A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

「完璧さ」という厚顔無恥さからはほど遠い、「現在」という束の間の移ろいやすい瞬間に対するその類い稀な才能が、聞くものに本当の贅沢さとはいったい何かを教えてくれるようである。なお、歌詞は、彼女が歌っている通りにおこしたつもりであるが、本来文字として固定してはならないパフォーマンスなのかもしれない。

1955:

Anita O’Day 

How strange it was
How sweet and strange
There was never a dream to compare
With that hazy, crazy night we met
When a nightingale sang in Berkeley square

This heart of mine beat loud and fast
Like a merry-go-round in a fair
For we were dancing cheek to cheek
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley square

When dawn came stealing up
All gold and blue
To interrupt our rendez-vous
I still remember how you smiled and said
“Was that a dream or was it true?”

Our homeward step was just as light
As the tap-dancing feet of Astaire
And like an echo far away
When a nightingale sang in Berkeley square

When dawn came stealing up
All gold and blue
To interrupt our rendez-vous
I still remember how you smiled and said
“Was that a dream or was it true?”

The streets of town were paved with stars
It was such a romantic affair
And as we kissed and said “Good night”
When a nightingale sang in Berkeley square

I know ’cause I was there
That night in Berkeley square