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Origins: The Old Man's Wish / Old Man's Song |
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Subject: The Old Man's Wish (180 Loyal Songs) From: GUEST,palmermarshall@yahoo.com Date: 24 Aug 02 - 02:57 PM Does anyone know where I can find the 17th Century tune "The Old Man's Wish"? It was published in "180 Loyal Songs" in 1685 in England. We need it for a show we're doing on the life of Benjamin Franklin. Some of the lyrics are: May I govern my passions with an absolute sway, grow wiser and better as my strength wears away, without gout or stone, by gentle decay. Many thanks. Susan Marshall |
Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Old Man's Wish (180 Loyal Songs) From: Sorcha Date: 24 Aug 02 - 04:09 PM There is something at Bodleian by that title, (don't know if this will work...........) Try this. It's not too readable, though. I'll look some more for a tune...... |
Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Old Man's Wish (180 Loyal Songs) From: Sorcha Date: 24 Aug 02 - 04:16 PM Readable lyrics here, and a tune at JC's but don't know if it is the correct one. |
Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Old Man's Wish (180 Loyal Songs) From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 24 Aug 02 - 04:40 PM It's the correct tune, having been extracted from an abc at Bruce Olson's site. There seem to be some errors in the notation, though. The University of Toronto site is wrong to state that the piece is anonymous; it was written by the astronomer Dr. Walter Pope, and published on a broadside with music in 1684 (probably), and in The Theater of Music, where the tune is attributed to Dr. John Blow, in 1685. (See Claude M. Simpson, The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music, 1966). |
Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Old Man's Wish (180 Loyal Songs) From: Sorcha Date: 24 Aug 02 - 04:51 PM Thanks, Malcolm; I'll e mail. |
Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Old Man's Wish (180 Loyal Songs) From: GUEST,palmermarshall@yahoo.com Date: 25 Aug 02 - 05:24 PM Dear All: Thanks for your help. Got what I needed. Many thanks. Now our Ben Franklin will be singing the correct tune. Susan Marshall |
Subject: ADD: The Old Man's Song From: Joe Offer Date: 12 Oct 20 - 05:47 PM The Old Man's Song Traditional, c. 1685 THE OLD MAN'S SONG If I live to grow old, for I find I go down, Let this be my fate in a country town: May I have a warm house, with a stone at the gate, And a cleanly young girl to rub my bald pate;
May I govern my passions with absolute sway, And grow wiser and better as strength wears away, Without gout or stone, by a gentle decay. 2. In a country town, by a murmuring brook, With the ocean at distance on which I may look; With a spacious plain, without hedge or stile, And an easy pad nag to ride out a mile. Refrain: 3. With Horace and Plutarch, and one or two more Of the best wits that lived in the age before; With a dish of roast mutton, not venison or teal, And clean, though coarse, linen at every meal. Refrain: 4. With a pudding on Sunday, and stout humming liquor, And remnants of Latin to welcome the vicar; With a hidden reserve of good Burgundy wine, To drink the king's health in as oft as I dine. Refrain: 5. When the days are grown short, and it freezes and snows, May I have a coal fire as high as my nose; A fire (which once stirred up with a prong), Will keep the room temperate all the night long. Refrain: 6. With a courage undaunted may I face my last day; And when I am dead may the better sort say 'In the morning when sober, in the evening when mellow, He's gone, and he leaves not behind him his fellow!' Refrain: https://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/english/oldmanso.htm Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry: If I Live to Grow OldDESCRIPTION: "If I lie to grow old... Let this be my fate in a fair country town." "May I govern my passions with absolute sway, And grow wiser and better as my strength wears away." He hopes for a good home, health, a good view, good books, good food, a good deathAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1685 (Playford, Theatre of Music, according to Bell-Combined) KEYWORDS: death age nonballad virtue FOUND IN: Britain(England) REFERENCES (2 citations): Huntington-Whalemen, pp. 300-302, "As I Grow Old" (1 text, 1 tune) Bell-Combined, pp.460-461, "The Old Man's Song" (1 text) ST BeCo460 (Partial) Roud #2093 File: BeCo460 Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2020 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
Subject: ADD Version: As I Grow Old From: Joe Offer Date: 13 Oct 20 - 03:20 AM AS I GROW OLD If I live to grow old as I find I go down Let this be my fate in a fair country town May I have a warm house with a stone at my gate And a cleanly young girl to rub my bald pate CHORUS May I govern my passions with an absolute sway And grow wiser and better as my strength wears away Without gout or stone by a gentle decay In a country town by a murmuring brook With the ocean at a distance on which I may look With a spacious plain without hedge or stile And an easy passage to ride out a mile With Horace and Plutarch and one or two more Of the best of poets lived in ages before With a dish of roast mutton not venison or lamb And clean tho course linen at every meal With a pudding on Sunday with stout humming liquor And a remnant of Latin to puzzle the vicar With a hidden reserve of Burgundy wine To drink the President’s health as oft as we dine With courage undaunted may I face my last day And when I am dead may the better sort say In the morning when sober in the evening when mellow He’s gone and hain’t left behind his fellow FINAL CHORUS For he governed his passions with an absolute sway And grew wiser and better as strength passed away Without gout or stone by a gentle decay Paulina 1808 In Calliope, London, 1788, p. 58, this sing is called "If I Live to Grow Old.” And there it is the King’s health and not the President’s which is toasted in Burgundy wine. Source: Songs the Whalemen Sang, by Gale Huntington (Barre Publishers, 1964), pages 300-302 Melody transcribed on request - joe@mudcat.org |
Subject: RE: Origins: The Old Man's Wish / Old Man's Song From: oldhippie Date: 13 Oct 20 - 10:11 AM GRANDFATHER (as recorded by the Kilkenny Krew) Grandfather sits in an old rocking chair And he hums a sad song to the still morning air This old folks prison don’t feel much like home And though he’s got friends he feels so much alone Chorus: Ah, but Julie comes somedays when she finds the time And she brings homemade bread and some blueberry wine And most of all she brings him hope for awhile And she leaves the old man with a tear and a smile In the old days Grandfather remembers so sweet You should see the old Ford Model T’s on the street And the hot roaring twenties were a young man’s delight With the straw hat and whiskey and speed kings and dice Chorus Do the folks in the village remember us still Or, are we quickly forgotten when we’re over the hill And as Grandfather drifts down the warm sunset years He can scarcely recall all the seasons of tears Chorus Grandfather sits in an old rocking chair And he hums a sad song to the still morning air This old folks prison don’t feel much like home And though he’s got friends he feels so much alone Chorus |
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