Exactly Like You
Sarah Vaughan Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I used to have a perfect sweetheart
Not a real one, just a dream
A wonderful vision of us as a team
Can you imagine how I feel now
Love is real now, it's ideal
You're just what I wanted
And now it's nice to live
Paradise to live

I know why I've waited
Know why I've been blue
Prayed each night for someone
Exactly like you

Why should we spend money
On a show or two
No one does those love scenes
Exactly like you

You make me feel so grand
I want to hand the world to you
I hope you'll understand
Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
And dream I'm dreamin'

Now I know why mother
Taught me to be true




She meant me for someone
Exactly like you

Overall Meaning

In the opening stanza of Sarah Vaughan's "Exactly Like You," the singer reveals the transformation she has undergone from a mere dreamer longing for the perfect romantic partner to a person within the throes of a love relationship. The singer confesses that, formerly, she possessed the idealized vision of a sweetheart in her mind, yet that person did not exist in reality. However, she feels content now to have found someone who fits the bill of her perfect partner in love. Her relationship with the person has led to paradise-like experiences that mesh perfectly with all of her desires. As the song progresses, the singer sings in the chorus that she knows why she was patient, waited, and prayed for someone like the person she has found, and it is because no one else exists who recreates the same kind of love that person brings.


The second stanza re-emphasizes this theme, questioning why one must go to the trouble of seeking out experiences of love in shows or media when the person she has found embodies everything she wants. The singer characterizes her partner as making her feel grand to the point wherein she wishes to hand them the world. She admits to concocting wild and foolish schemes, but her lover remains sympathetic and understanding. The song concludes, invoking the singer's mother, who instilled in her the importance of finding someone exactly like the person she has found.


* Sarah Vaughan's "Exactly Like You" was composed by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields and was first performed in the 1930s.
* The song's most famous covers were by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
* Vaughan's recording of the song was released in 1955 as the B-side to "Whatever Lola Wants."
* "Exactly Like You" appears in popular films like "The Cooler" and "Leap Year."
* Vaughan's interpretation of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
* The song was written as part of the musical "Lew Leslie's Blackbirds," which ran in London in 1930.
* Vaughan's version of the song relies on the talents of jazz greats like Roy Haynes (drums), Barney Kessel (guitar), and Joe Comfort (bass).
* The song's lyrics mention mother, a theme which recurs frequently in jazz and pop standards.
* Vaughan's soulful delivery and the song's upbeat tempo contribute to its status as a classic.
* Other artists to have recorded "Exactly Like You" include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and Rosemary Clooney.


Chords (Key of F):
Verse:
F7 E7 A7 Dm7 G7 C7 F7 A7 Dm7 G7


Bridge:
F7 Bb7 D7 Gm7 C7 F7 Bb7 G7 C7


Chorus:
F7 E7 A7 Dm7 G7 C7 F7 A7 Dm7 G7


Line by Line Meaning

I used to have a perfect sweetheart
I used to imagine a perfect partner, but it was only in my dreams.


Not a real one, just a dream
This partner was only a figment of my imagination.


A wonderful vision of us as a team
I pictured us together as an unbeatable team.


Can you imagine how I feel now
It's hard to believe that love is now real and perfect for me.


Love is real now, it's ideal
My dream partner is now a reality and perfect for me.


You're just what I wanted
You are the exact partner I had always dreamt of.


And now it's nice to live
Now that you are present in my life, everything has become pleasant.


Paradise to live
Living with you feels like paradise.


I know why I've waited
There was a purpose behind waiting for you.


Know why I've been blue
The reason I was unhappy was because I had not yet found someone like you.


Prayed each night for someone
I prayed every single night for a perfect partner.


Exactly like you
I asked for someone who was like you in every way possible.


Why should we spend money
We don't need to spend money on love.


On a show or two
We don't have to go out for entertainment.


No one does those love scenes
No one could create the kind of love we share on stage.


Exactly like you
Our love is unique and can't be replicated by anyone else.


You make me feel so grand
Being with you makes me feel amazing.


I want to hand the world to you
You deserve the entire world.


I hope you'll understand
I hope you comprehend the depth of my love for you.


Each foolish little scheme I'm schemin'
Each little plan I'm devising is a result of my love for you.


And dream I'm dreamin'
And every dream I have is about a future with you.


Now I know why mother
Now I understand why my mom always told me to wait for you.


Taught me to be true
She wanted me to be patient and wait for someone who was exactly like you.


She meant me for someone
My mom knew that someone was out there for me.


Exactly like you
And that someone was you – my one true love.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy Mchugh

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Paytona Waddy


on Chelsea Bridge

These are NOT the lyrics to Chelsea Bridge. As far as I know there are no lyrics to Chelsea Bridge. The lyrics here are from “A Foggy Day”, lyricist is Ira Gershwin.

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