Chord Req/Add: Ballad of the Sad Young Men

Subject: Lyrics By Fran Landesman
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Jan 18 - 11:24 AM

Fran Landesman wrote this lyric as well; while a separate thread could be started,
regardless I thought of attaching the lyric here,
so that we could sort of have a
"Lyrics By Fran Landesman" sequence.

I started with the website, "database of popular music."

SPRING CAN REALLY HANG YOU UP THE MOST

[verse]
Once I was a sentimental thing
Threw my heart away each Spring
Now a spring romance
Hasn't got a chance
Promised my first chance to Winter
All I've got to show's a splinter
For my little fling

[tune]
Spring this year has got me feeling
Like a horse that never left the post
I lie in my room staring up at the ceiling
Spring can really hang you up the most

Morning's kiss wakes trees and flowers
And to them I'd like to drink a toast
But I walk in the park just to kill the lonely hours
Spring can really hang you up the most

All afternoon the birds twitter twit
I know the tune; This is love, This is it
Heard it before
And don't I know the score
And I've decided that spring is a bore

Love seems sure around the New Year
Now it's April; love is just a ghost
Spring arrived on time, only what became of you, dear
Spring can really hang you up the most

Love came my way, I thought it would last
We had our day, now it's all in the past
Spring came along, a season of song
Full of sweet promise, but something went wrong

Doctors once prescribed a tonic
Sulphur and molasses was the dose
Didn't help one bit, my condition must be chronic
Spring can really hang you up the most

All alone, the party is over
Old Man Winter was a gracious host
But when you keep praying for snow to hide the clover
Spring can really hang you up the most

lyrics by Fran Landesman
music by Thomas J. Wolf, Jr.
copyright year 1955
(written for "The Nervous Set" but cut from the show)
publisher: Fricon Music Company



note:
I have seen one or two additional sets of chorus/tune lyrics,
but I'm not sure of their provenance.
My sources are not the best.
Maybe another member/guest
has access to better sources with more authoritative info. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Chord Req/Add: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 15 - 12:20 PM

hey there...I'm looking for the Ballad in piano sheet music. there is someone who says they have in on this site who said the PM him but no email. anybody know how to do this...

Thanks,

Colin

Subject: RE: Chord Req/Add: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST,Roderick
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 01:40 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgudr5BwDdk
Fran was an extraordinary person and lyric writer living in London from 1964 onwards as Fran Fabulous with her husband Stan Stunning. If you like this song I encourage you to find out more about her. You may be shocked but you will not regret it.

"In 1994 she met the jazz pianist and composer Simon Wallace and they developed an enduring creative relationship that produced some of her finest work." (300 songs) - we who are affected by her streams of perception and honesty can be proud to hear and perform these works in debt to her inspirational legacy.

Links to some of the many obituaries for Fran:

www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/aug/10/fran-landesman-obituary

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8663810/Fran-Landesman.html

www.nytimes.com/.../fran-landesman-lyricist-with-a-bittersweet-edge-dies-at- 83.html and follow to Archive

www.bbc.co.uk/.../Last_Word_John_Stott_Stan_Barstow_Derek_ BryceSmith_David_Dunseith_and_Fran_Landesman/ follow link to iplayer

news.scotsman.com/obituaries/Obituary-Fran-Landesman-.6811292.jp

Subject: RE: Chord Req/Add: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST,Roderick
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 11:46 AM

Chords to Davey Graham version set out for follow along http://chordify.net/chords/davy-graham-ballad-of-the-sad-young-men-jesse-leos

Subject: RE: Chord Req/Add: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 11:40 AM

Fran Landesman - (October 21, 1927 – July 23, 2011) was an American lyricist and poet. She grew up in New York City and lived for years in Saint Louis, Missouri, where her husband Jay Landesman operated the Crystal Palace nightclub. One of her best-known songs is "Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most."
Tommy Wolf set her lyrics to music, and the song became a hit, leading to more Landesman–Wolf collaborations.

Wolf composed the melodies for the songs for The Nervous Set, a musical with a book by Jay Landesman and lyrics by Fran Landesman. It had a brief run on Broadway,[2] and featured the songs, "Spring" and "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men". Molly Darling, a musical by Jay Landesman and Martin Quigley, was produced by the St. Louis MUNY Opera.

Subject: RE: Chord Req/Add: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Feb 12 - 06:53 PM

There are at least seven versions of this on YouTube. Can you learn it by listening to it?

Subject: RE: Chord Req/Add: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST,cobarnew
Date: 09 Feb 12 - 01:33 PM

I am reqlly desperqte to get the sheet music for this song - i'm happy to pay cash!

Subject: RE: Chord Req/ADD: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jul 11 - 04:58 PM

Hello Lanfranc - like several others, I am really hoping to obtain this sheet music - it's such a beautiful song. (Shirley Bassey is great, and also I'm listening to Radka Toneff (wonderful on YouTube), Sheila Jordan, Kurt Elling, Gil Evans ... )

Do you still have the music, and would you be willing - very kindly - to email it to me? My email is [e-mail].

