Lorena

This 1857 song has a book written about it by Ernest K. Emurian.
words by Rev. Henry DeLafayette Webster
music by Joseph Philbrick Webster

From Popular Songs of Nineteenth Century America: “The little scenario outlined in the verses of “Lorena” was based on a detailed romantic episode from the author’s earlier years. The name of the real girl from the minister’s past provides the key to the etymology of the fictitious name Lorena…”

The sheet music:

Lorena – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by Werner Tomaschewski:

Lorena – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. The years creep slowly by, Lorena
    The snow is on the grass again
    The sun’s low down the sky, Lorena
    The frost gleams where the flow´rs have been
    But the heart throbs on as warmly now
    As when the summer days were nigh
    Oh! the sun can never dip so low
    Adown affection’s cloudless sky
    The sun can never dip so low
    Adown affection’s cloudless sky
  2. A hundred months have pass’d, Lorena
    Since last I held that hand in mine
    And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena
    Tho’ mine beat faster far than thine
    A hundred months, ’twas flow’ry May
    When up the hilly slope we climbed
    To watch the dying of the day
    And hear the distant church bells chimed
    To watch the dying of the day
    And hear the distant church bells chimed
  3. We loved each other then, Lorena
    More than we ever dared to tell
    And what we might have been, Lorena
    Had but our lovings prosper’d well
    But then, ’tis past the years are gone
    I’ll not call up their shadowy forms
    I’ll say to them, “Lost years, sleep on!
    Sleep on! nor heed, life’s pelting storm.”
    I’ll say to them, “Lost years, sleep on!
    Sleep on! nor heed, life’s pelting storm.”
  4. The story of that past, Lorena
    Alas! I care not to repeat
    The hopes that could not last, Lorena
    They lived, but only lived to cheat
    I would not cause e’en one regret
    To wrankle in your bosom now
    For “if we try, we may forget,”
    Were words of thine long years ago
    For “if we try, we may forget,”
    Were words of thine long years ago
  5. Yes, these were words of thine, Lorena
    They burn within my memory yet
    They touched some tender chords, Lorena
    Which thrill and tremble with regret
    ’Twas not thy woman’s heart that spoke
    Thy heart was always true to me
    A duty stern and pressing, broke
    The tie which linked my soul with thee
    A duty stern and pressing, broke
    The tie which linked my soul with thee
  6. It matters little now, Lorena
    The past is in the eternal Past
    Our heads will soon lie low, Lorena
    Life’s tide is ebbing out so fast
    There is a Future! O thank God
    Of life this is so small a part
    ’Tis dust to dust beneath the sod
    But there, up there, ’tis heart to heart
    ’Tis dust to dust beneath the sod
    But there, up there, ’tis heart to heart

Sung here by Fred Feild: