The Promises We Make in Paris

Unknown Speaker

Hello, and welcome back to the Life Lyrics Podcast. I’m Emily, and with me, as always, is Paul — the songwriter behind Life Lyrics. Together, we explore the vows, the whispers, and the hidden stories behind the music. Tonight, we’re stepping onto the Pont des Arts in Paris, to unravel the story of Promise Me.

Paul

Thanks, Emily. This one is really close to me — it began with a real vow I witnessed in Paris. A trembling bride, a midnight bridge, a promise that felt as fragile as it did eternal.

Unknown Speaker

Paul, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve crossed that bridge at midnight and thought every lock could start its own novel. But for you, one lock became a song. Take us back to that golden night. What did you see?

Paul

It was a wedding. Right there on the Pont des Arts. No spotlight, no crowd. Just two people, trembling hands, raw vows. The bride’s voice cracked, but it was honest, not rehearsed. And in that moment, I thought — this is love. Scared, but hopeful. That’s where the first lines of Promise Me came from: ‘The night wrapped Paris in gold, your trembling hands reached for mine.’ It wasn’t imagined. It was lived.

Unknown Speaker

That gives me chills. And it makes sense why so many listeners say they see the song, not just hear it. Paris has that power — to turn little moments into something eternal

Paul

Exactly. Places hold memory. On that bridge, you’re surrounded by thousands of promises. Locks, keys, secrets thrown into the Seine. It’s like the city whispers, don’t give up on love. That’s what I try to do with Life Lyrics — capture those fragile moments, so listeners can carry them forever

Unknown Speaker

OK Let’s talk about the chorus. ‘Promise me this dream won’t fade.’ That’s such a universal plea. Was that hope… or fear… speaking?

Paul

Well both. To ask for forever is terrifying. Songwriting sometimes feels like standing there in your emotional underwear. When I wrote ‘Promise me, promise me it all,’ I hesitated. It felt too much, too naked. But then I realised — that’s the promise. To be brave enough to want forever, and admit it.”

Unknown Speaker

Oh my God ! That’s so raw. And yet, it resonates. Because in love, honesty is the only real vow, isn’t it? Saying, ‘Don’t leave me. Don’t let this fade.’

Paul

Exactly. Every heartbreak echoes inside those promises. And yet, we try again. That’s the courage in love: not perfection, but showing up, scars and all, saying, ‘I still believe.’”

Unknown Speaker

I think that’s what listeners feel too—in that “hold me close, don’t let me fall” line, there’s not only hope but the memory of how fragile it is. You even wrote, “But I’ve felt love slip through before”—there’s heartbreak in it, but also, like, this courage to try again anyway.

Paul

Exactly. Heartbreak echoes through all our promises. That’s why when I write about love, there’s always that line between hope and memory of what’s lost. It isn’t easy, but isn’t that the only place where real connection happens? When both people show up, scars and all, and say, “Let’s do it anyway.”

Unknown Speaker

And listeners feel that. It’s why Promise Me doesn’t sound like a fairytale — it sounds like two real people holding each other, afraid but refusing to let go.

Unknown Speaker

Let’s talk about the images you chose — white flowers, slow days, keys in the Seine. Were those drawn from weddings you’ve seen, or did they grow from the lyric itself?

Paul

Well, both actually... The white flowers were real — tucked behind the bride’s ear that night. The slow days, the hope of growing old — that’s what we all dream of. And the keys… that’s always struck me. Throwing away the key is saying, ‘There’s no way back. I’m all in.’ It’s terrifying, but it’s love

Unknown Speaker

And the bridge itself… it’s more than a place. It’s a metaphor. Every time you sing, ‘Promise me we’ll try again tomorrow,’ it feels like you’re saying, ‘Love is a daily vow.

Paul

That’s it !!!. The bridge is today’s promise, but also tomorrow’s hope. That’s how love survives — not in perfection, but in persistence. I once rewrote a couple’s vows into a song for their wedding. Every word was fragile, human, imperfect. And yet, sung from the heart, it became eternal. That’s what Promise Me is to me

Unknown Speaker

And that’s why it lingers. It’s not about fairytales, but about the courage to whisper, ‘I’ll try again with you tomorrow.’ That’s sacred.

Unknown Speaker

Thank you, Paul, for letting us walk across that bridge with you tonight. And thank you to everyone listening. Wherever you are, may you find your own vow worth keeping.

Paul

Thanks, Emily. And to our listeners — whatever bridge you’re crossing tonight, I hope you feel a little less alone.

Unknown Speaker

This has been the Life Lyrics Podcast. Until next time, take care.