The Day I Met Marie
The Shadows Lyrics


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Imagine a still summer's day
When nothing is moving
Least of all me
I lay on my back in the hay
The warm sun was soothing
It made me feel good
The day I met Marie
The sound of her whispered hello
Came tiptoeing softly into my head
I opened my eyes kind of slow
There she was smiling
It made me feel good
The day I met Marie

With her laughing eyes
She tossed her hair and tantalized
She came, she touched me, then she'd gone
Just like a summer breeze

I remember her kiss
So soft on my brow
And the way that she said
Baby go to sleep now
Baby go to sleep now

I woke with a chill in the air
The warm sun no longer hung in the sky
I reached out but she was not there
She'd gone where she came from
But I still feel good
To think I've known Marie

With her laughing eyes
She tossed her hair and tantalized




She came, she touched me, then she'd gone
Just like a summer breeze

Overall Meaning

The Shadows’ song The Day I Met Marie tells the story of a young man reminiscing on a day where he met a woman named Marie. The opening stanza sets the scene of a still summer day as the singer lies in the hay, doing nothing but enjoying the warmth of the sun. It is evocative of the lethargy and contentment of youth in the summertime. However, nothing much was happening until Marie came along. The sound of her whispered greeting was like music to his ears, and the image of her smiling immediately made him feel good. Everything about her seems to be entrancing and soothing. The mention of her "laughing eyes" that are "tantalizing" and "her hair tossing" suggest that she was a free spirit and exuded happiness.


As the song progresses, the singer recalls the delicate moment of their encounter - Marie's whispered hello, how she smiled at him - and it still brings him joy to think about it. He even remembers the way she left the hay fields, as lightly as a summer breeze. The song almost feels like a dream or a memory of a dream, and the chorus emphasizes the lightness and ephemeral nature of this encounter. The lyrics are full of longing and a sense of lost innocence, describing how Marie's kiss felt soft on his brow and how she told him to go to sleep, something a mother would tell her child. To him, Marie was pure and good - a highlight in an otherwise mundane summer day.


Overall, The Day I Met Marie is a nostalgic ode to youth and the blurry line between fantasy and reality. The singer has entered a timeless memory of a summer's day where he met a woman who made him feel good; even though she disappeared as quickly as she appeared, he has the memory of her to hold onto. The song's light melody and the breezy tone encapsulate the wistful feelings of the summer and the idea of fleeting encounters.


Line by Line Meaning

Imagine a still summer's day
Picture a day in summer where nothing is happening


When nothing is moving
There's no movement or activity around the environment


Least of all me
And I am the least active of all


I lay on my back in the hay
I'm lying leisurely on a stack of hay


The warm sun was soothing
The sun's warmth was so comforting


It made me feel good
It uplifted my spirits


The day I met Marie
This was the day when I first met Marie


The sound of her whispered hello
I heard her soft greeting just above a whisper


Came tiptoeing softly into my head
It gently entered my mind


I opened my eyes kind of slow
I gradually opened my eyes


There she was smiling
She was right in front of me and she was happy


It made me feel good
Seeing her smiling face uplifted me


With her laughing eyes
Her eyes seemed to be smiling and glistening


She tossed her hair and tantalized
She flicked her hair in a playful manner


She came, she touched me, then she'd gone
She approached me briefly, made contact, then left quickly


Just like a summer breeze
Similar to how a gentle wind passes by in summer


I remember her kiss
I recall her tender kiss


So soft on my brow
It was gentle and light on my forehead


And the way that she said
I also remember how she spoke the following words


Baby go to sleep now
She told me to go to sleep as she stroked my hair


I woke with a chill in the air
When I woke up, there was a cold breeze blowing


The warm sun no longer hung in the sky
The sun had already disappeared from the sky


I reached out but she was not there
I extended my hand to find her, but she was already gone


She'd gone where she came from
She returned to where she had initially come from


But I still feel good
Despite her departure, I still feel good and elated


To think I've known Marie
I am happy to have met Marie




Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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