Petula Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and song… Read Full Bio ↴Petula Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child performer and has had one of the longest careers of any British entertainer, spanning more than eight decades. Clark's professional career began during the Second World War as a child entertainer on BBC Radio. In 1954 she charted with "The Little Shoemaker", the first of her big UK hits, and within two years she began recording in French. Her international successes have included "Prends mon cœur", "Sailor" (a UK number one), "Romeo", and "Chariot". Hits in German, Italian, and Spanish followed. In late 1964 Clark's success extended to the United States with a four-year run of career-defining, often upbeat singles, many written or co-written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent. These include her signature song "Downtown" (US number one), "I Know a Place", "My Love" (US number one), "A Sign of the Times", "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love", "Who Am I", "Colour My World", "This Is My Song" (by Charlie Chaplin) (a UK number one), "Don't Sleep in the Subway", "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" and "Kiss Me Goodbye". Between January 1965 and April 1968 Clark charted with nine US Top 20 hits in the US, where she was sometimes called "the First Lady of the British Invasion".

Clark has sold more than 68 million records. She has also enjoyed success in the musical film Finian's Rainbow and in the stage musicals The Sound of Music, Blood Brothers, Sunset Boulevard, and Mary Poppins.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petula_Clark

Discography
Petula Clark Sings (1956)
A Date with Pet (1956)
You Are My Lucky Star (1957)
À Musicorama (1958)
Petula Clark in Hollywood / Pet Clark (1959)
Prends mon coeur (1959)
Tête à tête avec Petula Clark (1961)
Rendez-vous avec Petula Clark (1962)
In Other Words (1962)
Petula (1962)
Le soleil dans les yeux (1963)
Ceux qui ont un coeur (1964)
Hello Paris (1964)
Petula au Canada (1964)
Downtown (1965)
I Know a Place (1965)
The World's Greatest International Hits (1965)
Petula '65 (1965)
My Love (1966)
I Couldn't Live Without Your Love (1966)
Petula Clark '66 (1966)
Colour My World (1967)
These Are My Songs (1967)
C'est ma chanson (1967)
Petula Italiana (1967)
The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener (1968)
Petula (1968)
Portrait of Petula (1969)
Just Pet (1969)
Memphis (1970)
Warm and Tender / The Song of My Life (1971)
Comme une prière (1972)
La chanson de Marie-Madeleine (1972)
Now (1972)
Come On Home (1974)
I'm The Woman You Need (1975)
Je reviens (1977)
Destiny (1978)
Where The Heart Is (1998)
Here For You (1998)
Solitude & Sunshine: The Songs of Rod McKuen (2007)
Lost in You (2013)
From Now On (2016)
Living For Today (2017)
Vu d'ici (2018)

If
Petula Clark Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If a picture paints a thousand words,
Then why can't I paint you?
The words will never show the you I've come to know.
If a face could launch a thousand ships,
Then where am I to go?
There's no one home but you,
You're all that's left me too.
And when my love for life is running dry,

You come and pour yourself on me.

If a man could be two places at one time,
I'd be with you.
Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way.
If the world should stop revolving spinning slowly down to die,
I'd spend the end with you.
And when the world was through,

Then one by one the stars would all go out,
Then you and I would simply fly away

Overall Meaning

The song ‘If’ by Petula Clark is a timeless classic that explores the depths of love and the yearn for connection with a special someone. The opening lines of the song ‘If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can't I paint you?’ suggests that there is something beyond spoken or written words, and instead a person is more tangible or real than the mere creation of words. The writer suggests that words would never be enough to describe the person they’ve come to know, as the complexity of who they are cannot be captured by language.

The second verse is an extension of the first and highlights the potential infatuation of a person where their mere presence could evoke a strong response in others, including one as strong as launching a thousand ships. The writer then laments the fact that there is no one else around and that they are left alone with this person, trying to define their complex emotions. In the next line, the lyrics show that this person has the ability to restore life and that when they are weary and drained with life, this special someone is the one that makes them feel alive again.

The last verse is an exploration of the idea of limitless love, where if a man could exist in two places at one time, he would be nowhere else but with this person. The lyrics then go on to say that if the world were to come to an end, there would be no regret because this person would be there with them. And finally, the metaphoric idea of two people flying away together is presented, giving the impression of transcending existence and finding new beginnings with each other.

Line by Line Meaning

If a picture paints a thousand words,
If an image can convey so much meaning without the use of words,

Then why can't I paint you?
Why can't I express my love for you in a way that truly captures your essence?

The words will never show the you I've come to know.
My attempts to put my love into words will always fall short of fully expressing the person you are to me.

IfPetula Clark Lyrics

Lawrence Hazel

Mireille Verrilli

If
Petula Clark Lyrics