How Insensitive
Stacey Kent Lyrics


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How insensitive
I must have seemed
When you told me that you loved me
How unmoved and cold
I must have seemed
When you told me so sincerely
Why you must have asked
Did I just turn and stare in icy silence
What was I to say
What can you say
When a love affair is over

Now you′ve gone away
And I'm alone
With a memory of your last look
Vague and drawn and sad
I see it still
All your heartbreak in that last look
Why, you must have asked
Did I just turn and stare in icy silence
What was I to say




What can you say
When a love affair is over

Overall Meaning

The song How Insensitive by Stacey Kent speaks of a lost love affair and the pain that comes with it. The singer's former love confesses their feelings for them, but the singer reacts with indifference and a cold heart. The singer replays this memory as they navigate the aftermath of the ended relationship. They are now alone with nothing but the memory of the painful, heartbroken look on their former lover's face. The singer is left with no words, no way to console their former lover or to express their own emotions. The song speaks to the helplessness and confusion that can come with the end of a relationship


The lyrics poetically express the pain of heartbreak and lost love, and they are complemented by the musical composition. The song features a melancholic drumbeat and slow, thoughtful guitar strums, which add to the sadness of the lyrics. The music supports and elevates the lyrics, creating further depth to the emotions conveyed throughout the song.


Line by Line Meaning

How insensitive
I must have been thoughtless and insensitive in what I said or did


I must have seemed
I must have appeared a certain way to you


When you told me that you loved me
When you expressed your love for me, I failed to respond appropriately


How unmoved and cold
I must have appeared unaffected and unemotional


I must have seemed
I must have appeared a certain way to you


When you told me so sincerely
When you expressed your love for me with genuine emotion


Why you must have asked
You must have wondered or questioned


Did I just turn and stare in icy silence
Did I simply react with a cold and unfeeling expression


What was I to say
I didn't know what to say or how to respond


What can you say
There are no appropriate words to say or actions to take


When a love affair is over
When a romantic relationship has come to an end


Now you've gone away
You have left and moved on


And I'm alone
I find myself single and without companionship


With a memory of your last look
I have a recollection of the expression on your face when we parted


Vague and drawn and sad
It was unclear, long-lasting, and filled with sorrow


I see it still
I continue to remember it


All your heartbreak in that last look
The expression on your face seemed to show all of the pain and sadness you were feeling


Why, you must have asked
You must have wondered or questioned


Did I just turn and stare in icy silence
Did I simply react with a cold and unfeeling expression


What was I to say
I didn't know what to say or how to respond


What can you say
There are no appropriate words to say or actions to take


When a love affair is over
When a romantic relationship has come to an end




Writer(s): Norman Gimbel, Vinicius De Moraes, Antonio Carlos Jobim

Contributed by Annabelle N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@helen6831

Как бесчувственно…
мне, должно быть, показалось
Когда ты сказал мне, что любишь меня
Как неподвижно и холодно
мне, должно быть, показалось
Когда ты сказал мне так искренне
Почему? Ты, должно быть, спросил
Я только что оглянулась и посмотрела в ледяную тишину
Что я должна была сказать
Что ты можешь сказать
Когда любовный роман закончился
Теперь ты ушел
И я одна
С памятью о твоем последнем взгляде
Неясный, нарисованный и грустный
Я вижу это до сих пор
Все твое горе в этом последнем взгляде
Почему, ты, должно быть, спросил
Я только оглянулась и посмотрела в ледяную тишину
Что я должна была сказать
Что ты можешь сказать
Когда любовный роман закончился…



@arq.ignacioalaniz2772

How insensitive
I must have seemed
When you told me that you loved me
How unmoved and cold
I must have seemed
When you told me so sincerely
Why you must have asked
Did I just turn and stare in icy silence
What was I to say?
What can you say
When a love affair is over?

Now you gone away
And I'm alone
With a memory of his last look
Vague and drawn and sad
I see it still
All your heartbreak in his last look
How you must have asked,
Did I just turn and stare in icy silence
What was I to say?
What can you say
When a love affair is over....



Una belleza de canción-



All comments from YouTube:

@louiseleite3866

Bossa Nova rocks! Brazil's gift to the world ❤

@albionplace1556

Absolutely perfect diction. Many of today's singers should look, listen and learn. Beautiful.

@SuperStratification

My favorite heartbreak song of all time. Full of soul. Beautiful.

@davisworth5114

One of the most beautiful songs ever written, RIP Tom Jobim.

@silviacorrea7644

Certainly, although the lyrics in English are different from the original, in Portuguese. Anyway, both lyrics and songs are very beautiful!

@antonwhelan7592

A truly beautiful natural voice with a nod & sound back to the great jazz singers of old. God bless Stacey & may she long continue.

@randallsundeen3383

To me, Bossa Nova is THE definition of MUSIC!!! Stacey is awesome and the chart is right out of 66! Far Out!

@wolfurystryxx5878

Beautiful women, elegant men in suits drinking whiskey. A 1960ish vibe....makes me nostalgic just looking at this video. Simple but provocative music. All in all, I wish we could somehow reinvent this style and era.

@bobgriffith1810

Wolfury Stryxx
It wasn't just the 60's, lounge jazz, women, suits and booze , lived it for years, traveling man, what a life. Had to give it up around 55

@paxwallacejazz

You call it simple because you aren't hearing the undercurrent of harmonic complexity. It's why you included the word "elegant"

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