Willow Weep For Me
Stan Kenton & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Willow weep for me
Bend your branches down
Along the ground and cover me
Listen to my plea
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Lovely summer dreams
Gone and left me here
To weep my tears along the stream
Sad as I can be
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Whisper to the wind
And say that love has sinned
To leave my heart a sign
And crying alone
Murmur to the night
And hide her starry light
So none will find me sighing
Crying all alone
Weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down
Along the ground and cover me
Listen to me plea
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Whisper to the wind
And say that love has sinned
To leave my heart a sign
And crying alone
Murmur to the night
And hide her starry light
So none will find me sighing
Crying all alone
Weeping willow tree
Weep in sympathy
Bend your branches down
Along the ground and cover me
Listen to my plea
Hear me willow and
Weep for me
Willow
Willow
Weep for me
The song "Willow Weep for Me" sung by Billie Holiday, was composed in 1932 by the American composer Anne Ronnell, and it was first recorded by Shep Fields's Orchestra during the same year. However, it became more famous when singer Ted Fio Rito recorded it that same year. Stan Kenton and his Orchestra released their version of the song in 1941, with Anne's original lyrics having some slight alterations.
The song portrays a mournful ballad about lost love and the empty feeling that accompanies it. The opening verse sets the stage for the rest of the song. The singer is requesting the willow tree to offer comfort, to listen to her plea and weep for her, as she mourns her lost dreams and love. The chorus cues the tree to weep for her while she sobs silently, standing all alone in the night, implying the singer's loneliness and her need for solace. She pleads with the tree, hoping that it can relate to her as she has lost her love, and now she can only weep.
The lyrics develop the atmosphere of the song, conveying a sense of separation, abandonment, and despair. The images of the willow tree, whispering wind, and the night emphasize the isolation and abandonment of the singer. These images are the perfect metaphor for her sadness and longing for a lost love, which only the willow tree can offer consolation. In conclusion, this song portrays the universal sadness of lost love and the unquenchable feeling of despair that accompanies it.
Line by Line Meaning
Willow weep for me,
Oh willow tree, I'm so sad and I need your comfort. Please weep for me.
Willow weep for me
Once more, willow tree, please weep for me because I'm still feeling so low.
Bend your branches down
Oh willow tree, please stoop down and offer me some shade, I need a place to hide myself.
Along the ground and cover me
Hide me under your branches so that nothing can see me.
Listen to my plea
Oh willow tree, please listen closely to my sadness and desperation.
Hear me willow and
Willow tree, please hear my sorrow and grief.
Weep for me
Join me in my sadness and weep with me, willow tree.
Gone my lovely dreams
My beautiful dreams and hopes have all vanished, leaving me alone.
Lovely summer dreams
My dreams of a wonderful summer have disappeared, leaving me with emptiness in my heart.
Gone and left me here
My dreams have left me behind in this world all by myself.
To weep my tears along the stream
My tears keep flowing, just like water in a stream, because of how sad and pained I am.
Sad as I can be
I am so very sad, willow tree, as sad as one can imagine.
Whisper to the wind
Please help me transmit my message of love to the wind, dear willow tree.
And say that love has sinned
Through the wind, tell everyone that love has betrayed me.
To leave my heart a sign
Love has caused my heart to give up and abandon me.
And crying alone
Now love has left me, and I am forced to shed tears all by myself.
Murmur to the night
Please hide my misery from the darkness of the night, dear willow tree.
And hide her starry light
Your whispers should hide the stars' light so that my sadness will go undetected under the veil of darkness.
So none will find me sighing
I don't want anyone to know I am unhappy and crying.
Crying all alone
I'm shedding tears with nobody around to offer me support or companionship.
Weeping willow tree
Again, I plead with you. Please, my friend, weep with me, willow tree.
Weep in sympathy
Allow your tears to flow with mine, dear willow tree, to show that you understand my pain.
Willow
All I need is for you to weep with me, my dear willow tree.
Willow
Yes, I'm asking again, Willow, my faithful companion, please weep with me.
Weep for me
Just one more time, weep with me, willow tree.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ann Ronell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind