She now resides in Monaco and has recently sold her London apartment. Many of its furnishings were auctioned for charity. Two very popular 'Audiences With Shirley Bassey' have aired on British TV, the most recent being in March 2006.
In 2006, UK retailer Marks and Spencer hired Bassey for their Christmas advertising campaign, with Dame Shirley singing a cover of P!nk's 'Get the Party Started'.
In late 2009 Bassey released 'The Performance' her first studio album for two decades, which was released in a maelstrom of anticipation. Still popular well into one of the longest and most illustrious musical careers in British and indeed international history, Bassey is considered by Brits to be a national treasure.
As I Love You
Shirley Bassey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The people ask me how
How I've lived till now
I tell them I don't know
I guess they understand
How lonely life has been
But life began again
The day you took my hand
And yes, I know
How lonely life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me
And you loved me too
Your thoughts are just for me
You set my spirit free
I'm happy that you do
The book of life is brief
And once a page is read
All but love is there
That is my believe
And yes, I know
How loveless life can be
The shadows follow me
And the night won't set me free
But I don't let the evening get me down
Now that you're around me
And I love you so
The people ask me how
How I've lived till now
I tell them I don't know
The opening lines of Shirley Bassey's "I Wish You Love" expresses a deep sense of love, happiness and fulfillment that she has discovered with her lover. She sings of how she previously did not know how she had lived till now but with her lover's arrival, everything changed. The subsequent lines display the love and commitment shown towards her by her lover, showing how her lover's love for her has set her spirit free, making her a happier person. Shirley then sings about the brevity of life and how love is the only thing that remains after one's journey on earth. Essentially, this track is a love song that communicates the joy of finding love after being lonely and unhappy.
In addition, the song includes themes of loneliness and shadows in the night that follow the singer, which highlights the universal situation of longing for someone to love and the warmth that such love brings. Further, the song also emphasizes how the lover has brought happiness, joy and a sense of purpose back to her lonely life.
Overall, "I Wish You Love" highlights the beauty of love, the importance of human connection, as well as inspiring hope and happiness among listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
And I love you so
I adore you deeply
The people ask me how
Others often wonder how
How I've lived till now
How I managed to survive all this time
I tell them I don't know
I say that I have no answer
I guess they understand
I assume that they comprehend
How lonely life has been
How isolating and sad life used to be
But life began again
But it all changed for the better
The day you took my hand
The day you came into my life and showed me love
And yes, I know
I understand all too well
How lonely life can be
How empty and solitary life can feel
The shadows follow me
Sadness and despair often linger around me
And the night won't set me free
I can't escape those feelings even in the darkness
But I don't let the evening get me down
But I don't let it get the best of me
Now that you're around me
Now that you're in my life
And you loved me too
And you feel the same way about me
Your thoughts are just for me
Your attention and care are devoted specifically to me
You set my spirit free
You liberated me and made me feel alive
I'm happy that you do
I'm grateful for your love and affection
The book of life is brief
Life is short
And once a page is read
And once a chapter of life is over
All but love is there
Only love truly matters in life
That is my believe
That is my conviction
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Mclean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
n00se
I will love you, as I love you, all my life
Every moment spent with you
Makes me more content with you
Just as you are, you are all I could pray for
All that you are, that's what I wake up each day for
[2x:]
Every single touch and tingle I adore
Every kiss from you to me
Always seems so new to me
Each one warmer than the one before
As I love you more and more and more
Richard Scally
What an incredible voice and talent Dame Shirley Bassey possesses. A REAL GENUINE STAR.
optandus
Great track - this is the original hit recording of this song that made number one on the UK hit parade in early 1959, giving 22-year-old Shirley Bassey her first UK chart-topper!
If I remember correctly her other single "Kiss Me Honey" was also still at number three on the same chart the week that "As I Love You" hit number one!
Derek Sharples
Brilliant and what a fantastic voice
anosjk
@KT But you forgot the other side of "Kiss me honey", also a big, big, hit as far as I came to know - "There's never been a night", both with maestro Wally Stott and a stupendous choir.
KT
Yes. I have a friend who's celebrating her 60th birthday on 7th Mar 2019 - this song was at the top of the charts on the day she was born. And yes, you remember correctly, Shirley Bassey was also at number 5 with 'Kiss Me Honey Honey' at the same time.
I do some gigs in a local bar and usually perform an Alan Freeman style 'Pick of the Pops' chart countdown for special birthdays. Each chart countdown presents its own challenges as you have to get the timing right to coincide with the music Alan freemen used for his countdowns - 'At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbal'. This particular countdown (I'm still rehearsing it) is proving especially tricky - d'you know how long it takes to say 'Does your chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost overnight'?...
Joe Bloggins
Yes, This is Shirley Bassey's original 1959 recording of the song, though other artists such as Jo Stafford had recorded it before her.
1billwill
What a voice brilliant.
Clifford Dalton
This was released the same time as my first love :) memorable to say the least.
Time is amazing isn't it! memories come back instantly, even if what happens was 50/60 years ago! A smell, a sound etc can do this instantly.
Rudehamster
We've got the sound, Cliff, but I have to say, must've got pretty close to her for that smell. So what is it that brings it back? Chanel No 5 and carbolic soap? Or someone's sweaty feet and halitosis?
Incidentally, was your first love released from prison or back to the wild? Inquiring minds demand answers, y'know. 😂
Sorry, I really couldn't resist either of those.
Love and hugs, Andrew xxx
geminiwednesday16
My mother loved this wonderful singer and it carried on for me........such an amazing woman in every sense of the word. I love her songs and find her to be such an inspiration. Glamour,voice and independence. Only human,she has had her problems throughout life but has remained an absolute star.