Lyr ADD: The Old Rustic Bridge by the Mill

Subject: The Old Rustic Bridge By The Mill
From: Teru
Date: 04 May 98 - 09:57 PM

I have not found the lyrics for this famous song anywhere. Is that because it is not a folk song? Does anyone know the lyrics?

Thanks

Subject: RE: The Old Rustic Bridge By The Mill
From: Roger Himler
Date: 05 May 98 - 07:04 PM

Teru, this song rings no bells in my mind. If you have any other information about it like type of music, some of the words, where you've heard it, it may stimulate some response. Good luck!!

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: The Old Rustic Bridge By The Mill
From: PKD on Teesside
Date: 06 May 98 - 02:25 AM

It's a music hall song in the tear-jerker category. The incomprable Fred Jordan from Shropshire sings it.

"Below it the stream gently ripples, above it the birds softly sing. When I'm far, far away my heart oft returns to the old rustic bridge by the mill."

I have a recording of Fred singing it & I'll get the words for you - but it might take a few days ('cos we're just off on a voice-wrecking expedition to Killkenny).

By the by - Fred has lots more of these. "The Bird in the Gilded Cage", "Two Little Girls in Blue", "The Voluntary Organist" & so on, & also has loads of trad English stuff. Fred is in his 70's now but still gets round a lot of the English Festivals. He got the music hall stuff from his mother & the trad stuff from his father (or vice-versa??). He says his father always said "Don't ye forget the words, boy" and his mother used to say "Always leave them with a tear in their eyes".

Two pieces of excellent advice !!

Cheers

Paul

Subject: RE: The Old Rustic Bridge By The Mill
From: McGrath
Date: 06 May 98 - 04:49 AM

A grand sentimental old chestnut with a lovely melody.
Give me a day or so and I'll post it for you.

Frank McG.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD RUSTIC BRIDGE BY THE MILL
From: PKD on Teesside
Date: 06 May 98 - 02:17 PM

Hi,

As promised - one rustic bridge

THE OLD RUSTIC BRIDGE BY THE MILL

I've been thinking tonight of an old rustic bridge
That bends o'er the murmuring stream.
It was there, Maggie dear, with our hearts full of cheer,
We strayed ‘neath the moon's gentle beam.
It was there I first met you. The love in your eyes
Awoke in my heart a sweet thrill.
Though now far away, still my thoughts fondly stray
To the old rustic bridge by the mill.

CHO: Beneath it the stream gently ripples.
Around it, the birds long to trill.
Though now far away, still my thoughts fondly stray
To the old rustic bridge by the mill.

How oft-times, dear Maggie, in the hours passed away,
Have we plighted lovers became.
Oh, we rambled afar to the bridge day by day,
The light of each other to claim.
But one day we parted in pain and regret
Our vows then we ne'er could fulfill.
Oh, we shall still meet, and our fond love repeat
By the old rustic bridge by the mill. CHO.

I keeps in my memory a love of the past.
To me ‘tis as bright as of old.
For deep in my heart, it was planted to last.
In absence, it never grows cold.
For I think of you, darling, when lonely at night
And when all is peaceful and still.
Oh, my heart wanders back in a dream of delight
To the old rustic bridge by the mill. CHO.

Cheers
Paul

Subject: RE: The Old Rustic Bridge By The Mill
From: Teru
Date: 06 May 98 - 08:10 PM

Thank you very much, Paul.

The song is sung also by Foster & Allen.

With kindest Regards

Teru

Subject: RE: The Old Rustic Bridge By The Mill
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 May 98 - 09:21 AM

I found a note saying it has been written by J.P. Kelly
Wolfgang

Subject: RE: The Old Rustic Bridge By The Mill
From: Brack&
Date: 15 May 98 - 05:01 AM

I have an old copy of the sheet music......written by someone called L.P. Skelly. I have a feeling tho that this song was written by someone else.....a guy who was born in Kileen Co. Louth, Ireland. He had a lot of his songs ripped of in the early part of the century.

Subject: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: GUEST,Mike - Halifax - UK
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 11:10 AM

I heard a great song this weekend at Mickleby Folk Club ( East Yorks) called 'the old rustic bridge (by the mill)' and can't find reference to it either in DT Lyrics or forum. I think it's an old hymn. Any thoughts about this song and it's origins?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OLD RUSTIC BRIDGE BY THE MILL
From: nutty
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 11:15 AM

I bet it was sung by Mu Wilkinson ... she and Jim sing some lovely old songs.
Anyway the info is here Mike   ....... You should try using Google as well as the DT.

Old Rustic Bridge

Sorry I missed you on Saturday

---

THE OLD RUSTIC BRIDGE BY THE MILL
(T. P. Keenan)

I'm thinking tonight of the old rustic bridge
That bends o'er the murmuring stream.
'Twas there Maggie dear, with our hearts full of cheer,
We strayed 'neath the moon's gentle gleam.
'Twas there I first met you, the light of your eyes,
Awoke in my heart a sweet thrill.
Though now far away, still my thoughts fondly stray,
To the old rustic bridge by the mill.
Chorus:
Beneath it a stream gently rippled.
Around it the birds loved to thrill
Though now far away still my thoughts fondly stray
To the old rustic bridge by the mill.

How often, dear Maggie, when years passed away,
And we plighted lovers became;
We rambled the path to the bridge, day by day,
The smiles of each other to claim.
But one day we parted in pain and regret,
Our vows then we could not fulfill;
Oh, may we soon meet and our fond love repeat,
On the old rustic bridge by the mill.
Chorus

I keep in my mem'ry the love of the past,
With me 'tis as bright as of old;
For deep in my heart it was planted to last,
In absence it never grows cold.
I think of you darling, when lonely at night,
And when all is peaceful and still;
My heart wanders back in a dream of delight,
To the old rustic bridge by the mill.

Chorus

---

Lyrics copy-pasted from the link cited above.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 11:18 AM

Old thread (with lyrics and a bit of inf)

Don't blame yourself, Mike, the search is awful today.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: Louie Roy
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 12:26 PM

Foster and Allen Has this on one of their tapes and they do an excellent job on it.If you can't locate the tape I have it Louie Roy

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: nutty
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 01:10 PM

Didn't mean to sound snooty Mike. I was only joking.

Hazel

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: nutty
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 01:15 PM

Another search has turned up the original sheet music here ........

sheet music

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: nutty
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 01:23 PM

There is also this info about the song ...........


CASTLETOWNROCHE, Co. Cork

It derives its name from the de Roche family (who were
once Anglo-Norman lords of Fermoy).

Located in North Cork, between Mallow and Fermoy,
40kms (25 miles) from Cork City and 67kms (42
miles) from Limerick City, pleasantly situated on the
River Awbeg. Its castle and church make it attractive to
visitors in addition to its grotto and refurbished mill. Its
bridge has been immortalised in the song "The Old
Rustic Bridge by the Mill".


PLACES TO VISIT

The Protestant church
Dating from 1825. In its graveyard is buried T.P.
Keenan the author of the once popular ballad "The Old
Rustic Bridge by the Mill" referring to the bridge
crossing the Awbeg at the mill. Accessible.

Annes Grove Gardens
Situated approx. 2 km from Castletownroche, this has
one of the most important collections of
rhododendrons in Ireland, some of which are found no
where else in the world.

Bridgetown Abbey
Situated 2 km from Castletownroche are the
extraordinary ruins of Bridgetown Abbey, founded in
the 13th century by Augustinian monks, is the biggest
national monument in Ireland not owned by the State.
The abbey is attractively set beside the confluence of
the Awbeg and Blackwater rivers. The railway viaduct,
which once gave passage to trains on the Waterford to
Mallow line can also be viewed from here.

The Mill
Built as a flourmill in the 1700's, the building was
originally the mainstay of
economic life of the local community and the focal
point of the village during this time. The mill traded as
R. Webb & Co. throughout the famine years. Webb
died in 1882 and in the following years the Mill
changed hands a number of times. In May 1995,
ownership of the mil transferred to Castletownroche
community. Used as a storage unit for a number of
years, this antique of a building was transformed into
an eye-catching place of enterprise with 5,000 sq. feet
of office space. It is hoped that in the near future the
mill will generate its own electricity.

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: nutty
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 01:31 PM

Interestinly the Irish credit T.P.Keenan with the song whereas the sheet music credits a gentleman called Joseph P. Skelly.

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 03:11 PM

MIKE......thank you so much for starting this thread even though it has brought me to tears. I have known of this song since childhood when my grandmother used to sing it. It's a lasting memory of the times I spent at her house during wartime years when Dad was in the army and Mam was working shifts in a munitions factory. Grandma used to sing this and other tearjerkers like '"Two Little Girls in Blue', 'Alice Blue Gown', 'Take The News to Mother'and 'The Miner's Dream of Home'. a special song for New year.   I've heard the late, great,Fred Jordan sing it too. Incidentally the song was also sung on the variety stage by a comedienne called Nellie Wallace. You have to be my vintage (born 1933) to remember her, and she was getting on a bit even then. In her act she played the character of a lonely, over made-up, 'mutton dressed a lamb' spinster desperately looking for Mr Right without success. She got a lot of comedy out of the situation, but I was told that off-stage her real life followed the same pattern. I could always remember the tune and the chorus but not the verses. Now I have them and can set about learning to sing the song. Thank You, Burl (Still Weeping)

Subject: RE: the old rustic bridge (by the mill)
From: Barry T
Date: 09 Dec 02 - 08:50 PM

This is a very popular 4/4 march played on the pipes, but I'll bet few pipers know of its origin. Thanks to this thread you folks are fixing that!