☝️ Key Points
- The lyrics describe a past summer romance.
- The singer remembers a joyful afternoon with her partner.
- She describes her partner as sweet and feels proud.
- The lyrics shift to a different wintertime, but the memories remain.
- The song expresses nostalgic feelings and longing.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Once Upon Summertime" by
Barbra Streisand describe a past summer romance. The singer recalls a time when she passed by a flower stand with her partner and he bought her a bouquet of bright forget-me-nots. They spent a joyful afternoon together, laughing a lot and kissing in the street cafes. The singer describes her partner as sweeter than the flowers on the tree and she felt very proud, as if she had been offered the key to Paris.
Then, the lyrics shift to another wintertime where the pigeons have disappeared from the square. However, the singer still remembers the time when the evening bells rang and her partner loved her. She also sings some lines in French where she describes love and the eternal celebration of the hearts of young lovers.
The lyrics express nostalgic feelings and remind of how intense and beautiful the past summer romance was. Although time has passed and winter has come, the memory of that love remains. The song lyrics convey a certain wistfulness and longing for past times, but also the realization that the memories of that love will forever remain in her heart.