Serenade
Webster Booth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Serenade in the night 'neath a fair lady's window
Just the same serenade that I tenderly played on a night long ago
There were stars in the sky and I sang 'neath the roses
But she gave not a sign that she'd ever be mine and my love story closes
Oh! why must the south wind be bringing it?
Oh! why must my heart keep on singing it?
Serenade in the night from the past comes to haunt me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Webster Booth's song Serenade depict a man lamenting over lost love as he sings a serenade underneath his fair lady's window. The scene is set as the man sings the same serenade that he had played on a previous night, reminiscing the stars in the sky and the roses he stood beneath. Despite his tender display of affection and song, she never reciprocated his love and the story ends with a sense of closure. The man's heart is heavy as he questions why the winds of the south keep bringing to him memories of the past and why he can't stop singing this desolate melody.

The lyrics of Serenade are poignant and emotive, encapsulating the pain and sorrow of unrequited love. The imagery of a serenade in the night represents a romantic gesture and serves to heighten the emotions in the song. The singer's inability to move on from lost love is relatable and the haunting quality of the lyrics make it both memorable and sad. These lyrics are a testament to Webster Booth's lyrical prowess and his ability to evoke strong feelings through his music.

Line by Line Meaning

Serenade in the night 'neath a fair lady's window
I played a serenade outside the window of a beautiful lady in the night

Just the same serenade that I tenderly played on a night long ago
It was the same serenade that I played with love and care on a night long gone

There were stars in the sky and I sang 'neath the roses
I sang under the roses while the stars shone bright in the sky

But she gave not a sign that she'd ever be mine and my love story closes
Even though I sang with all my heart, she did not show any interest and my love story ended then and there

Oh! why must the south wind be bringing it?
Why must the wind from the south bring back these memories?

Oh! why must my heart keep on singing it?
Why must my heart keep singing this serenade, reminding me of my unrequited love?

Serenade in the night from the past comes to haunt me
This serenade from the past comes back to haunt me every night

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bixio Cherubini, Cesare Bixio

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

Panachord

11y↑1

I'm used to hearing this as an instrumental number, but it is a beautiful song and beautifully sung.

fpngan

11y↑1

This is great! Though I must say, Eileen Farrell Is great singing this as well

duettists

11y↑1

I'm delighted that you have enjoyed some of Webster Booth's recordings on YouTube. I can only agree with you!

duettists

14y↑1

@saltburner2 Now that you mention it, I see that in 1948 he also recorded "Break of Day", "Wayside Rose", and "My Heart and I", all closely associated with Richard Tauber. I know he had no say in what he recorded but was given a selection of songs to record on particular recording dates. I can only think that the powers-that-be at HMV decided he should record these songs because Tauber had recently died.