hart danks • eben rexford
This song was among the first acoustic recorded ones ever; first time by Richard Jose in 1903. Today nobody's able to count the releases, translated into several languages, given various lyrics and performed by opera singers as well as rock stars and barbershop artists. The first one I heard, was a norwegian version from -55, sung by Olav Werner - in fact a native of my present domicile Geithus, Modum - from a radio request programme I used to listen to as a child. Today I'm old enough to sing it myself ...
It was written back in 1873, by Hart Pease Danks who ordered lyrics from Eben Eugene Rexford, at that time going to college. Rexford sent 9 lyrics; 6 were used and he got paid 18$. Among them were a revised lyric he wrote at the age of eighteen: "Growing Old".
The song is by all odds a "prune": sticky and soaked with sentimentality. But the melody is a masterpiece, and the lyrics? We are talking about love until death us apart. Anything else is only desire.
darling : I am growing old
silver threads among the gold
shine upon my brow today
life is fading fast away
but my darling : you will be • will be
always young and fair to me
yes my darling : you will be
always young and fair to me
when your hair is silver white
and your cheeks no longer bright
with the roses of the May
I will kiss your lips and say:
"Oh my darling : mine alone • alone
you have never older grown
yes my darling • mine alone:
you have never older grown"
love can never more grow old
locks may lose their brown and gold
cheeks may fade and hollow grow
but the hearts that love will know
that my darling : you will be • will be
always young and fair to me
yes my darling : you will be
always young and fair to me
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
C G6 G7 C darling I am growing old G G7 C silver threads among the gold C G6 G7 C shine upon my brow today G G7 C life is fading fast away G G7 C A7 but my darling you will be will be Dm D7 G ... B+ always young and fair to me C G7 C yes my darling you will be G G7 C always young and fair to me
