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Lyr Req: Little Sweetheart in the Spring
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Lyr Req: Little Sweetheart in the Spring |
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Subject: ADD: Sweethearts in the Spring From: Joe Offer Date: 09 Nov 13 - 10:02 PM I received this song request by personal message: Have another mystery song for you, tried youtube, but no success, again another one my father used to sing to us: "I'll be with you little sweetheart in the spring, But for you the wedding bells will never ring, For there you will be lying, among the dead and dying, I'll be with you little sweetheart in the spring." I should tell you that my father served in submarines, in the Royal Navy from 1929 to 1945, so many of the songs he sung to us were obviously from those days. My mum used to tell him off because a lot of the songs were so morbid! Hope you can find it. Thanks. I found the following. It's not the same, but certainly must be related: It was on a summer's evening when all the world was still. Two lovers rambled down the lane to an old and wooden mill. He was leaving on the morrow for lands far, far away, And as she nestles close to him she heard him softly say: CHORUS 1: I'll return, my little sweetheart, in the spring, And for us those wedding bells will gaily ring, And when all the wrongs are righted, Our hearts will be united. I'll return, my little sweetheart, in the spring. On the quay there stands a soldier in uniform so bright. He's waiting for a big troop ship to take him to the fight. The bugles they are blowing and the master pointed high, And as the cable settled down from below there comes a sigh: CHORUS 1 In a cottage by a fireside sits a maiden young and fair, And as the tears roll down her cheeks, a letter she put there, And as she read it o'er and o'er it was more than she could bear, But ere the morning dawned on her she was gone for all was fair. CHORUS 2: So they laid in her in the graveyard in the spring, And for her those wedding bells will never ring, For among the dead and dying, Her soldier boy was lying, When they laid her in the graveyard in the spring. REPEAT CHORUS 1 AND FADE The song I posted is a Foster & Allen song titled "Sweethearts in the Spring." Is it the same song? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: Louie Roy Date: 10 Nov 13 - 12:08 AM Joe it is possible that the song you are looking for is When the roses bloom again. The format is somewhat close to the song you are looking for and it would be very easy to change the words if you didn't know the correct words |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: Joe Offer Date: 10 Nov 13 - 12:46 AM Hi, Louie - thanks for pointing out When the Roses Bloom Again. I don't think it's the requested song because it doesn't have anything about weddings being cancelled by death, but it's a great song. -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST Date: 10 Nov 13 - 06:03 AM http://www.ildb.info/Foster+++Allen-Sweethearts+In+the+Spring,lid157779-a5755.html |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST Date: 10 Nov 13 - 06:13 AM Forget that. It's what you already posted, Joe. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST Date: 10 Nov 13 - 06:23 AM FIRST VERSE 'Twas on a summers morning when all the world was still, 'Two lovers rambled down a lane beside an old worn mill. He was thinking of the morning when he had to go away, And as she nestled close to him she hear him softly say. CHORUS I'll come back my little sweetheart in the spring, And those wedding bells for you will surely ring, And when England's causes righted our hearts will be united, I'll come back my little sweetheart in the spring. SECOND VERSE For a sailor stood upon the quay in his uniform so neat, Waiting for the picket boat to take him to the fleet. The siren it was blowing and on the mast the pennant flew, And as the cable rattled in she heard him sing this tune. REPEAT CHORUS THIRD VERSE For the scene has changed again once more unto the battlefield, Our blue clad boys are striving hard and a noble flag they shield. For a stray shot strikes our hero and he's numbered among the slain, And as he's lying dying fast his chum sing this refrain. CHORUS (different words) You'll be lonely little sweetheart in the spring, For those wedding bells for you will never ring, For lover he is lying amongst the dead and dying, You'll be lonely little sweetheart in the spring. FOURTH VERSE In a cottage by the old mill stream sits a maiden young and fair, And a letter there's a letter that she's reading from his chum far over there, And as she reads it o'er it was too much to bear, And as the morning dawn awoke she had gone to a land so fair. CHORUS So they laid her in the churchyard in the spring, And those wedding bells for her did never ring. Not a word of him was spoken for they knew her heart was broken, As they laid her in the churchyard in the spring, oh in the spring. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: SWEETHEARTS IN THE SPRING (from Brier) From: Snuffy Date: 10 Nov 13 - 07:15 AM Joe I saw your thread title shortly before setting off to walk down to the village for Remembrance Day at the War Memorial, and thought "I know that song - it's on an old tape by an Irish group". I've known it since the '90s on a cassette album by the Irish folk group Brier called "The Sick Note", and I found the track on Youtube, but the words there are closer to the garbled Foster & Allan version than to what Brier actually sing. Here is what I hear them singing, with words in bold where they differ from your posting. It was on a summer's evening when all the world stood still Two lovers rambled down a lane to an old and whirring mill He was leaving on the morrow for a land far far away And as she nestled close to him she heard him softly say I'll return my little sweetheart, in the Spring And for us those wedding bells will gaily ring And when all the wrongs are righted Our hearts will be united I'll return my little sweetheart, in the Spring On the quay there stands a soldier in uniform so bright He's waiting for the big troop ship to take him to the fight For the bugles they are blowing and the masts are pointed high And as the cable settled down from below there comes a sigh I'll return my little sweetheart, in the Spring And for us those wedding bells will gaily ring And when all the wrongs are righted Our hearts will be united I'll return my little sweetheart, in the Spring In a cottage by the fireside sits a maiden young and fair And as the tears roll down her cheeks, the letter she had there And as she read it o'er and o'er it was more than she could bear For e'er the morning dawned on her she was gone for all most fair So they laid in her in a graveyard in the Spring And for her those wedding bells would never ring For among the dead and dying her soldier boy was lying When they laid her in a graveyard in the Spring I'll return my little sweetheart, in the Spring And for us those wedding bells will gaily ring And when all the wrongs are righted Our hearts will be united I'll return my little sweetheart, in the Spring Your original post is obviously composed of bits of the main and final chorus cobbled together. The version posted by GUEST is very interesting, and apparently more complete, but I am puzzled why blue-clad sailors should be on the battlefield, rather than red-coated soldiers! |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST,Derrick Date: 10 Nov 13 - 08:30 AM I have come across parts of the song when talking to ww2 service personel both army and navy. The song strikes me as a victorian era parlour or possibly music hall song,many of those songs had a similar sentimental flavour. Research in that field may lead to an original version. To answer Snuffy's puzzlement about sailors on a battlefield,look up The Naval Brigades.Royal Navy sailors took part in the Boer War and the Crimea War in support of the British army. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST Date: 10 Nov 13 - 09:53 AM My apologies. The version posted earlier is from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/84/a5938284.shtml +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following link has some interesting info in two of the posts. It's worth a read. http://www.allthelyrics.com/forum/identify-it/24034-trying-to-locate-old-war-song.html |
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Subject: Lyr Add: YOU'LL BE HAPPY LITTLE SWEETHEART…(Young) From: Steve Gardham Date: 10 Nov 13 - 06:45 PM Hi, Joe YOU'LL BE HAPPY LITTLE SWEETHEART IN THE SPRING W & M by Errol Young Published by Macmelodies Ltd and in the States, Peter Maurice Inc. 1943 Whether it rapidly entered oral tradition and took on new forms during WWII or Young was simply claiming for his rewrite I couldn't say, but all of the versions I have recorded are pretty much the same and either WWII or slightly later. Here's Young's version We parted when the Autumn leaves were falling Remember that September in the rain? But now across the sea my heart is calling I'll be with you when the roses bloom again. You'll be happy little sweetheart in the spring And for you those wedding bells will surely ring For when England's shores are sighted Then our hearts will be united You'll be etc. Remember darling when you're feeling lonely Remember darling when you're feeling blue Tho' we're apart I'm thinking of you only And the day when I'll be coming home to you. A heart that's true still beats with love undying And in my heart you always will remain For soon there'll be an end to all our sighing When we're strolling in the spring-time once again. Whilst the verse lyrics are nothing like the versions I've recorded and sung the chorus and tune are the same. If required I'll post some of the versions I have later, but some are available to listen to on the National Sound Archive website under my name as recordist. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: Snuffy Date: 11 Nov 13 - 09:12 AM Perhaps my remark about being puzzled was not sufficiently specific: I am familiar with the fact of RN personnel being used as ground troops on the Western fron in WWI as well as the examples quoted by Derrick. My puzzlement was more why this version had chosen to change the protagonist to a sailor, but not to change the scene or manner of death. I would normally expect, in songs at least, sailors to be kileed in tempests or naval engagements, while battlefield deaths would be the preserve of soldiers. That would suggest to me that this would not be the original version, but a one-off variant. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST,Derrick Date: 12 Nov 13 - 05:37 AM Prior to reading this thread I had never come across the verses about any person standing on a quay. All the versions were obviously the same song with the sort of changes you would get through oral transmission. Looking at that verse it appears to have been written by the same hand and altered to suit the audience,something an E N S A entertainer might have done in WW2. Another thought occurred to me concerning the Boys in blue defending their flag,could they be Union soldiers from the American civil war,the orignal song or poem being of American origin. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: Steve Gardham Date: 12 Nov 13 - 07:00 AM In my head I have always associated the song with 'Break the news to mother' similar type of tune, similar sentiments, and always thought they were from the same period. BTNTM is 1897, Chas K Harris. What adds to this is that in performance the old Music Hall habit of audience repeating the last 2 words of a line, particularly in the chorus, in a semi-comic manner deriding the overly sentimental Victorian lyrics. Here's my Uncle Gunner's version which I sing. He was in the navy just after WWII. On a jetty stands a mat'lot in his uniform so neat he's waiting for the picket boat to take him to the fleet How the sirens they were sounding as the masthead pennants fly And as the cable rattles home you'll hear this mat'lot cry You'll be happy little sweetheart in the spring And for you those wedding bells will surely ring For when England's shores are sighted in our hearts we'll be united You'll be ...... And next we see our hero on the far-flung battle field the boys in blue are fighting too their gallant flag to shield A stray shot strikes our hero, his number's on the slate And as his oppos pick him up he murmers this refrain You'll be lonely l s I t s And for you those wedding bells will never ring For among the dead and dying your sailor boy is lying You'll be lonely ....... In a cottage stands a maiden, her mother's there as well She's reading from a letter, tis a letter of farewell And as she reads the letter a tear falls from her eye She looked into her mother's face and this is what she cried You'll be lonely...as ch 2. In my ms I have written 'The origin of this is an army Music Hall song from the Boer War/The Crimea' but that was in 1971 and was probably pure conjecture as I haven't found any certain origins and only have the 1943 sheet music. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: Steve Gardham Date: 12 Nov 13 - 07:14 AM Just to emphasise the 'piss take' aspect here is David (Mick) Robbie's version. He was also in the Navy just after WWII. Recorded 1971 (The previous one was recorded 1967) On the jetty stood a mat'lot in his uniform so neat, He's waiting for the picket boat to take him to the fleet, And there upon the quayside stands our hero's fiancé And as the crewmen row him out they hear our hero say You'll be happy l s I t s For you those wedding bells will surely ring And when England's shores are sighted, two hearts will be united You'll ..... Now that ship went into action on that cold December morn The sailor boys were fighting for the place where they were born And amongst the dead and dying our gallant hero lay And as they carried him below his shipmates heard him say Please don't burn our shithouse down Mother has promised to pay father dear's in the ocean deep Kate's in the family way Brother Bill's got gonorreah And times are looking bad So please don't burn our shithouse down Or we'll all have to shit in the yard. I too would dearly like to see some evidence that the song is older than WWII. There are other RN versions in Cyril Tawney's Grey Funnel Line p133, just the chorus in Martin Page's 'The Songs and Ballads of WWII' p25. I know of no other sources earlier than these. I'll have a quick look at Roud. It may throw something else up. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: Steve Gardham Date: 12 Nov 13 - 07:24 AM Roud has 7 entries, 2 of which are my 2 above. 4 of the others are of Percy Ling and the other is Walter Pardon and both of these have the first line 'It was one summer's evening when all the world was still' which is presumably the version closely related to those 3 posted at the beginning of the thread. Hmmmm. The mystery deepens. Similar to the quandary over the origins of 'Merry Ploughboy' 'Scarlet and the Blue'. The origins appear to be lost in the mists of modernity. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST Date: 12 Nov 13 - 08:49 AM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5we9GkFIF9Q |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: little sweetheart in the spring From: GUEST Date: 17 Jan 14 - 04:16 AM can I buy this song |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Sweetheart in the Spring From: GUEST Date: 26 Sep 14 - 10:58 PM My dad is ex Royal Navt from WW2 he used to sin: Pn the jetty stood a mate lot In his uniform so neat He's waiting for the picket boat to take him to the fleet He hears the siren calling and mast head pennant fly and as he steps in to the boat you hear him softly sigh You'll be a happy little sweetheart in the spring For you those wedding bells will surely ring For when blight shores are sighted You and I will be united You'll be a happy little sweetheart in the spring When next we see our hero on an LCI at sea He's fighting for the duty calls to set our country fee But a stray shot struck our hero and to the deck he fell and as his comrades picked him up you here him softly tell You'll be a lonely little sweetheart in the print For you those wedding bells will never ring For amongst the dead and dying Your sailor boy lay lying You'll be a lonely little sweetheart in the spring |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Sweetheart in the Spring From: GUEST,Breeze Date: 02 May 19 - 11:15 AM Bob Scarce (Blaxhall Ship,Suffolk) used to sing this. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Sweetheart in the Spring From: Snuffy Date: 03 May 19 - 04:08 AM From the structure and storyline of the song I've always assumed it was contemporary with "Your Faithful Sailor Boy" (and possibly "The Scotch Brigade) All three consists of three verses plus chorus: verse 1 is the farewell on the quayside; verse 2 the departure; and in verse 3 the sweetheart receives the news of his death. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Sweetheart in the Spring From: Steve Gardham Date: 03 May 19 - 12:37 PM Agreed but song writers sometimes hark back to former times for nostalgia sake among other reasons. |
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