劇の中で歌うのは、かつては魅力的な猫だったグリザベラ(Grizabella)。しかし今や老いて美貌を失い、唯一残ったのは美しい思い出(メモリー)だけ。歌詞の中には、彼女の哀しい心情が切々と歌い込まれている。原作者T.S.エリオット(Thomas Stearns Eliot/1888-1965)の未完の遺稿を基に、演出家のトレヴァー・ナン(Sir Trevor Robert Nunn CBE/1940-)が作詞した。作曲は、ミュージカル『オペラ座の怪人』を手がけたイギリスの作曲家アンドリュー・ロイド=ウェバー (Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber/1948-)。
‘Memory’ Elaine Paige | Cats The Musical – Royal Albert Hall Celebration
Memory – Elaine Page (Lyrics)
Memory (歌手によって変わることあり) 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 Life(I) was beautiful then I remember The time I knew what happiness was Let the memory live again
Every street lamp Seems to beat A fatalistic warning Someone mutters And a street lamp sputters 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 street lamp dies, another night is over Another day is dawning
Touch me It's so easy to leave me All alone with my memory Of my days in the sun If you touch me You'll understand what happiness is Look, a new day has begun