Cursi Indulgence
I’d never heard of Jerome Kern. Much less of The Platters, apparently a pretty popular “doo wop” (!) group from the 60s. But in 1933, it turns out, Jerome Kern wrote a purdy, small song called Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, which The Platters in turn recorded and made famous in 1959.
And in 2006, today, serendipity brought me the song, played by Roxy Music (who are oh-so-very-cool), and it made me smile.
Yup, I am aware of it’s glaring cursileria, but it’s late at night and I’m strangely happy, so shut up and read the lyrics:
They asked me how I knew,
My true love was true,
Oo — oo — oh. I of course replied,
“Something here inside,
Can not be denied.”
They said, “Some day you’ll find,
All who love are blind,
Oo — oo — oh. When you heart’s on fire,
you must realize,
Smoke gets in your eyes.”
So I chaffed them, and I gaily laughed,
To think they would doubt our love,
And yet today, my love has gone away,
I am without my love.
Now laughing friends deride,
Tears I cannot hide,
So I smile and say, “When a lovely flame dies,
Smoke gets in your eyes”,
“Smoke gets in your eyes.”