Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway (S Foster

Subject: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway
From: GUEST,Atortho
Date: 15 Aug 01 - 06:53 PM

Does anyone have the lyrics to the 1850 Stephen Foster song, "Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Aug 01 - 07:07 PM

Here you are Nice song too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Aug 01 - 12:40 AM

For Foster's (nearly) complete collection of lyrics, go to these sites (2-4 are with MIDI):

(1) Center for American Music's Stephen Foster Pages
(2) Public Domain Music: The Music of Stephen Collins Foster
(3) Stephen Foster Collection / Sammlung 1826-1864 (McGrath's link)
(4) Stephen Collins Foster: American Dreams

The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music, a great site, has the 1850 edition of "AH! MAY THE RED ROSE LIVE ALWAY." Original sheet music of 40 songs, where of course "Ah! May the Red Rose" is, are reprinted in Stephen Foster Song Book, edited by Richard Jackson (Dover). Smithsonan's Critical Edition (2 vols.) is, I believe, out of print, but worth searching for.

Subject: Lyr Add: AH! MAY THE RED ROSE LIVE ALWAY (Foster)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 11:39 AM

AH! MAY THE RED ROSE LIVE ALWAY
(Stephen Foster, 1850)

Ah, may the red rose live alway, to smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep? Why should the beautiful die?
Lending a charm to ev'ry ray that falls on her cheeks of light,
Giving the zephyr kiss for kiss, and nursing the dewdrop bright,
Ah! may the red rose live alway, to smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep? Why should the beautiful die?

Long may the daisies dance the field, frolicking far and near.
Why should the innocent hide their heads? Why should the innocent fear?
Spreading their petals in mute delight when mornin' its radiance breaks,
Keeping a floral festival till the night-loving primrose wakes,
Long may the daisies dance the field, frolicking far and near.
Why should the innocent hide their heads? Why should the innocent fear?

Lulled be the dirge in the cypress bough, that tells of departed flowers!
Ah! that the butterfly's gilded wing fluttered in evergreen bowers!
Sad is my heart for the blighted plants –- its pleasures are aye as brief –-
They bloom at the young year's joyful call, and fade with the autumn leaf;
Ah! may the red rose live alway, to smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep? Why should the beautiful die?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway
From: masato sakurai
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 12:22 PM

Listen to this song based on the original arrangement HERE (MP3/RealAudio/WAV). Richard Jackson's book (minus notes) is online (CLICK HERE).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 02 - 02:31 PM

Beautifully rendered by the lady, for the No1 version listen to Richard Crooks, a great Tenor. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: Lyr Add: AH! MAY THE RED ROSE LIVE ALWAY! (Foster)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Aug 13 - 04:43 PM

Lyr. Add: AH! MAY THE RED ROSE LIVE ALWAY!
Stephen Collins Foster, 1850

Ah! may the red rose live alway,
To smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep?
Why should the beautiful die?
Lending a charm to ev'ry ray
That falls on her cheeks of light,
Giving the zephyr kiss for kiss,
And nursing the dewdrop bright
Ah! may the red rose live always,
To smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep?
Why should the beautiful die?

Long may the daisies dance the field,
Frolicking far and near!
Why should the innocent hide their heads?
Why should the innocent fear?
Spreading their petals in mute delight
When morn in its radiance breaks,
Keeping a floral festival
Till the night-loving primrose wakes.
Long may the daisies dance the field,
Frolicking far and near!
Why should the innocent hide their heads?
Why should the innocent fear?

Lulled be the dirge in the cypress bough,
That tells of departed flowers!
Ah! that the butterfly's gilded wing
Fluttered in evergreen bowers!
Sad in my heart for the blighted plants
Its pleasures are aye as brief
They bloom at the young year's joyful call,
And fade with the autumn leaf.
Ah! may the red rose live always,
To smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep?
Why should the beautiful die?

One of Foster's most beautiful melodies, seldom heard.
Midi or MP3
http://www.stephen-foster-songs.de/foster001.htm
Foster Music Collection

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway (S Foster
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Aug 13 - 09:29 PM

Here are Kate and Anna McGarrigle "with family and friends" singing it back in 1989.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj49qXvrEOA

The link works, but for some reason it didn't when I made a blue clicky. Worth going to the effort of having a look, it's charming.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway (S Foster
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 09 Aug 13 - 02:42 PM

Verse 2, line 3:

Spreading their petals in mute delight
When morn in its radiance breaks.

(Not when "mornin'")

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway (S Foster
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Aug 13 - 06:19 PM

Good catch, Q.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway (S Foster
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Aug 13 - 03:54 AM

I have the CD "American Dreamer" - songs and tunes of Stephen Foster, sung by Thomas Hampson and played by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason. It's a gem.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway (S Foster
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Aug 13 - 03:55 AM

Forgot to say, "Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway" is on the CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway (S Foster
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Aug 13 - 12:01 PM

The "American Dreamer" CD is a favorite of mine.
I also like Hampson's "Hard Times."