Willow Weep For Me
Sinatra Lyrics
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Willow weep for me
Bend your branches green along the stream that runs to sea
Listen to my plea
Hear me willow and weep for me
Gone my lovers dream
Lovely summer dream
Sad as I can be
Hear me willow and weep for me
Whisper to the wind and say that love has sinned
Leave my heart a-breaking, and making a moan
Murmur to the night to hide its starry light
So none will see me sighing and crying all alone
Weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me
When the shadows fall, bend oh willow and weep for me
Oh, weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me
When the shadows fall, bend oh willow and weep for me
The song "Willow Weep for Me" is a classic American standard written by Ann Ronell in the 1930s. It has been covered by countless artists but is perhaps best known for the rendition by Frank Sinatra in his 1958 album "Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely."
The song is a somber ballad about heartbreak and the natural world serving as the lamenting narrator's only comfort. The first verse addresses a willow tree, asking it to "weep" in sympaty for the singer's sadness. The second verse explains that the singer's lover has left, leaving only tears to be cried into the nearby stream. The third verse implores the wind to carry the message of the singer's heartbreak while the fourth verse further describes the natural world hiding the singer's despair. The final two verses reprise the opening verse, asking the willow to once again weep for the singer, this time to cover them in grief.
The song is notable for its use of personification, anthropomorphising the natural world to provide solace and understanding for the singer's heartbreak. The willow tree and the wind become characters with whom the singer can communicate, making "Willow Weep for Me" a poignant and memorable piece of songwriting.
Line by Line Meaning
Willow weep for me
The singer asks the willow tree to weep in recognition of their sorrow.
Bend your branches green along the stream that runs to sea
The singer asks the willow tree to physically bend and sway its branches in the direction of the nearby stream.
Listen to my plea
The singer begs for the willow tree to hear and understand their emotional plea.
Gone my lovers dream
The artist laments the loss of a past love who they once shared a dream with.
Lovely summer dream
The dream that the artist shared with their past lover took place in the summertime.
Gone and left me here to weep my tears into the stream
The past lover is gone, leaving the singer to mourn alone by the nearby stream.
Sad as I can be
The singer expresses the depth of their sadness and sorrow after being abandoned by their lover.
Whisper to the wind and say that love has sinned
The artist asks the willow tree to communicate to the wind that love has wronged them.
Leave my heart a-breaking, and making a moan
The artist describes the pain and heartbreak they are feeling as a result of their lost love.
Murmur to the night to hide its starry light
The artist asks the willow tree to speak quietly to the night sky and conceal its brightness so that no one can see them crying alone.
So none will see me sighing and crying all alone
The singer wishes to hide their emotions and cry alone, without being seen by anyone else.
Weeping willow tree
The artist addresses the willow tree again, this time specifically referring to it as a 'weeping' willow tree in recognition of its mournful appearance.
Weep in sympathy
The singer requests that the willow tree weep alongside them in a show of deep sympathy.
Bend your branches down along the ground and cover me
The singer asks the willow tree to further physically envelop them by bending its branches down to cover them.
When the shadows fall, bend oh willow and weep for me
The singer asks the willow tree to continue weeping for them even as darkness falls and shadows envelop the area.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ann Ronell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind