The Man I Love
Sarah Vaughan & Lester Young Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Someday he'll come along
The man I love
And he'll be big and strong
The man I love
And when he comes my way
I'll do my best to make him stay

He'll look at me and smile

I'll understand
Then in a little while
He'll take my hand
And though it seems absurd
I know we both won't say a word

Maybe I shall meet him Sunday
Maybe Monday, maybe not
Still I'm sure to meet him one day
Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day
He'll build a little home
That's meant for two
From which I'll never roam
Who would, would you

And so all else above
I'm dreaming of the man I love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sarah Vaughan and Lester Young's song "The Man I Love" convey the hope and longing for a love at first sight encounter with "the man I love." The lyrics paint a picture of the perfect man, who will come along "someday" and be "big and strong." The singer will do her best to make this perfect man stay by her side when he comes her way. She dreams of this man looking at her and smiling, which will bring understanding between them. With a simple gesture, he will take her hand, and they will not need to say any words to know what they feel for each other.

The singer acknowledges that it seems absurd, but she knows that they both won't say a word when they meet. She imagines future possibilities; she might see him on Sunday, Monday, or any other day, and maybe Tuesday will be her lucky day. The woman is dreaming of building a little home that will be just meant for two, where she will never want to leave. In the end, the singer tells us that above all else, she is dreaming of "the man I love."

The lyrics of the song capture the essence of hope and anticipation one feels when waiting for the perfect partner. It speaks of a simple yet profound emotion of falling in love with someone you have yet to meet. The lyrics convey the hope of finding that perfect person who will complete you, and who will love you unconditionally.

Line by Line Meaning

Someday he'll come along
At some point in the future, a man will appear in my life

The man I love
This man will be the one I love

And he'll be big and strong
This man will be physically large and powerful

And when he comes my way
When I encounter this man

I'll do my best to make him stay
I will put forth effort to keep him in my life

He'll look at me and smile
He will gaze at me and convey joy through his expression

I'll understand
I will comprehend the meaning behind his smile

And in a little while
After a brief passage of time

He'll take my hand
He will grasp my hand

And though it seems absurd
Despite the idea appearing ridiculous

I know we both won't say a word
Neither of us will speak