Speak Low
Ralph Sharon & His Orchestra Lyrics
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Our summer day withers away too soon, too soon
Speak low when you speak, love
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift, we´re swept apart, too soon
Speak low, darling, speak low
Love is a spark, lost in the dark too soon, too soon
I feel wherever I go that tomorrow is
near, tomorrow is here and always too soon
Love is pure gold and time a thief
We´re late, darling, we´re late
The curtain descends, ev´rything ends too soon, too soon
I wait, darling, I wait
Will you speak low to me, speak love to me and soon
In Tony Bennett’s “Speak Low,” the lyrics implore a lover to speak softly in order to savor fleeting moments together, as the passage of time can abruptly end the moment. The song opens by calling upon the lover to “speak low” as the summer day “withers away too soon.” Bennett uses the metaphor of ships that drift apart too soon as a parallel to the love being felt. The chorus quietly implores the lover to “speak low, darling, speak low” as the curtain of life descends, and everything inevitably ends too soon.
In the second verse, Bennett waxes poetic about time being old and love being brief. He likens love to pure gold and time to a thief that steals it away. The song ends with the vocalist asking if the lover will speak low to him and speak love to him soon. The lyrics are an invitation for the lover to make the most of the time they have and to treasure the moments shared together.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low when you speak, love
Use a gentle tone when expressing your love
Our summer day withers away too soon, too soon
Our enjoyable moments together come to an end too quickly
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift, we're swept apart, too soon
Our time together passes by quickly and ends abruptly
Speak low, darling, speak low
Express your love softly and calmly
Love is a spark, lost in the dark too soon, too soon
Love can quickly fade away and be lost forever
I feel wherever I go that tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here and always too soon
I am aware that time is fleeting and tomorrow will always come sooner than I want it to
Time is so old and love so brief
Time has been around for ages but love is short-lived
Love is pure gold and time a thief
Love is valuable and important but time can take it away
We're late, darling, we're late
We don't have much time left together
The curtain descends, everything ends too soon, too soon
Life comes to an end too quickly and unexpectedly
I wait, darling, I wait
I am eagerly waiting and hoping for you to speak to me softly and lovingly
Will you speak low to me, speak love to me and soon
Can you please express your love to me quietly and soon?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind