The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1921-07-08
The Songs We Use To Sing
BY w. v. BARRY
Reproduced from Nashville Banner


In response to many requests, am
beginning with this issue to reproduce
in The Progress the old songs and
fragments Of songs just as | wrote
them for the Nashville Banner
The Oldest song that | remember is
"We stood Beside the Window" and
the music of il is said to have be-
longed to an aunt, Mrs. Eudora Mil
Ter, who died here years ago, past the
age of eighty.
Here is verse of il, and | believe
that throughout this | will confine
myself to the reproduction Of but one
verse, and, perhaps the chorus Of a
song:
1--WE stood beside the window, it was
the very same,
When years ago together we wrote
each others name.
listened for the dear words used to
hear from thee;
| I listened but there came not one
loving word for me-"
The other two verses Sre 50 pref
ty that ! can hardly refrain from Civ
ing them-but win stick 70 my
Word. go :,
Nearly all of the love songs Of the
middle ages Of the last century were
..dolefni dittiess for instance: Life
Has No Charms for Me-" -
II look around, look around, life has
no charms for me;
There 10 q pang in ell feel, blight
Ger all / see.a
In vain may joys around me glow or
summer Ger me shine,
There is no glance that fondly
beams, no heart that throbs to
mine. 49,.
And this:
"Had never, never known thee, then
my heart would been my own,
And the voice that now bewails
thee learned to breathe anoth-
or tone.
Had / never known the blighting of
the moment thus to part,
Nor fled from all delighting to a
lonely, broken heart"
This one, Lucy Gray" believe is
worse:
1.-THE parting sun with golden ray lit
up the silent room
Where Lucy, child Of beauty, lay
in oil her blighted bloom.
Mother, dear, an early grave this
broken heart shall hide,
But tell him, tell him, forgave and
blest him ere l died."
OF course l remember "Nellie
Gray" but instead Of that | will give
a somewhat later song, "Nettie
Moore"
"In little white cottage where the
trees are ever green,
And the climbing roses blossom by
the door, ..
/ have often sat and listened to the
music Of the birds
And the charming voice Of gentle
Nettie Moore"
Chorus:
"Oh, l miss you, Nettie Moore, and
my happiness is Ger,
For spirit sat around my heart
has come.
For the busy days are long and the
nights are lonely now,
Since you've gone from our little
cottage home"
But l will drop the love songs for
the time being at least and give a few
of the others. "The Grave of Napol-
con Bonaparte" was one of my moth
er's songs, played on the guitar, and
here is verse:
ION a lone, barren isle where the |
wild, roaring pillows
Assail the stern rock and the loud |
tempest rave,
The hero lies still while the dew drop |
ping willows
Like fond, weeping mourners, lean
over his grave"
(Chorus:)
"The lightnings may flash and the
loud thunders rattle,
He heeds not, he hears not, he's
from all pain.
He sleeps his last sleep, he has fought |
his last battle,
No sound can awake him to glory
again."
/ cannot remember where | picked |
up Pass Under the Rod" but l liked |
it and here is the first stanza:
Il saw young bride in her beauty |
and pride, hedecked in her
snowy array,
The bright flush of joy mantled high |
on her cheek and the future |
looked blooming and gay.
And with woman's devotion she laid |
her fond heart at the shrine of !
idolatrous love,
And she anchored her hopes to this
perishing earth by the chain
that her tenderness wove.
But / saw when those heartstrings
were bleeding and torn and the
chain had been severed in two,
She had changed her white robes for
the sables of grief and her
bloom for the paleness of woe.
But the healer was there who had bro