Best wishes, and many thanks
David Hurford

Subject: ADD: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 01:07 AM

I found it in the Hal Leonard Ultimate Broadway Fake Book. The words are just a bit different from those posted above. Mind you, I've found many mistakes in Hal Leonard fake books, so I can't guarantee the accuracy of these lyrics.
-Joe- (e-mail sent)-

THE BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN
(Fred Landesman & Tommy Wolf, Jr.)

Sing a song of sad young men,
Glasses full of rye.
All the news is bad again,
Kiss your dreams goodbye.

All the sad young men,
Sitting in the bars,
Knowing neon nights,
Missing all the stars.
All the sad young men
Drifting through the town,
Drinking up the night,
Trying not to drown.

All the sad young men,
Singing in the cold,
Trying to forget
That they're growing old.
All the sad young men,
Choking on their youth,
Trying to be brave,
Running from the truth.


Autumn turns the leaves to gold,
Slowly dies the heart.
Sad young men are growing old,
That's the cruelest part.

All the sad young men
Seek a certain smile,
Someone they can hold
For a little while.
Tired little girl
Does the best she can,
Trying to be gay
For a sad young man.

While a grimy moon
Watches from above,
All the sad young men
Play at making love.
Misbegotten moon,
Shine for sad young men.
Let your gentle light
Guide them home again,
All the sad young men,
All the sad young men.


from the 1959 Broadway musical, The Nervous Set, which has 23 performances.

Notes: The Nervous Set offered a '50's Broadway version of that segment of '50's society known as the "beat generation." Unlike the carefree kids of Grease, these young adults were shown to have felt oppressed and alienated by the rules of American society. Despite its initial success, The Nervous Set is very much a product of its time and is rarely revived, although "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men" is still heard frequently.

I listened to the Shirley Bassey recording, and really liked it.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Apr 11 - 03:38 PM

Lanfranc,

I am desperately searching for "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" sheet music as well. Do you still have it? If so, can you please email it to me at: [e-mail]?

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 05:40 AM

Once again thank you all for the information. Much appreciated!!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN
From: mike the knife
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 01:34 PM

Rickie Lee Jones does a fine version on "Pop Pop"

Subject: RE: Chord Req: BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN
From: Lanfranc
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 06:38 PM

I have the sheet music and could email/fax/post it to you if you PM me with an address. It's written in E flat, and needs more transposition/transcription than I have time for at present.

It first appeared in a Broadway show called "The Nervous Set" in the late 50s. I have it on tape by Shirley Bassey (!), Davey Graham and I have been known to play it myself.

Alan (aka Redd Sullivan's protege!)

Subject: RE: Chord Req: BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 03:25 PM

Cheers guys that gives me something to go on. I never seem to pick easy tunes to ask about. There must be Davey Graham fans somewhere who know what I am talking about?

Subject: RE: Chord Req: BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 08:42 AM

The lyric was posted here a couple of years ago: Ballad of the Sad Young Men.

No tune, though, and no suggested accompaniment.

Subject: Chord Req: BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 01 Jan 03 - 04:05 PM

Hi everyone. I am looking for a song that appeared on a Davey Graham album called " The ballad of the sad young men." It is by Fran Landesman. If it is possible I need both chords and lyrics. The chords are more important though.
   Any help will be gratefully received.
      Pete.

Subject: ADD: Ballad of the Sad Young Men
From: Max Tone
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 06:32 PM

Here's a cracking song I learnt off Corrina Hewat, singing (and playing superb harp) with Scottish band Bachue.


THE BALLAD OF THE SAD YOUNG MEN
(Fred Landesman & Tommy Wolf, Jr.)

Sing a song of sad young men
Glasses full of Rye.
All the news is bad again,
So kiss your dreams goodbye.

All the sad young men,
Sitting in the bars,
Knowing neon nights,
Missing all the stars.
All the sad young men
Drifting through the town,
Drinking up the night
Trying not to drown.

All the sad young men,
Sitting in the cold,
Trying to forget
That they're growing old.
All the sad young men,
Choking on their youth,
Trying to be brave,
Running from the truth.

Autumn turns the leaves to gold.
Slowly dies the heart.
Sad young men are growing old -
That's the cruellest part.

All the sad young men
Seek a certain smile,
Someone they can hold
For a little while.
Tired little girl
Does the best she can,
Trying to be gay
For her sad young man.

While the grimy moon
Watches from above,
All the sad young men
Play at making love.
Misbegotten moon -
Shine on sad young men.
Let your gentle light
Guide them home tonight -
All the sad young men,
All the sad young men.


Anyone got a MIDI of the tune? I've learnt the tune masel', but cannae play a keyboard properly, let alone programme a MIDI file.
Have a Purrrrfect Xmas,
Rob