Writing for Vaudeville Part 34

My little dream girl, You pretty dream girl, Sometimes I seem, girl, to own your heart.

Each night you haunt me, By day you taunt me, I want you, I want you, I need you so.

Don't let me waken, Learn I'm mistaken, Find my faith shaken, in you, sweetheart.

I'd sigh for, I'd cry for, sweet dreams forever, My little dream girl, good-night.

While shadows are creeping through darkest night, In dream-land, sweet dream-land, there's your love-light.

It's beaming, it's gleaming, and all for me, Your vision I long to see.

MEMORIES

Lyric by Music by BRETT PAGE SOL. P. LEVY

Oh, those happy days, when first we met, before you said good-bye, You soon forgot, I can't forget, no matter how I try, Those happy hours like incense burn, They're all that's left for me, You took my heart and in return You gave a memory.

Oh, memories, dear memories, of days I can't forget, Dear memories, sweet memories, my eyes with tears grow wet, For like a rose that loves the sun, And left to die when day is done, I gave my all, the heart you won, Sweetheart, I can't forget.

In all my dreams I dream of you, your arms enfold me, dear.

Your tender voice makes dreams seem true, your lips to mine are near.

But when I turn your kiss to take, You turn away from me, In bitter sadness I awake, Awake to memory.

Oh, memories, dear memories, a face I can't forget, Oh, memories, sweet memories, a voice that haunts me yet, For like a rose that loves the sun, And left to die when day is done, I gave my all, the heart you won, Sweetheart, I can't forget.

PUT ON YOUR OLD GREY BONNET

Words by Music by STANLEY MURPHY PERCY WENRIGHT

On the old farm-house veranda There sat Silas and Miranda, Thinking of the days gone by.

Said he "Dearie, don't be weary, You were always bright and cheery, But a tear, dear, dims your eye."

Said she, "They're tears of gladness, Silas, they're not tears of sadness, It is fifty years today since we were wed."

Then the old man's dim eyes brightened, And his stern old heart it lightened, As he turned to her and said:

CHORUS

"Put on your old grey bonnet with the blue ribbons on it, While I hitch old Dobbin to the shay, And through the fields of clover, we'll drive up to Dover, On our Golden Wedding Day."

It was in the same old bonnet, With the same blue ribbon on it, In the old shay by his side, That he drove her up to Dover, Thro' the same old fields of clover, To become his happy bride.

The birds were sweetly singing And the same old bells were ringing, As they pa.s.sed the quaint old church where they were wed.

And that night when stars were gleaming, The old couple lay a-dreaming, Dreaming of the words he said:

THERE'S A LITTLE SPARK OF LOVE STILL BURNING

Words by Music by JOE MCCARTHY FRED FISCHER

There was a fire burning in my heart, Burning for years and for years, Your love and kisses gave that flame a start, I put it out with my tears; You don't remember, I can't forget, That old affection lives with me yet, I keep on longing, to my regret, I know I can't forget.

CHORUS

There's a little spark of love still burning, And yearning down in my heart for you, There's a longing there for your returning, I want you, I do!

So come, come, to my heart again, Come, come, set that love aflame, For there's a little spark of love still burning, And yearning for you.

I left you laughing when I said good-bye, Laughing, but n.o.body knew How much relief I found when I could cry, I cried my heart out for you; I've loved you more than you ever know, Though years have pa.s.sed I've wanted you so, Bring back the old love, let new love grow, Come back and whisper low:

WHEN I LOST YOU By IRVING BERLIN

The roses each one, met with the sun, Sweetheart, when I met you.

The suns.h.i.+ne had fled, the roses were dead, Sweetheart, when I lost you.

CHORUS

I lost the suns.h.i.+ne and roses, I lost the heavens of blue,

I lost the beautiful rainbow, I lost the morning dew; I lost the angel who gave me Summer the whole winter through, I lost the gladness that turned into sadness, When I lost you.

The birds ceased their song, right turned to wrong, Sweetheart, when I lost you.

A day turned to years, the world seem'd in tears, Sweetheart, when I lost you.

II. QUALITIES OF THE POPULAR SONG LYRIC

Having read these eleven lyrics of varying emotions, note the rather obvious fact that

1. Most Popular Songs Have Two Verses and One Chorus

I am not now speaking of the "production song," which may have a dozen verses, and as many different catch-lines in the chorus to stamp the one chorus as many different choruses, but only of the popular song. And furthermore, while two different choruses are sometimes used in popular songs, the common practice is to use but one chorus.

Now let us see the reason for a peculiarity that must have struck you in reading these lyrics.

2. A Regular Metre is Rare

Metre is the arrangement of emphatic and unemphatic syllables in verse on a measured plan, and is attained by the use of short syllables of speech varied in different rotations by long syllables.

The metrical character of English poetry depends upon _the recurrence of similarly accented syllables at short and more or less regular intervals_. Let us take this as the definition of what I mean by metre in the few sentences in which I shall use the word.

Among recognized poets there has always been a rather strict adherence to regularity of form. Indeed, at times in the history of literature, poetry, to be considered poetry, had to confine itself to an absolutely rigid form. In such periods it has been as though the poet were presented with a box, whose depth and breadth and height could not be altered, and were then ordered to fill it full of beautiful thoughts expressed in beautiful words, and to fill it exactly, or be punished by having his work considered bad.

In ages past this rigidity of rule used to apply to the song-poet also, although the minstrel has always been permitted more lat.i.tude than other poets. To-day, however, the poet of the popular song may write in any measure his fancy dictates, and he may make his metre as regular or as irregular as he wishes. He may do anything he wants, in a song. Certainly, his language need not be either exact or "literary." Practically all that is demanded is that his lyrics convey emotion. The song-poet's license permits a world of metrical and literary sinning. I am not either apologizing for or praising this condition--I am simply stating a proved fact.

3. Irregularity of Metre May Even Be a Virtue

Even without "scanning" the lyrics of the eleven songs you have just read their irregularity of metre is plain. It is so plain that some of the irregularities rise up and smite your ears. This is why some popular songs seem so "impossible" without their music.

And the reason why they seem so pleasing with their music is that the music takes the place of regularity with delightful satisfaction.

The very irregularity is what often gives the composer his opportunity to contribute melodious punches, for the words of a popular song are a series of catchy phrases. In some cases irregularity in a song may be the crowning virtue that spells success.

4. Regularity and Precision of Rhymes Are Not Necessary

There is no need to point to specific examples of the lack of regularity in the recurrence of rhymes in most of the lyric specimens here printed, or in other famous songs. Nor is there any necessity to instance the obvious lack of precise rhyming. Neither of these poetic qualities has ever been a virtue of the average popular song-poet.