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.
Secret Love
Shirley Bassey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That lived within the heart of me
All too soon my secret love,
Became impatient to be free
So I told a friendly star,
The way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are,
Now, I shout it from the highest hills
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my hearts an open door,
And my secret love's
No secret anymore.
The lyrics of Shirley Bassey's song "Secret Love" tell a story of a hidden love that yearns to be revealed. The opening line, "Once I had a secret love, that lived within the heart of me" implies a deep, unspoken affection. The singer feels compelled to keep her love hidden, but eventually, she becomes tired of suppressing her true emotions. "All too soon my secret love became impatient to be free," suggests that the singer can no longer contain her feelings.
In the second stanza, the singer confides in a "friendly star" and shares her love for her beloved. This act of confiding in the star, "the way that dreamers often do," implies that the singer has been dreaming of revealing her love for some time now. She describes her beloved as "wonderful," and explains why she is so in love with them.
The final stanza is a proclamation of love that has been set free. "Now I shout it from the highest hills," suggests that the singer is no longer limited by her fear of expressing her love. She has reached a point where she is comfortable revealing her true feelings to the world. The act of telling the "golden daffodils" further emphasizes her newfound confidence, as she declares that her heart is now an open door, and her "secret love's no secret anymore."
Line by Line Meaning
Once I had a secret love,
At one point in my life, I privately loved someone deeply and kept those feelings to myself.
That lived within the heart of me
My love for this person was hidden within my own heart and thoughts.
All too soon my secret love,
However, it didn't take long for me to want to express those feelings outwardly.
Became impatient to be free
My love felt like it was bursting at the seams, and I felt its hold on me become unbearable.
So I told a friendly star,
In this moment of desperation, I confided in something beyond human, hoping for comfort or guidance.
The way that dreamers often do
I expressed my love like hopeless romantics do, holding nothing back.
Just how wonderful you are,
I described to this outside entity the beauty and goodness of the person I loved.
And why I'm so in love with you
I shared with this entity the reasons why I was so deeply and passionately in love with this person.
Now, I shout it from the highest hills
After having confided, I now want the world to know how much I love this person with all my heart, and I'm not afraid to express this love.
Even told the golden daffodils
I've openly shared my love with everything around me, even nature.
At last my hearts an open door,
My heart is no longer inhibited by secrecy, but instead, I'm free to express my love with an open heart.
And my secret love's
I no longer harbor any secret love
No secret anymore.
I'm not keeping my love concealed anymore, and instead, it's out in the open for all to see.
Lyrics © Tratore, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Francis Webster, Sammy Fain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fred koltz
Thank you, Shirley. . . She was special beyond words. . . I bought this record BEFORE I had a record player. Your "Goldfinger" continues to be one of my very favorites...!
Ben
WHAT CAN I SAY Doris Day WAS MY FAVORITE AND WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART MAY SHE REST IN PEACE
Paul S
So synonymous with Doris Day that it doesn't 'sit' easily on the ear when it is sung by another voice and as big a fan of DSB as I am, this song belongs to Doris just as Goldfinger belongs to Shirley. That said, I really enjoy hearing DSB sing it.
howard gee
What a wonderful video tribute to my favorite singer/actress Doris Day. I never heard Shirley Bassey's "Secret Love," but I have many of her cds. I've always been a fan, and have seen her many times in concert.
Shirley Bassey Music and Vids
Thank you Howard for your wonderful comments! As you can probably tell, I'm a huge fan of Doris Day, and all of her work from music, to film, to TV, etc etc etc. Although these two ladies are not similar in their vocal styles, I for one think they are both excellent and have both achieved the pinnacle of their profession.
Paul Billinge
A GREAT SINGER SINGING ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREAT SONGS.
PAUL.
Ben
THANKS SHIRLEY FOR TRIBUTE TO DORIS DAY I HEARD YOU WERE A BIG FAN OF HERS WAY BACK WHEN HA ! HA! BY THE WAY I LOVED YOU TOO XXXXX
Ania
Doris Day ♥♥♥♥❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Alex Beggs
Love Shirley but no one does this song like Doris Day! Shirley was an hon member of a 1980s UK fan club for Miss Day that I was a member of- along with Rosemary Clooney.
Shirley Bassey Music and Vids
Of course this will always be Doris Day's song, and this clip was never meant to intend anything different. I'm a fan of both Ms. Shirley Bassey and Ms. Doris Day, and I respect both for reaching the top of their profession. I also enjoy and respect the differences on how each artist approached this song.