Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, (born January 8, 1937), is a Welsh singer, pe… Read Full Bio ↴Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, (born January 8, 1937), is a Welsh singer, perhaps best-known for performing the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979). She is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond theme song.

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.

I Wish You Love
Shirley Bassey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And I love you so
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

Overall Meaning

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