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.
If You Love Me Hymn To Love
Shirley Bassey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she told me that she loved me
How unmoved and cold I must have seemed
When she told me so sincerely
Why, she must have asked, did I just turn
And stare in icy silence?
What was I to say? What can you say
Now she's gone away and I'm alone
With the memory of her last look
Vague and drawn and sad, I see it still
All her heartbreak in that last look
How, she must have asked, could I just turn
And stare in icy silence?
What was I to do? What can one do
When a love affair is over?
Shirley Bassey's song If You Love Me is a powerful and emotional portrayal of a love affair that has come to an end. In the first verse, Bassey acknowledges how insensitive and unfeeling she must have appeared to her former lover when they confessed their love to her. She reflects on how unresponsive she was and how she failed to reciprocate the deep and sincere emotions that were shared. The second verse finds her grappling with the aftermath of the relationship's demise. With her lover gone, she is left with only the memory of their last look together, which was heartbreaking, vague, and sad.
One of the most poignant themes of this song is the pain and difficulty that comes with the end of a romantic relationship. Through her lyrics, Bassey captures the complex emotions and thoughts that haunt us after a relationship has ended. She conveys how challenging it is to communicate those emotions to our partners and how hard it is to process them ourselves. Despite the sadness and despair that this song evokes, it still manages to capture a sense of hope and resilience, even in the face of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
How insensitive I must have seemed
I appeared heartless and unfeeling
When she told me that she loved me
When she professed her love to me
How unmoved and cold I must have seemed
I showed no emotions and appeared aloof
When she told me so sincerely
When she expressed her sincere feelings to me
Why, she must have asked, did I just turn
She wondered why I just turned away
And stare in icy silence?
And remained quiet with a cold expression?
What was I to say? What can you say
I didn't know what to say or how to respond
When a love affair is over?
When a romantic relationship has ended
Now she's gone away and I'm alone
She left me and I am alone
With the memory of her last look
With the image of her final expression
Vague and drawn and sad, I see it still
Blurry, weary, and sorrowful, I still see it
All her heartbreak in that last look
I saw all of her heartbreak in that final expression
How, she must have asked, could I just turn
She must have wondered how I could turn away
And stare in icy silence?
And look at her with a cold and distant expression?
What was I to do? What can one do
I didn't know what to do or how to act
When a love affair is over?
When a romantic relationship has come to an end
Lyrics © RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Marguerite Monnot, Geoffrey Parsons, Edith Piaf
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind