Marie
Tommy Dorsey And His Orchestra With Frank Sinatra Lyrics

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Marie (oh, Marie), the dawn is breaking
Marie, you'll soon be waking (girl of my dreams, I want you)
To find our heart's are aching (have a little faith in me, la-la-la-la)
And tears will fall as you recall (tears will fall again)
The moon in all its splendor (on a night like this, we go bettin' in the park)
Your kiss, so very tender (all the way my kiss, darlin')
The words, "Will you surrender
To me, Marie?"

(Livin' in a great big way, mama)

Overall Meaning

The song "Marie" by Tommy Dorsey v/Jack Leonard is a tender and nostalgic piece, lamenting lost love and the pain that comes with it. The song begins with the singer calling out to Marie, telling her that dawn is breaking and she'll soon be waking up to find her heart aching and tears falling, as she recalls the moon in all its splendor and a kiss so tender that it felt like a surrender. The singer then asks Marie if she will surrender to him once again.

The lyrics reflect a moment of longing and regret, as the singer remembers the beauty of the past and wishes he could capture it again. The use of the name Marie helps to personify the lost love and make it more tangible to the listener, painting a picture of a woman who was once deeply loved and cherished.

Overall, the song "Marie" is a poignant representation of heartbreak and the powerful emotions that can come with lost love.

Line by Line Meaning

Marie, Marie, Marie
The song's title, Marie, is repeated three times at the beginning to address the person being sung to.

Marie, the dawn is breaking
This line indicates that the night has passed and morning has come.

Marie, (ooh, Marie) you'll soon be waking
This line informs Marie that she will be waking up soon, and the 'ooh, Marie' is a term of endearment.

To find your heart is aching
Upon waking up, Marie will realize that her heart is hurting for some reason.

And tears (and tears) will fall (will fall), as you recall
As she remembers the memories of the past, Marie will begin to cry, and this will happen repeatedly ('and tears...will fall...').

The moon in all its splendor
The beauty of the moon will be remembered by Marie.

A kiss, (ooh, a kiss) so very tender
Marie will remember a kiss she shared with someone, and the 'ooh, a kiss' indicates that it was a meaningful moment.

The words, "Will you surrender to me, (Marie), Marie?"
The person who kissed Marie will ask her to surrender herself (physically or emotionally) to him/her, and repeats her name to emphasize the importance of the question.

Marie, (Marie) you'll soon be waking
This line is a repetition of an earlier line and is a reminder that Marie will soon wake up.

To find your heart is aching
This line is also a repetition from an earlier line and emphasizes the fact that Marie's heart is hurting.

And tears (and tears) will fall (will fall), as you recall
Another repetition from earlier, this line again emphasizes that Marie will cry as she remembers the memories of the past.

The moon in all its splendor
Another repetition from earlier, this line serves as a reminder that the beautiful moon will be remembered by Marie.

A kiss, (ooh, a kiss) so very tender
Yet another repetition from earlier, this line emphasizes that Marie will remember a meaningful kiss.

The words, "Will you surrender to me, (Marie), Marie?"
Another repetition from earlier, possibly to emphasize the importance of the question or the kiss.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@incidious13

5y↑14

Timeless classic. Tommy, Jimmy, Glen Miller, Benny Goodman... Stuff I listened to in my youth. From a golden era of radio, never to be duplicated again. Excellent share.

@nancymitchell2696

2y↑1

Glenn.

@incidious13

@Nancy Mitchell thanks for the correction... I just noticed that myself:)

@Pheebs77

7y↑28

I'd kill for a time machine to go back and see him sing with Dorsey........

@petertaylor3600

2y↑2

I just want a time machine to go anywhere. But not so much in wartime, however. Not so good, then. What about late Thirties when he was just coming up?

@renatonunes2550

3y↑2

Love the Big Band Era music. The combination Tommy Dorsey + Sinatra makes the song unforgettable.

@sidv192

3y↑2

Sinatra at his very best, he learned his vocal phrasing watching how Tommy Dorsey never seemed to draw a breath.

@ddkoda

8y↑6

First rate arrangement, Tommy's great introduction, split second timing, Frank's superb voice. I thought Bunny Berigan might have been on this broadcast but the trumpet solo doesn't seem to have his signature sound and Bunny may have still had his own band at this point in time. This radio version seems to have a faster tempo than the released version with Jack Leonard or Frank.

@CRtrain

8y↑6

My grandfather turned me onto this great music when I was little. I believe that's Ziggy Elman on trumpet.

@ddkoda

I agree. The trumpet solo really does sound like Ziggy's style.

@SheridanJazz

7y↑1

Yep, it's Ziggy all right!

@djangorheinhardt

7y↑1

I was about to say,do you think the lead trumpet was Ziggy Elman but then i read the 3 replies ., all spot on ! lol.

@petertaylor3600

5y↑1

The Berigan might have been with the original recording of 1937. This is 1940 w ith possibly other players. I think you're right, it does seem to have a faster tempo.

3 More Replies...

@mariadiva9074

5y↑2

💕🌷😘🎶Olha só meu 💕Sinatra cantava e encantava 🎶💕

@jamessoriano9488

3y↑4

Never released as a record. A live radio broadcast is what we have and fortunate we are to have it.

@bryanismyname7583

Yes, it's included in the 5-disc set of "Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey: The Song is You"

@feponcio

In the 1970s, I grew up listening to this exact recording of Marie on a 2 LP album with the title, "I'll See You In My Dreams", by "Tommy Dorsey And His Orchestra With Vocals By Frank Sinatra".

@gabrielcoronado6395

4y↑3

The very first audition that Frank did for Dorsey, was with this song.

@Blassieboy

7y↑15

My Uncle was in this band Hymie Schertzer. Great upload thanks

@solepropt

Wow cool. Did he talk to you about playing with all those greats ? Did you take up music?

@waynecolburn8849

6y↑3

my grandfather played with him bunny berigan.

@denizbluemusic

6y↑1

Wayne Colburn BUNNY BERIGAN ? Holy Shit Is he your grandfather ?

@waynecolburn8849

6y↑2

@bstrz04 yes he was my mother's Father. So I don't have his last name. I never meant him but I knew my grandmother Donna Berigan.

@waynecolburn8849

6y↑2

@chaz d'spaz Hi chat I never knew him but my Mom told me many things about him . I did play the trumpet for three years when I was about 12 to 15. Did not stay with it. But later I regretted not playing. Not bragging but I use to play alright for a young teenager. Thanks

2 More Replies...

@SuperAlexluciano

11y↑3

the best sinatra

@EricJamesHanson

7y↑6

Definitely Ziggy doing the fabulous trumpet solo.

@edby263

“More than once Dorsey shouted a dismissal, then retracted it. Finally, on August 20, the musical association between the volatile leader and the inspirational trumpeter came to an end. Dorsey fired Bunny; Bunny quit. Following some frantic behind-the-scenes machinations, Ziggy Elman, a powerhouse trumpeter from the Benny Goodman band, took Berigan's chair with Dorsey. The "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" and the "Miracle Man of Swing" swung their separate ways.” (Bunny Berigan: Elusive Legend of Jazz, p.227)

Depends when this was recorded.

@rockyspotsranch

8y↑2

The first heart throb!

@bpabustan

5y↑2

I was told the first rock star of the 20th Century was Enrico Caruso then Frank Sinatra.

@petertaylor3600

5y↑2

No, there were others before. In the 20s there was Godelpus…..Rudi Vallee and his megaphone, Russ Colombo and not the least, Bing Crosby. All major heartthrobs. In the UK was Al Bowlly.

@nancymitchell2696

@Peter Taylor Rudy.

@bryanismyname7583

There were other heartthrobs, but the Sinatra craze of the early forties was huge in a way that hadn't been seen before. It was like the later successes of Elvis, or The Beatles was. Benny Goodman famously was shocked by the reaction after he introduced Sinatra at the Paramount.

@MrJaycasey

5y↑2

Tommy and Jimmy from a little town in Pa. . Boy you never know . That's what makes I so great .

@bryanismyname7583

Their parents were musically inclined and taught the boys to play multiple instruments. The two bandleaders played themselves, terribly, in the biopic "The Fabulous Dorseys" in 1947. Of course, the music made that movie worth seeing despite the fact that neither brother could act. And they later re-united for a television show in the mid-fifties.

@nancymitchell2696

2y↑2

The backup singers are too loud. They drown out Frank's vocalizing.

@bryanismyname7583

This was the format for the Sinatra-Dorsey numbers. The chorus, usually the Pied Pipers, would sing counterpoint to Sinatra in a call-answer type back and forth. Very popular back then.