richard rodgers • oscar hammerstein II
This song is from the 1949 Broadway Musical "South Pacific" and the 1958 Film Musical with the same title. The story of the musical is summed up along with a medley HERE.
From the second act; French plantation owner Emile de Becque complains about being turned down by the young American navy nurse Nellie Forbush. In the original Broadway show, Metropolitan Opera star Ezio Pinza had the role as de Becque. Pinza unfortunately died the year before the film was shot, and Rossano Brazzi captured the role mainly because of his looks and common popularity. The voice was dubbed by operatic bass Giorgio Tozzi. The song has never been a single hit for anyone, but is frequently performed in concerts and often used as a track on concept albums.
Ahead of the 1949 Broadway premiere, the show underwent a cleanup to decrease the playtime. One of the results was that the first four lines of the second break in this song were omitted ... maybe because they had significant different and complicated harmonies; in that case I agree with the decision ... but in later remakes, it has been put back. This version is what Ezio Pinza originally performed; the obscure lines are marked blue oblique.
one dream in my heart
one love to be living for
one love to be living for
this nearly was mine
one girl for my dreams
one partner in Paradise
this promise of Paradise
this nearly was mine
close to my heart she came
only to fly away
only to fly as day flies from moonlight!
now : now I’m alone
still dreaming of Paradise
still saying that Paradise
once nearly was mine
so clear and deep are my fancies
of things I wish were true
I'll keep rememb'ring evenings
I wish I'd spent with you
I'll keep rememb'ring kisses
from lips I'll never own
and all the lovely adventures
that we have never known
[repeat 1.verse, 2.verse, 1.break and last verse]
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
G D7 G one dream in my heart Bm C ...D7sus2 one love to be living for Bm E7 Am one love to be living for Cmaj7 D7 G this nearly was mine G D7 G one girl for my dreams Bm C ...D7sus2 one partner in paradise Bm E7 Am this promise of paradise Cmaj7 D7 G this nearly was mine C Em E close to my heart she came Cmaj7 Cadd9 E7 only to fly away C Em A7 only to fly as day D ...D7 flies from moonlight G D7 G now now I’m alone Bm C ...D7sus2 still dreaming of paradise Bm E7 Cmaj7 ...C still saying that paradise G D7 G once nearly was mine Bm A#dim so clear and deep are my fancies Bm F#7 of things I wish were true Bm Em6 I'll keep remembering evenings Bm F#aug B5 I wish I'd spent with you Bm Em7 I'll keep remembering kisses B5 A7 from lips I'll never own D Gm6 and all the lovely adventures D Gdim7 D ...D7 that we have never known
