Before The Parade Passes By
hello dolly! Lyrics


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Before the parade passes by
Before it goes on, and only I'm left
Before the parade passes by
I've gotta get in step while there's still time left

I'm ready to move out in front
Life without life has no reason or rhyme left
With the rest of them, with the best of them

I wanna hold my head up high
I need a goal again, I need a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
Before the parade passes by

Before the parade passes by
I've gotta go and taste Saturday's high life
Before the parade passes by
I've gotta get some life back into my life

I'm ready to move out in front
I've had enough of just passing by life
With the rest of them, with the best of them

I can hold my head up high
For I've got a goal again, I've got a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
Before the parade passes by

When the parade passes by
Listen and hear that brass harmony growing
When the parade passes by

Pardon me if my old spirit is showing
All of those lights over there
Seem to be telling me where I'm going

When the whistles blow
And the cymbals crash
And the sparklers light the sky
I'm gonna raise the roof

I'm gonna carry on
Give me an old trombone




Give me an old baton
Before the parade passes by

Overall Meaning

In "Before the Parade Passes By," the character of Dolly Levi expresses her determination to re-engage with life, both professionally and personally. In the musical, Dolly has recently become a widow and is determined to "rejoin the human race" by finding a new husband and pursuing her career ambitions.


The song begins with Dolly realizing that she cannot simply stand by, watching life pass her by. She wants to be a part of the bustle and excitement of the parade, but she also wants to be a leader in her own right, not just following along with the crowd. She declares that she needs a "goal again, a drive again," and a sense of purpose that has been missing since her husband's death.


As Dolly imagines the parade, she hears the music and feels the energy building. She knows that the parade is a symbol of the joy and energy of life, and she is eager to be a part of it. She wants to experience everything life has to offer, taking risks and embracing new opportunities.


Overall, "Before the Parade Passes By" is a powerful declaration of the desire to be engaged with life, to take risks and pursue one's dreams, and to not let fear or sadness hold one back.


Line by Line Meaning

Before the parade passes by
I need to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to me before it is too late.


Before it goes on, and only I'm left
I need to take action while there is still a chance, or else I will be left behind.


I'm ready to move out in front
I am prepared to take the lead and not just follow the crowd.


Life without life has no reason or rhyme left
Living without excitement and adventure is meaningless and boring.


With the rest of them, with the best of them
I want to be a part of the group that is successful and making an impact.


I wanna hold my head up high
I want to be proud of myself and my accomplishments.


I need a goal again, I need a drive again
I have lost my sense of purpose and need to regain my motivation.


I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
I want to feel passionate about something and have that energy drive my actions.


Before the parade passes by
I need to seize the moment and not let it pass me by.


I've gotta go and taste Saturday's high life
I want to experience the excitement and joy that comes with living life to the fullest.


I've gotta get some life back into my life
I need to bring back the vitality and liveliness that has been missing in my life.


I've had enough of just passing by life
I am tired of going through the motions and not truly living.


When the whistles blow, and the cymbals crash, and the sparklers light the sky
I want to experience the excitement and energy that comes with a big celebration or event.


I'm gonna raise the roof, I'm gonna carry on
I am going to party and celebrate with everything I've got.


Give me an old trombone, give me an old baton
I want to be a part of the festivities and contribute to the music and fun.


Before the parade passes by
I don't want to miss out on any opportunities or excitement that life may bring. I need to act before it's too late.




Contributed by Asher I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Jasmine Coxey

Before it goes on
And only I'm left
Before the parade passes by
I've gotta get in step while there's still time left
I'm ready to move out in front
Life without life has no reason or rhyme left
With the rest of them
With the best of them
I wanna hold my head up high
I need a goal again
I need a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again

Before the parade passes by

Before the parade passes by
I've gotta go and taste Saturday's high life
Before the parade passes by
I've gotta get some life back into my life
I'm ready to move out in front
I've had enough of just passing by life
With the rest of them
With the best of them

I can hold my head up high
For I've got a goal again
I've got a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
Before the parade passes by

When the parade passes by
Listen and hear that brass harmony growing
When the parade passes by
Pardon me if my old spirit is showing
All of those lights over there
Seem to be telling me where I'm going

When the whistles blow
And the cymbals crash
And the sparklers light the sky
I'm gonna raise the roof
I'm gonna carry on
Give me an old trombone
Give me an old baton
Before the parade passes by!



Madison Russell

Before the parade passes by
Before it goes on, and only I'm left
Before the parade passes by
I've gotta get in step while there's still time left



I'm ready to move out in front
Life without life has no reason or rhyme left
With the rest of them, with the best of them

I wanna hold my head up high
I need a goal again, I need a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
Before the parade passes by

Before the parade passes by
I've gotta go and taste Saturday's high life
Before the parade passes by
I've gotta get some life back into my life

I'm ready to move out in front
I've had enough of just passing by life
With the rest of them, with the best of them

I can hold my head up high
For I've got a goal again, I've got a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
Before the parade passes by

When the parade passes by
Listen and hear that brass harmony growing
When the parade passes by

Pardon me if my old spirit is showing
All of those lights over there
Seem to be telling me where I'm going

When the whistles blow
And the cymbals crash
And the sparklers light the sky
I'm gonna raise the roof

I'm gonna carry on
Give me an old trombone
Give me an old baton
Before the parade passes by



All comments from YouTube:

Camille.B

She really gave the best rendition of this song. Actually the movie has the best versions of all the songs. It’s so freaking good

Abraham Bazo

C.blololol agree! The movie version is my favorite too

Rudi Logan

Yes, the movie score is very good. I believe Lenny Hayton won an Oscar for his work. The movie around them, however, is pretty terrible when Streisand isn't onscreen.

ThomasTrain1945

Not "ALL" keep in mind some Songs were cut from the Film and the Stage Production before it too...

Camille.B

@ThomasTrain1945 right which is sad :(( but at least the ones that were present were the best versions

4 More Replies...

Noe Berengena

15 seconds on that last note. Vocal control is a big part of being a great singer. And everything that comes before it is pretty amazing too. My favorite part is the slow intro -- the first minute and a half, where Barbra's voice shows a mature sensitivity well beyond her years. (Barbra, 26-27 years old, plays a widow in her middle years who has decided to begin her life again.)

Garyb3397

True, but Streisand DOES go flat on that final note, thrilling though her singing is.

Myles Garcia

@Garyb3397 No she does not. Fix your ears.

Paul Barrett

@Garyb3397 No she does not. It is a perfectly tuned c# ( the note being the third of the chord of A major).You might possibly be referring to the pitch bend to a c natural that she does immediately after hitting the c#. If that is what you mean by 'flat, ' then you have misinterpreted a very common vocal decoration with a pitch problem. Miss Streisand most assuredly has never had any trouble singing in tune.

Melody Rivas

The change in energy is really just amazing in this song, its almost as if she's singing two seperate songs.

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