Lyr Req: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Feeble?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Feeble?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jul 23 - 10:16 AM

written by Smiley Bates from Ontario,Canada

Subject: Lyr Add: WILL YOU LOVE ME WHEN I'M OLD AND FEEBLE?
From: GUEST,James H. Silver
Date: 23 Apr 03 - 07:13 PM

Will You Love me when I'm old and feeble is a very popular song out of Newfoundland and widley performed in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. I do a version recorded by a Newfoundland Artist "Uncle George" He also has a casset tape out on it. Possibly Harry Hibbs from Newfoundland may have recorded it also. Here is the version as I perform it.

WILL YOU LOVE ME WHEN I'M OLD AND FEEBLE?

(Chorus)
             Will you love me when I'm old and feeble?
               Will you love me when I'm old and Grey?
                Will this heart of mine grow tired and weary?
                Will you love me as you do today?

(Chorus)

When our children all grow up and leave us
To have sweet families of their own
Will you still be happy with me darling?
Will you still be happy in our home?

(Chorus)

When the shades of life begin to lower
And fate decendes upon our home
With greying hair and hands that tremble
Will all your love still be my own?

(Chorus)


Usually sang in Gmaj or Amaj to accomodate the very popular diatonic accordion in Newfoundland music tuned to AD of GC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Feeble?
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Apr 03 - 06:05 PM

Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May?

Subject: Lyr Add: WILL YOU LOVE ME WHEN I'M OLD AND FEEBLE?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Apr 03 - 10:42 PM

I also found this at a site called Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador, but without any author, recording history, or other info:

WILL YOU LOVE ME WHEN I'M OLD AND FEEBLE

Will you love me when I'm old and feeble
Will you love me when I'm old and gray
When this heart of mine grows tired and weary
Will you love me as you do today

When our children all grow up and leave us
And have sweet families of their own
Will you still be happy with me Darlin'
Will you still be happy in our home

Will you love me when I'm old and feeble
Will you love me when I'm old and gray
When this heart of mine grows tired and weary
Will you love me as you do today

When the chains of life begin to lower
And fate descends upon our home
With graying hair and hands that tremble
Will all your love be mine alone

Will you love me when I'm old and feeble
Will you love me when I'm old and gray
When this heart of mine grows tired and weary
Will you love me as you do today

[However, further Google searching found that a song by this title was recorded by The Dorymen on a cassette called "Tiny Red Light" (Click here for an advertisement.) and on a Bear Family CD "Newfoundland Hits" (Click here.)

[Also by Smiley Bates on a cassette "Golden Guitar." (Click here.)]

Subject: Lyr Add: WILL YOU LOVE ME WHEN I'M OLD?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Apr 03 - 10:23 PM

Lyrics transcribed from the sheet music images at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music. (These lyrics are only slightly different from the ones posted by Kendall above.)

WILL YOU LOVE ME WHEN I'M OLD?
(J. Ford, 1872)

I would ask of you, my darling, a question soft and low
That gives me many a heartache as the moments come and go.
Your love, I know, is truthful, but the truest love grows cold.
It is this that I would ask you: will you love me when I'm old? (2x)

CHORUS: Life's morn will soon be waning and its ev'ning bells be toll'd,
But my heart will know no sadness if you'll love me when I'm old.

Down the stream of time together we are sailing side by side,
Hoping some bright day to anchor safe beyond the surging tide.
Today our sky is cloudless, but the night may clouds unfold,
And its storms may gather 'round us. Will you love me when I'm old? (2x)
CHORUS

When my hair shall shame the snowdrift and mine eyes shall dimmer grow,
I would lean upon some loved one in the valley as I go.
I would claim of you a promise worth to me a world of gold.
It is only this, my darling: that you'll love me when I'm old. (2x)
CHORUS

[A text only slightly different from the one above was "collected" by John Quincy Wolf, Jr. in Pleasant Grove, Arkansas in 1952. Click here. (An mp3 file is allegedly available, but it didn't work for me.)

That page says that Vance Randolph also collected it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Fe
From: kendall
Date: 17 May 00 - 11:21 AM

I would ask of you my darling
A question soft and low
It gives me many heart aches
As the moments come and go
I know your love is truthful
But, the truest love grows cold
And, it's this that I would ask you
"Will you love me when I'm old?"

Life's morn will soon be waning
And it's evening bells be tolled
But, my heart will know no sadness
If you'll love me when I'm old.

Down the stream of life together
We are sailing side by side
Hoping some bright day to anchor
Safe beyond the surging tide
Today the skies are cloudless
But the night may clouds unfold
And the storms clouds gather 'round us
Will you love me when I'm old?

When my hair shall shame the snow drift
And my eyes shall dimmer grow
I would lean upon some loved one
Down the valley as I go
I would claim of you a promise

Worth to me a world of gold
And it's this that I would ask you..
"Will you love me when I'm old?"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Fe
From: Celtic.Relics.com
Date: 17 May 00 - 07:47 AM

Sure Kendall, if you happen to have the lyrics handy.... I learned a little more info. It believed to be a Newfoundland tune, perhaps from an album entitle "Newfie Gold"? Wish I could be more help, I am search this tune for a few friends... their only memories of the song is a drunken night at the pub. But the lyrics to any similar song would be great... thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Fe
From: kendall
Date: 16 May 00 - 11:14 AM

Dont know about the "feeble" part, but, Ed Trickett recorded "Will you love me when I'm old" on Folk Legacy some years ago. I could give you the words to that one.?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Fe
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 16 May 00 - 11:02 AM

Don't know this one, but Tom Lehrer's When You're Old And Grey is in the 'trad...

Subject: Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Feeble
From: Celtic.Relics.com
Date: 16 May 00 - 09:14 AM

Greetings Madcatters.... looking for lyrics to "Will You Love Me When I'm Old and Feeble?" Any help-o would be great-o!! Much thanks