Marianne
Ray Conniff; The Ray Conniff Singers Lyrics


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Marianne, oh, Marianne, oh, won't you marry me?
We can have a bamboo hut and brandy in the tea
Leave your fat old mamma home, she never will say yes
If mama don't know now, she can guess
My, my, yes

All day, all night, Marianne
Down by the sea side siftin' sand
Even little children love Marianne
Down by the seaside siftin' sand

When she walks along the shore, people pause to greet
White birds fly around her; little fish come to her feet
In her heart is love but I'm the only mortal man
Who's allowed to kiss my Marianne
Don't rush me

All day, all night, Marianne
Down by the sea side siftin' sand
Even little children love Marianne
Down by the seaside siftin' sand

When we marry we will have a time you never saw
I will be so happy I will kiss my mother inlaw
Children by the dozen in and out the bamboo hut
One for every palm tree and coconut
Hurry up now

All day, all night, Marianne
Down by the sea side siftin' sand




Even little children love Marianne
Down by the seaside siftin' sand

Overall Meaning

The song "Marianne" by Ray Conniff Singers portrays a charming narrative of a man named Ray proposing to his lover Marianne. The song presents a vivid picture of a carefree and relaxed life by the sea with a bamboo hut and brandy in tea. Ray tries to convince Marianne to marry him and leave her "fat old mamma" back home. The song suggests that his lover's mother will disapprove of their union, but Ray doesn't seem to care as he believes that his Marianne's heart belongs to him. Marianne is portrayed as a captivating woman surrounded by white birds and little fish. Ray acknowledges that lots of people want to be with her, but he's the only one lucky enough to kiss her. In the end, Ray promises to have a dozen children and a happy married life with his beloved Marianne.


Line by Line Meaning

Marianne, oh, Marianne, oh, won't you marry me?
The singer is proposing to Marianne.


We can have a bamboo hut and brandy in the tea
The singer wants to have a simple life with Marianne and enjoy small pleasures.


Leave your fat old mamma home, she never will say yes
The singer knows that Marianne's mother won't approve of their marriage.


If mama don't know now, she can guess
Even if Marianne's mother doesn't know about their plan to get married, she will eventually find out.


My, my, yes
The singer is excited about the prospect of marrying Marianne.


All day, all night, Marianne
The singer thinks about Marianne all the time.


Down by the sea side siftin' sand
Marianne and the singer spend time together by the seaside.


Even little children love Marianne
Marianne is kind and friendly to everyone, including children.


When she walks along the shore, people pause to greet
Marianne is well-liked in her community and people are happy to see her.


White birds fly around her; little fish come to her feet
Marianne is at one with nature and animals seem to be drawn to her.


In her heart is love but I'm the only mortal man
Marianne loves the singer and he is the only man she wants to be with.


Who's allowed to kiss my Marianne
The singer is possessive of Marianne and doesn't want other men to be with her.


Don't rush me
The singer wants to take his time and make sure that he and Marianne are ready for marriage.


When we marry we will have a time you never saw
The singer is looking forward to spending the rest of his life with Marianne and having exciting adventures with her.


I will be so happy I will kiss my mother inlaw
The singer will be incredibly happy when he marries Marianne, to the point where he will show affection even to his mother-in-law.


Children by the dozen in and out the bamboo hut
The singer and Marianne plan to have many children and raise them in their simple home.


One for every palm tree and coconut
The singer imagines having as many children as there are palm trees and coconuts in their surroundings.


Hurry up now
The singer is eager to start his life with Marianne and wants to get married soon.


All day, all night, Marianne
The singer will always be devoted to Marianne.


Down by the sea side siftin' sand
Marianne and the singer will continue to spend time together by the seaside.


Even little children love Marianne
Marianne will continue to be kind and friendly to everyone, including children.


Down by the seaside siftin' sand
The singer and Marianne will continue to enjoy their simple life by the sea.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: WILLIAM H. EATON JR.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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