I’ll Always Love You
Petula Clark Lyrics


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Standing by my window, listening for your call
Seems I really miss you after all
Time won't let me keep these sad thoughts to myself
I'd just like to let you know, I wish I'd never let you go

And I'll always love you
Deep inside this heart of mine
I do love you
And I'll always need you
And if you ever change your mind
I'll still, I will love you

I wish you'd never left me but love's a mystery
You can break a heart so easily
Oh the days and nights reveal how much I feel for you
Time has come for me to see how much your love has meant to me

And I'll always love you
And if you ever change your mind
I'll still, I will love you

Time like a river keeps on rolling right on by
Nothing left for me to do
So I watch the river rise

And I'll always love you
Deep inside this heart of mine
I do love you
And I'll always need you
And if you ever change your mind




I'll still, I will
And I'll still, I will love you

Overall Meaning

Petula Clark’s song, “I’ll Always Love You” is a ballad about heartbreak and lost love. The song begins with Clark standing by her window, waiting for a phone call from her ex-partner. The first few lines of the song show her longing to hear from her partner, and how she has been missing them terribly in their absence. The next few lines go on to highlight the futility of keeping her sad thoughts to herself and how she wishes she had never let them go. Throughout the song, she sounds like she is trying to convince her partner that she still loves them and will continue loving them.


The chorus of the song is an affirmation that she’ll always love her ex-partner deep inside her heart, and that she’ll always need them. Clark is very clear about her feelings for her ex-partner and promises to never stop loving them. She underscores this point by adding that even if her ex-partner has a change of heart, she promises to still love them.


Towards the end of the song, Clark compares the passage of time to a river that keeps on rolling by, implying that there’s nothing left for her to do but watch time pass by. She then repeats the chorus one last time, underlining her message that she’ll always love her ex-partner, no matter what.


Line by Line Meaning

Standing by my window, listening for your call
I am waiting eagerly and with anticipation next to my window, hoping to hear from you.


Seems I really miss you after all
Although I didn't realize it before, I now understand that I truly miss you now that you're gone.


Time won't let me keep these sad thoughts to myself
As time passes, I find it difficult to keep my sad and painful thoughts about our situation to myself.


I'd just like to let you know, I wish I'd never let you go
I want you to know that I regret ever letting you go and that I desire for us to be together again.


And I'll always love you Deep inside this heart of mine I do love you
I will forever carry love for you deep within my heart and I acknowledge my current love for you.


And I'll always need you
No matter what happens, I know that I will always need you.


And if you ever change your mind I'll still, I will love you
Even if you change your mind about us and decide to leave, I will continue to love you the same.


I wish you'd never left me but love's a mystery
I deeply desire for you to have never left me, but I also recognize that love can be unpredictable and confusing.


You can break a heart so easily
It's important to remember that hearts are fragile and can be easily broken.


Oh the days and nights reveal how much I feel for you
The passing of time only makes me realize how much I truly feel for you.


Time has come for me to see how much your love has meant to me
Now, more than ever, I understand just how much your love has meant to me.


Time like a river keeps on rolling right on by Nothing left for me to do So I watch the river rise
Time moves forward like a river, leaving me with nothing left to do but watch it continue on.


And I'll still, I will love you
Through it all, I will continue to love you with all of my heart.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COBB ED, ED COBB

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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