Keep the tissue box handy because we are going to visit this soft love ballad hit released by the band Bread on their 1972 album Guitar Man. David Gates wrote and composed the song after watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s which starred of course the irrepressibly beautiful Audrey Hepburn. Note that the name of the song and the actress are not the same. According to wikipedia – it swapped the assumed gender of the name Aubrey, nearly extinguishing its use as a male name and popularizing it as a female one. Actress Aubrey Plaza is named after the song.
The single lasted 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 15.
I keep this song in my music library mainly for nostalgic purposes. I listened to Bread and this song a lot in my youth. He sings about this unrequited love for a girl named Aubrey, but the lyrics suggest it was about someone he perhaps never knew. It is renowned as one of Bread’s most beautiful, yet melancholic, songs. I’m not a big fan as I used to be, but when I hear it now sometimes it evokes memories that were once forgotten; like dipping yourself in magic water and the memories are so thick, reminding me of all that was once unspoiled.
But how I miss the girl
And I’d go a million times around the world just to say
She had been mine for a day
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I grew up with Bread. My sister had their greatest hits and I was listening to them in 1974 when I was 7… David Gates is a good songwriter. He did what he did well…
It’s always good to read other people’s original connection with the music. We had a couple of their LPs in the household and my Mum was a huge fan of the movie based on the Neil Simon play ‘The Goodbye Girl’ with the incredibly talented Richard Dreyfuss. Actually I’ll probably do a ‘Friday’s finest’ about that movie shortly. ‘Bread’ of course wrote the title track which appeared in that movie which remains my favourite song of theirs.
It does connect me to back then…which music does at times. I hear it and I can feel and remember things I forgot about. That is one of the magical things about music to me. Bread does that to me…I see my sister in bell bottom jeans and her friends.
I just saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s a few weeks ago for the first time ever.
Same here… the music of Bread does that to me – well of any good music I heard in my youth of that era. There would be too many artists / groups to list here. I suppose that’s why you and I dedicate a lot of our time to writing about this music. The nostalgic rewards are plentiful and enriching.
Like most women of my age, I’m a Bread fan. Unapologetically. David Gates was a great songwriter. He’s a formula writer. He’s got a mainline to a hit. He would have been more renown if he’d stayed in pop, but he went to country and most people never heard of him again.
I’m afraid I am not very familiar with David Gates’ career, but if I was to hazard a guess I’ve probably heard a lot of his music. I see what you mean by having a mainline to a hit. I love that description of yours. You certainly have a fantastic way with words! Thanks.
My husband loathes sentimental songs, but they feed my soul. Men are from Mars, Women Are from Venus? I don’t know! I love this song, and I love Bread and always will.
I sometimes loath them too. It depends which song. I like your sentiments towards this song and Bread!
Well, that’s true. If I’m feeling down, I actually DON’T like those kinds of songs. They just make me feel worse, ha ha.
I know what you mean. That probably explains why I have a love hate relationship with James Blunt’s music lol
Exactly!
You’re beautiful, you’re beautiful it’s true
but I don’t know what to do
’cause I’ll never be with you
Gee, thanks,, James! LOL
Don’t worry, he’ll never be with me either. But it was a lovely gesture on his part. I like being told I’m beautiful. Haha.
Hahahahaha !!!