Blue Velvet

The lyrics remember a tender love that has ended. At first, the speaker describes the woman and their relationship with warmth and wonder. When she leaves, that happiness seems to disappear, and the speaker feels sadness. Yet the memory remains precious, so the song moves from joy to loss and then to a quieter kind of lasting affection.

Blue velvet is the central image: its rich blue color and softness suggest beauty, tenderness, and intimacy. The comparisons with the night, starlight, and May make the woman seem especially vivid and gentle. Love “like a flame burning brightly” suggests a strong feeling that grows intense, while the “glow” represents the happiness that fades after she is gone.

The ending holds two feelings at once. The speaker is still hurt—the image of seeing the velvet “through my tears” makes that clear—but also treasures what happened. “There’ll always be” a warm memory does not mean the speaker has moved on completely; it suggests that love can remain meaningful even when the relationship is over.