It's Only A Paper Moon
Sinatra Lyrics


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It's only a papermoon, s
ailin'over a cardboard sea,
But it wouldn't be make believe,
if you believed in me.

It's only a canvas sky,
hanging over a muslin tree,
But it wouldn't be make believe,
if you believed in me.

Without your love,
it's a honky-tonk parade,
Without your love,
it's a melody played in a penny arcade.

It's a Barnum and Bailey world,
just as phoney as it can be,




But it wouldn't be make believe,
if you believed in me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of It's Only A Paper Moon by Frank Sinatra talks about the idea of make-believe in a world that is perceived to be fake or phoney. The song compares a paper moon, a canvas sky, and a phoney world with honky-tonk parades and penny arcades. Despite the superficiality and contrived nature of these things, they hold a kind of magic when someone believes in them. The singer is essentially saying that life can be whatever you want it to be as long as you have love and a sense of belief in something.


However, the song also recognizes the importance of love in achieving this sense of make-believe. Without love, everything is just a farce, a meaningless show that does not evoke any real emotions or connections. The line "Without your love, it's a honky-tonk parade" emphasizes the need for love in bringing meaning to life. In conclusion, It's Only A Paper Moon is a whimsical and uplifting song that encourages listeners to believe in the impossible and to find meaning in the seemingly fleeting and inconsequential aspects of life.


Line by Line Meaning

It's only a papermoon, sailin' over a cardboard sea,
The things we see may seem like cheap imitations, but they can still take us on amazing journeys if only we have the right perspective.


But it wouldn't be make believe, if you believed in me.
Even if reality seems like a façade, it becomes real once we place our faith in each other.


It's only a canvas sky, hanging over a muslin tree,
The world around us may only be a painted illusion, but it can still be a beautiful thing to behold if we look at it with wonder.


Without your love, it's a honky-tonk parade,
Without the support and care of those around us, our world becomes a loud and raucous commotion – empty and without substance.


Without your love, it's a melody played in a penny arcade.
The sound of our lives without companionship and love is akin to an empty song played mindlessly by machines.


It's a Barnum and Bailey world, just as phoney as it can be,
The world can be a crazy and unjust place, often seeming like a surreal circus – but it's real nonetheless.


But it wouldn't be make believe, if you believed in me.
Once we have someone to believe in, our world becomes more than a blurry sham, and starts to take on true meaning.




Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Rose, E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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