MEMORY
Starlite Orchestra and Choir Lyrics
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And a rose that is fading
Roses whither away like the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day
Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every street lamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in when the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
The street lamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun if you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is
Look
A new day has begun
The song entitled "Memory" by Starlite Orchestra and Choir is an emotionally charged ballad that explores longing, melancholy, and reminiscence. The first verse paints a picture of a new day with the dew on the sunflower and a rose that's already beginning to fade, mirroring the ephemeral and fleeting nature of beauty and happiness. The chorus repeats the titular phrase, emphasizing how the singer revels in their past memories in the moonlight, recalling a time when they were "beautiful" and "knew what happiness was." But as the song progresses, it becomes apparent that the memory is all that the singer has left, and they fear that the ephemeral nature of life's joys will, in the end, leave them alone with nothing. Moreover, the second verse adds to this feeling of lost hope as the moon is personified, smiling alone in the dead of night while the leaves wither beneath her gaze. The song ends with a glimmer of hope, however, as the singer pleads for someone to touch them, someone who can understand what happiness truly is, as a new day begins.
Overall, "Memory" is a work of art that speaks to anyone who has felt the burden of nostalgia's weight. The song expertly calls forth the wistful remembrance of past joys, but it also speaks to the inevitable fleetingness of life in general.
Line by Line Meaning
Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower
As daytime arrives, notice the dew resting on the petals of a sunflower
And a rose that is fading
Also observe a wilting rose
Roses whither away like the sunflower
The rose and sunflower are similar in that they both wither and fade away
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I long to face a new day and its possibilities
I am waiting for the day
I am anticipating the arrival of something better
Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
At midnight, the city streets are silent and peaceful
Has the moon lost her memory?
Does the moon forget the night before?
She is smiling alone in the lamplight
In solitude, the moon gently glows with a smile in the faint light
The withered leaves collect at my feet
Fallen leaves have gathered around me, dried and dead
And the wind begins to moan
The wind lets out a low, sorrowful sound
Memory, all alone in the moonlight
In the moon's brilliance, I am recalling a memory
I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then
I can look back and smile, remembering a time when I was at my best
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
I recall when I was truly happy
Let the memory live again
Allow the memory to be relived in my mind
Every street lamp
All of the streetlights
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Each one seems to give off a bleak sense of impending doom
Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters
A muffled voice and a flickering light from a streetlight
And soon it will be morning
Morning will arrive shortly
Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must wait for the sun to appear
I must think of a new life
I need to consider a different way of living
And I mustn't give in when the dawn comes
I cannot surrender when the new day arrives
Tonight will be a memory too
Tonight will become a memory eventually as well
And a new day will begin
Then a new day will get started
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The remains of smoky, hazy days
The stale cold smell of morning
The unpleasant, cold scent of the start of day
The street lamp dies, another night is over
The streetlight fades out, signaling that another night has passed
Another day is dawning
However, a new day is starting again
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
Hold me, it would be so simple for you to run away
All alone with the memory
I would be by myself with just the memory, if that happened
Of my days in the sun if you touch me
If you touch me, I will remember when I was happy
You'll understand what happiness is
You will get an understanding of what happiness really is
Look
Notice
A new day has begun
A new day has started
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Trevor Nunn, T.S. Eliot, Zdenek Hruby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind