What Now My Love
Sammy Davis Jr. & Buddy Rich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that you left me
How can I live through another day
Watching my dreams turn into ashes
And all my hopes into bits of clay
Once I could see, once I could feel
Now I am numb
I've become unreal
I walk the night, oh, without a goal
Stripped of my heart, my soul
What now my love
Now that it's over
I feel the world closing in on me
Here come the stars
Tumbling around me
And there's the sky where the sea should be
What now my love
Now that you're gone
I'd be a fool to go on and on
No one would care, no one would cry
If I should live or die
What now my love
Now there is nothing
Only my last goodbye
Only my last goodbye
Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "What Now My Love" is a heart-wrenching narrative of a person unable to reconcile with the loss of a loved one. The song is imbued with piercing emotion that evokes an eagerness to know what to do in the face of loneliness and hurt. The singer expresses his/her feeling of no longer being able to carry on with life since the departure of the person dearly cherished. The line "How can I live through another day" emphasizes the despair and anguish felt by the singer caused by the absence of the beloved.
The second stanza shows the singer's profound sense of emptiness and numbness. They describe themselves as being stripped of their heart and soul, emphasizing the depth of pain they feel. The singer acknowledges that there's no longer any hope or joy in their life, as all their dreams and hopes have turned into ashes and bits of clay. The vivid imagery of watching one's dreams turn into ashes and hopes into bits of clay paints a picture of devastation that the singer feels.
The final verse depicts a person struggling with the overwhelming feelings of loneliness and isolation. The singer implies that they are heading towards their end and feel that the world is closing in on them. The last two lines - "Only my last goodbye, Only my last goodbye" - are heart-rending and evoke deep sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
What now my love
Expressing confusion and desolation after a break-up
Now that you left me
Addressing the person who caused the pain and stating the cause of the singer's pain
How can I live through another day
Questioning how to continue living after a painful event
Watching my dreams turn into ashes
Seeing one's hopes and ambitions crumble and wither away
And all my hopes into bits of clay
Feeling that everything the singer has worked for has turned into nothing
Once I could see, once I could feel
Recalling a time when the singer felt alive and had passion for life
Now I am numb
Feeling emotionally desensitized due to the loss
I've become unreal
Feeling detached from oneself and reality
I walk the night, oh, without a goal
Wandering aimlessly through life without purpose
Stripped of my heart, my soul
Feeling a loss of identity and purpose due to the pain
Now that it's over
Acknowledging the end of the relationship
I feel the world closing in on me
Experiencing claustrophobia and feeling trapped in one's pain
Here come the stars
Noticing beauty in the world despite the pain
Tumbling around me
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of beauty in the world
And there's the sky where the sea should be
Feeling disoriented and confused by the world around the singer
Now that you're gone
Accepting the loss of the relationship and the person
I'd be a fool to go on and on
Realizing that continuing to pursue a lost cause would be foolish
No one would care, no one would cry
Feeling alone and unsupported in the pain
If I should live or die
Feeling that the loss has no impact on the world and the singer's life has lost all value
Now there is nothing
Feeling that everything meaningful has vanished
Only my last goodbye
Recognizing that everything will end with a final goodbye
Lyrics © CROMA MUSIC CO., INC. , S D R M
Written by: CARL SIGMAN, GILBERT BECAUD, PIERRE DELANOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackjacinto7185
One the Best performances KF the late Smmmy Davis Jr..an original member KF the Rat Pack!
@shawneedalegrimm9728
I love Sammy Davis, Jr. and his singing. Just listened to Frank Sinatra sing this and they are singing in their style, so they are good. But, listen to Elvis Aloha Hawaii sing this. You get the real feel of what's really being sang (said). Oh, our dear Elvis.
@tokijapjaptoki1152
Just love it ! Thanks for sharing.
@erzug
The most talented of the Rat Pack, IMO.
@jackjacinto7185
Isnt that nice?????...