Berlin's great secret is that he says exactly what he means; sometimes he hits a gigantic line both musically and lyrically -- almost Wagnerian in its strength.

Why you were born and why you are living depend entirely on what you are getting out of this world and what you are giving to it. I cannot prove that this is a balance of mathematical perfection, but my own observation of life leads me to the conclusion that there is a very real friendship, both quantitatively and qualitatively, between what you contribute and what you get out of life.

You gotta have a dream. If you don't have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?

I'd let my golden chances pass me by.

Do you love me because I'm beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me?

Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you? Am I making believe I see in you, a woman too perfect to be really true? Do I want you because you're wonderful, or are you wonderful because I want you? Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream, or are you really as beautiful as you seem?

Fish got to swim, birds got to fly.