Just a Song at Twilight | In the United States, we adopted many our “our” folk songs from the native lands of those who immigrated to America and brought their fine music with them.
I love the sweetness of the music and the innocence of the lyric. It almost sounds like a lullaby. I imagine that most people could sing it. It reminds me of the many songs that our parents would sing to (and with) us—on long car trips and camping trips, and every night at bed time. I’d forgotten how much we did sing back then. We each had a song targeted at us individually—mine was “Peg O’ My Heart” but my favorite was “Shine On Harvest Moon”. Even as little children we already had a large catalog of music in our heads.
Lovely. I was going to note that this was another of those songs that has an "intro" section that is melodically different than the rest of the song (is there a musical term for that practice?), but I see in a comment or your reply to a comment below that it may be just the first verse of other verses not shown or played. But in any case, it served a purpose for me here.
We mentioned and talked about that sort of thing (ie, a seemingly musically "different" intro for a song) in an earlier Sometimes a Song column, and I have felt that that practice reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But hearing this song, for some reason, popped the connection into my head just now. I'm thinking those "intros" before the main melody or chorus takes over, are like the teaser opening scenes of most modern movies these days before the introductory title and credits get displayed and the "meat" of the movie only actually begins after that.
Curious, since (am I remembering correctly?) I think most "old" movies pretty much opened up directly with the title and credits first, and only afterwards did the movie proper begin to play. But these days, it is almost mandatory for movie to have an opening scene to draw the viewer in, then the title and credits followed by the movie proper. Virtually the opposite development from popular songs (at least some) that used to have an intro section first, but modern songs, for the most part now, jump right into the gist (whether chorus or verse) of the song (though an instrumental intro is common enough of course).
I may have some of the words wrong. They well up out of memory (along with a few tears). When I was an only child in the ‘40s, I used to spend a lot of my spare time doodling on the upright piano which had been moved from Grandma’s house, where the whole clan used to sing around it. This song was in one of a series of attractively printed paper booklets called “Treasure Chests”.
I am 88 years old and raised in a children's home where we had aroller piano we could pump out these beautiful old songs. Many Sunday evenings we kids use to sing our hearts out. Thank you for the memory!
One of my favorite musicals, Meet Me in St. Louis, has its fair share of original songs (since entered into The Songbook) but also recreates time and place marvelously by relying on several old parlor songs, it’s a lot of fun!
I love the sweetness of the music and the innocence of the lyric. It almost sounds like a lullaby. I imagine that most people could sing it. It reminds me of the many songs that our parents would sing to (and with) us—on long car trips and camping trips, and every night at bed time. I’d forgotten how much we did sing back then. We each had a song targeted at us individually—mine was “Peg O’ My Heart” but my favorite was “Shine On Harvest Moon”. Even as little children we already had a large catalog of music in our heads.
Lovely. I was going to note that this was another of those songs that has an "intro" section that is melodically different than the rest of the song (is there a musical term for that practice?), but I see in a comment or your reply to a comment below that it may be just the first verse of other verses not shown or played. But in any case, it served a purpose for me here.
We mentioned and talked about that sort of thing (ie, a seemingly musically "different" intro for a song) in an earlier Sometimes a Song column, and I have felt that that practice reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But hearing this song, for some reason, popped the connection into my head just now. I'm thinking those "intros" before the main melody or chorus takes over, are like the teaser opening scenes of most modern movies these days before the introductory title and credits get displayed and the "meat" of the movie only actually begins after that.
Curious, since (am I remembering correctly?) I think most "old" movies pretty much opened up directly with the title and credits first, and only afterwards did the movie proper begin to play. But these days, it is almost mandatory for movie to have an opening scene to draw the viewer in, then the title and credits followed by the movie proper. Virtually the opposite development from popular songs (at least some) that used to have an intro section first, but modern songs, for the most part now, jump right into the gist (whether chorus or verse) of the song (though an instrumental intro is common enough of course).
This is precious. Thank you.
What—no second verse??
Even today we hear love’s song of yore.
Deep in our hearts it dwells forever more.
Twilight may darken, weary grow the way,
Still we can hear it at the close of day.
Then in the dark, when life’s grim shadows fall,
Love will remain the sweetest song of all.
I may have some of the words wrong. They well up out of memory (along with a few tears). When I was an only child in the ‘40s, I used to spend a lot of my spare time doodling on the upright piano which had been moved from Grandma’s house, where the whole clan used to sing around it. This song was in one of a series of attractively printed paper booklets called “Treasure Chests”.
The loveliest version of that song I ever heard was my father singing me to sleep with it when I was a little girl.
I am 88 years old and raised in a children's home where we had aroller piano we could pump out these beautiful old songs. Many Sunday evenings we kids use to sing our hearts out. Thank you for the memory!
One of my favorite musicals, Meet Me in St. Louis, has its fair share of original songs (since entered into The Songbook) but also recreates time and place marvelously by relying on several old parlor songs, it’s a lot of fun!