifted, and everything seems brighter.

You're here at last
You're finally here with me, and it feels like a dream come true.

Chills run up and down my spine
I feel a shiver of delight in my body.

Aladdin's lamp is mine
I feel like I've stumbled upon a magical treasure that's all mine.

The dream I dreamed was not denied me
My vision, my dream, was not something that was taken away from me.

Just one look and then I knew
It only took one glance for me to understand.

That all I longed for long ago was you
That everything I once wished for has come true because of you.