As Time Goes By
Rudy Vallee & His Connecticut Yankees Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply as time goes by

And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings, as time goes by

Moonlight and love songs never out of date
Hearts full of passion, jealousy, and hate
Woman needs man, and man must have his mate
That no one can deny

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory




A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees' song "As Time Goes By" speak on the timeless essence of love and its importance in our lives, no matter the time period. The opening lines are a reminder of the immutability of a kiss and a sigh, stating that they are just as important now as they always have been. The fundamental things of love apply no matter what era we're in, implying that though times change, the importance of love always remains.


The second half of the song talks about some of the more universal elements of love. Moonlight, love songs, and the intense emotions of passion, jealousy, and hate are all timeless things that have affected lovers throughout the ages. The lines "woman needs man, and man must have his mate" speak to the desire for companionship that has always been a part of human nature. The last line of the song, "the world will always welcome lovers as time goes by," brings the theme full circle, reminding us that love is not something that will ever go out of fashion. Even in the midst of change and chaos, love will always be a constant.


Line by Line Meaning

You must remember this
It is important to always remember this


A kiss is still a kiss
Kissing is still the same as it always has been


A sigh is just a sigh
Sighing still means the same thing


The fundamental things apply as time goes by
The basic things in life never change, no matter how much time passes


And when two lovers woo
When two people fall in love


They still say "I love you"
They still express their love in the same way


On that you can rely
You can trust that they will always say "I love you"


No matter what the future brings, as time goes by
Love will always remain constant, even as the future is uncertain


Moonlight and love songs never out of date
Romance and love songs will never go out of style


Hearts full of passion, jealousy, and hate
Even with the ups and downs, emotions in relationships remain intense


Woman needs man, and man must have his mate
Men and women need each other for companionship and love


That no one can deny
This is an undeniable fact


It's still the same old story
Love is a timeless tale


A fight for love and glory
Love is worth fighting for, and can lead to great achievements


A case of do or die
The outcome of love can be major and life-changing


The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by
No matter what changes in the world, love will always be accepted




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HERMAN HUPFELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@arifagungwijanarko4780

This day and age we're living
This cause for apprehension
This speed and new invention
And things like third dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's Theory
For we must get down to earth at time
Relax, relieve the tension
.
No matter what the progress of what may have improved,
The simple facts of life are such, they cannot be removed
.
You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply as time goes by
.
And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings, as time goes by
.
Moonlight and love songs never out of date
Hearts full of passion, jealousy, and hate
Woman needs man, and man must have his mate
That no one can deny
.
It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by



All comments from YouTube:

@AvitalShtap

HURRAY! I had assumed this was an Al Bowlly hit and was hoping someone had recorded it in 1931, what luck it was the talent of Rudy Vallee! SWELL :)

@wowyourereallyreadingthis

i wish... Al unfortunately died a year before Casablanca became a hit

@andrewb731

The really striking thing about these pre-1940 songs is how many of them have an introductory verse (in this case: "this day and age we're living in...") before the main verse ("you must remember this..."). Such verses were always excised from later versions, and all pop music pretty much stopped having such introductions after the late 1930s. Songs fell into a rigid verse/verse/chorus/verse pattern moving forward. Does anyone know why?

@keegster7167

Yeah I'm curious about this too! But in what other songs have you found this sort of introduction?

@joshn938

I think I may have an inkling. I believe it derives from two separate sources: the first being that many songs of this period were tied into movies and Broadway shows, so many songs with an "introduction" may have been part of a play originally. Perhaps not this particular tune, but it can explain some of the influence and say, setting context for the song. The second being that there was an element of vaudeville into the 1920s and lasting into the late 30s. When vaudeville fell out of favor during WWII, so did popular music and the structure of songs changed in postwar America, especially with the proliferation of Rock and Roll in the 1950s.

@andrewb731

@@joshn938 Thank you.

@stephenkandilotis7813

It's fantastic to preserve old recordings. Historical recordings from a different era.

@ZooxMaze

The quality of this '78 recording is exquisite ! Rudy's voice - so clear... his bell-tone lilting, floats so easily...

A complete contrast to the irrespresable charming, brashness of Al Jolson - such a excellent counterpart to Mr. Valee's approach ! But both, aboslute timeless treasures :))

@ragpiano

I play this song on the piano and I've been trying to find a version that I can listen to where I could hear the verse and then the chorus cause most people started out with the chorus and you don't ever really hear the verse. I've always played it with the verse 1st And then the chorus which makes a lot more sense and the verses are really nice especially music wise.

@BalticFilms144

These lyrics go hard, even today it's still relevant.

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