Age, growing old, and dying, Page 2

While The Years Go Drifting By

1926

Music by: Joe Burke
Lyrics by: Gus Kahn
Cover artist:

A perky commercial tune with lyrical references to a popular song from the past ("Silver Threads"), another young boy in lust trying to charm his lady-to-be with endearing statements of fidelity and nesting. This song is sort of an "answer song" to "Silver Threads" But folks, it ain't no "When I'm 64".

Just a girl and boy in May-time,
Dreaming of the days to be,
Smile a-way the golden daytime,
As he tells her tenderly:

While the years go drift-ing by,
We'll be sweet-hearts, you and I,

Listen to While the Years Go Drifting By (scorch format only)

Listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

Those Good Old Days Back Home

1916

Music by: Jimmie V. Monaco
Lyrics by: Joe McCarthy
Cover artist: Rose symbol

Another life foolishly wasted, bad choices, regrets, but it doesn't ring true. Sure the big city ain't what he thought it would be, but he doesn't miss his sweetheart, the one he left behind all those years ago waving goodbye at the station expecting him back. And he obviously doesn't have anyone he cares for now if he is thinking about leaving. Just another self-centered dolt looking for unconditional affirmation and pity. Plus there is no real tragedy, sure he is restless and wants to go home, but was his life ruined because of his choice, no just mildly disappointing in retrospect.

[Verse]
I left my sweet-heart in old New Hamp-shire,
wav-ing to my train,
I sort of reck-oned that old New Hamp-shire
Would nev-er see me a-gain;

I got "kind-er" tir-ed of my home town,
Had a lot of sil-ly dreams,
Might-y dis-ap-point-ed look-ing 'round
This life ain't what it seems.

[Chorus]
My heart is sigh-ing now
for the good old days back home,
I'm cry-ing now,
I was a fool-ish kid to roam,

Perhaps this is what makes the difference between a really great song and everything else. Keep reading and listening, one really great song is coming up next.

But first listen to an O.K. song. (Scorch format only)

Listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

After the Ball

1892

Featured in our October 2002 issue, not only was "After The Ball" the first piece of music to sell a Million Copies, but it started the "Popular Song" industry.

Aging, regrets, bad choices made, this is it. This song has it all. As a young man the subject of the song catches his true love kissing another man at the big ball. He pitches a fit, won't listen to explanations, forsakes her, and spends his life growing old, alone and bitter, only to learn after her death that it was an innocent kiss from her brother. Two lives ruined.

This one makes me cry. I have included a rare Scandinavian version of the cover.

Listen to MIDI version

Huskin' Time

1910

Music by: Albert Gumble
Lyrics by: Bartley Costello
Cover artist: unknown

Our copy of this piece is a Sunday newspaper supplement from the September 22, 1912 issue of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In 1910 when this poignant little piece came out you could also hear for the first time, "Down By the Old Mill Stream", "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", and one of my favorites "Any Little Girl, That's a Nice Little Girl, Is the Right Little Girl For Me". Radio was experimental, 150 miles was a long way to fly an airplane and I don't think we were actively at war with anyone, but I could be wrong.

The story of an elderly couple entering the autumn years of life, longing to revisit the simpler times of their lives together before they die, perhaps one of them is dying. One of the things that strikes me about this song, aside from the fact that it makes me cry, is how effective it is in it's simplicity.

Hear and see this song (SCORCH format)

listen to MIDI version

Lyrics

That completes another of our features. As always, be sure to come back next month for a new feature or just come back anytime to browse our extensive archive of issues and special articles.

See our resources page for a complete bibliography of all resources used to research this and other articles in our series.

If you missed page one, or want to return to it, click here to go to page one

Please Help Us Continue our Efforts with a donation. ParlorSongs Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization 501(c)(3), incorporated in Washington (state). Donations go towards the aquisition of additional music, preservation of music, equipment and educational efforts. If you like what we do, please help us out.

A great deal of work and effort has gone into these pages. The concept, design, performance (MIDI and other recordings) of these works, the web pages, custom images and original content are Copyright © 1997-2010 by The Parlor Songs Association, Inc., Richard A. Reublin and/or Robert L. Maine. Before using any of these images, text or performances (MIDI or other recordings), please read our usage policy for standard permissions and those requiring special attention. Thanks.

ParlorSongs.org respects your privacy and does not collect or divulge personal information see our privacy policy for more information

Return to Top of Page