Memory

MEMORY

Midnight, not a sound from the pavement,

Has the moon lost her memory?

She is smiling alone.

In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet,

And the wind begins to moan.

Memory, all alone in the moonlight,

I can smile at the old days:

I was beautiful then.

I remember the time I knew what happiness was.

Let the memory live again.

Every streetlamp seems to beat

A fatalistic warning.

Someone mutters, and a streetlamp gutters,

And soon it will be morning.

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise.

I must think of a new life,

And I mustn't give in.

When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory, too,

And a new day will begin.

Burnt out ends of smoky days.

The stale, cold smell of morning.

The streetlamp dies, another night is over.

Another day is dawning.

Touch me, it's so easy to leave me,

All alone with the memory,

Of my days in the sun.

If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is.

Look! A new day has begun!

--as sung by Marguerite Krull

Undoubtedly, my favorite version of Memory is the one sung by Marguerite Krull. Not a very well-known version, it is included in the three CD box set titled Andrew Lloyd Webber. Recorded in 1995, Marguerite (from Pimpernel? Nah...) sings in a beautiful operatic mezzo-soprano voice over the fluid score of Memory performed by the Orlando Pops Orchestra and conducted by Andrew Lane. The song admittedly starts out slow and monotonous with Marguerite's voice very prominent over just a piano, but by the second verse she is joined by several string and woodwinds. By the third verse the song is in full-swing, with Marguerite hitting every note on the head and dripping with emotion. In the fourth the sound of cymbals, brass instruments, and bass drums come in, leading to the orchestral crescendo that signals the climax. Never once is the singer's voice drowned out, despite the volume of the score. The final verse fades with the same solo piano.

Marguerite Krull

Some other singers have recorded some impressive versions of this timeless song as well. Some of my other favorites are Betty Buckley, Michael Ball, Elaine Paige, and Barbra Streisand (if you get past the changed lyrics).