My Secret Love Lyrics – Calamity Jane

Song Overview

“Secret Love” by Doris Day glides in on a waltz-slow breeze, all shimmering strings and open-hearted croon. First heard in Calamity Jane (1953) and released as a single on 9 October 1953, the tune climbed to No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic, won an Academy Award, and gathered a constellation of covers. The following deep-dive unpacks the lyrics, origins, accolades, and aftershocks of this evergreen standard.

Song Credits

• Featured: —
• Producer / Conductor: Ray Heindorf
• Composer: Sammy Fain
• Lyricist: Paul Francis Webster
• Release Date: October 9 1953
• Recorded: August 5 1953, Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank
• Genre: Traditional Pop / Show-tune
• Length: 3:41
• Label: Columbia Records
• Instruments: strings, woodwinds, harp, muted brass, rhythm section
• Mood: confession-to-jubilation
• Language: English
• First Appearance: Calamity Jane (film, November 4 1953)
• Poetic Meter: predominantly iambic tetrameter
• Copyright: ©1953 Famous Music LLC / Warner Bros. Music (renewed)

Song Meaning and Annotations

First time I heard “Secret Love,” it felt like a handwritten letter slipped under my door—private, trembling, impossible to ignore. Over three and a half minutes the song opens outward: from a hush (“Once I had a secret love…”) to a rooftop cry (“I shout it from the highest hills”). The waltz pulse rocks like a front-porch swing; harp glissandos flicker like fireflies at dusk.

Historically, critics have read the lyric as queer code—a mid-century whisper for love that “dare not speak its name.” Modern LGBTQ+ writers still claim it as an accidental anthem.

Musically, Fain’s melody climbs a perfect fourth at “secret love,” then leaps a sixth on “highest hills,” mirroring the narrator’s swelling courage. The arrangement swirls with Hollywood gloss—lush strings framing Day’s bell-pure soprano—yet there’s a country-western twang hiding in the chord changes, befitting Calamity Jane’s frontier setting.

“Once I had a secret love / That lived within the heart of me”

Verse 1 plants the seed: love as a stowaway, sheltered yet restless. Webster’s plain diction (“heart of me”) feels folksy, almost diary-level candor.

“So I told a friendly star / The way that dreamers often do”

Verse 2 drifts into cosmic confession—an echo of nursery-rhyme comfort (“Star light, star bright”). Day’s soft-focus delivery keeps it naïve rather than saccharine.

Chorus

Here the modest secret bursts. Notice the natural imagery—hills, daffodils—suggesting a love that wants to bloom in daylight. Orchestral cymbal swells turn the revelation into technicolor cinema.

Instrumental Break

Heindorf’s orchestra reprises the melody on strings and muted trumpet; it’s like the heart catching its breath before repeating the vow.

Final Chorus

The repeat isn’t mere copy-paste; Day wedges a micro-hesitation on “door,” as if savoring the liberation. By the coda, the waltz feels airborne.

Behind the scenes, Warner had asked for a “show-stopping torch song.” Fain and Webster supposedly finished it at a palm-shaded hotel patio, humming into the night while Day rehearsed horseback scenes. Within weeks radio DJs flooded the switchboards; by March 1954 the single was ruling the charts.

Similar Songs

1. “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” – Doris Day (1956)
   Both tunes marry optimistic sentiment with cinematic orchestration. Where “Secret Love” is an inward confession turned proclamation, “Que Sera, Sera” is a philosophy lesson sung in lullaby cadence. The shared soprano glide and 3/4 sway hint at Day’s signature style, yet the latter replaces romance with life-path curiosity, giving it a broader, almost philosophical umbrella.
2. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” – Judy Garland (1939)
   Each starts hushed, eyes upward, then arcs into octave-spanning release. Both became coded anthems for marginalized listeners longing for visible joy. Garland’s ballad leans on dream-scape imagery; Day’s waltz sticks to earthly hills and daffodils, but the emotional geography—yearning turned hope—overlaps like twin constellations.
3. “Unchained Melody” – The Righteous Brothers (1965)
   Though recorded a decade later, “Unchained Melody” echoes the same crescendo logic: minimalist intro, soaring climactic belt, strings billowing like curtains. Its prison-wall pining parallels Day’s locked-away secret, and both songs found second lives in film soundtracks, securing permanent residency in the pop canon.

Questions and Answers

Who originally wrote “Secret Love”?

Composer Sammy Fain and lyricist Paul Francis Webster crafted it for Calamity Jane in mid-1953.

Did Doris Day record the song before or after filming?

She cut the master on August 5 1953—some weeks before final footage wrapped—so playback could be synced on set.

How did the single perform on the charts?

It reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Best Sellers in March 1954 and spent nine weeks atop the UK Singles Chart.

Why is the song seen as an LGBTQ+ touchstone?

Because its narrative—moving from hidden affection to public declaration—mirrored queer listeners’ desire for openness during the 1950s closet era.

What are some notable cover versions?

Frank Sinatra (1964), Sam Cooke (1963), Lorrie Morgan (2016), Freddy Fender (1975), and jazz takes by John Scofield and Lou Donaldson keep the tune circulating across genres.

Awards and Chart Positions

• Academy Award: Best Original Song (26 March 1954 ceremony)
• Billboard Best Sellers: No. 1 for three weeks (Feb 27–Mar 13 1954)
• UK Singles Chart: No. 1 for nine weeks, spring 1954

Fan and Media Reactions

“One of my favorite songs—because back then I had a secret love. I love Doris Day.” Facebook user Mildred B.

“A gay reading is hard to avoid now, and it adds extra depth to a record that was powerful already.” Popular-Number1s.com review

“Sometimes it’s nice to ditch the pedals and just play this straight into the amp.” Reddit guitarist @BlueTremolo

“In 1953 every LGBT American heard a song of empowerment.” San Francisco Bay Times

“I like and love the way she sings—pure honey.” Facebook commenter Al C.