. . . and make me your wife. A beautiful narrative ballad, 1897.
words by Louis W. Pritzkow
music by Monroe H. Rosenfeld
This song has a companion piece called “Since You Spurned My Gold” or “You are the Only Girl I Love.”
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- I saw a youth and maiden
On a lonely city street
And thought them lovers
At their meeting place
Until, as I drew near
I heard the girl’s sad voice entreat
The one who heeded not her tearstained face
“I only ask you, Jack
To do your duty, that is all
You know you promised
That we should be wed”
And when he said, “You shall not want
Whatever may befall”
She spurned the gold he offered her and said
Chorus
“Take back your gold
For gold can never buy me
Take back your bribe
And promise you’ll be true
Give me the love
The love that you’d deny me
Make me your wife
That’s all I ask of you”
- He drew her close unto him
And to soothe her then he tried,
But she in pride and sorrow turned away
And as he sought to comfort her
She wept and softly sighed
“You’ll rue your cruel actions, Jack, some day”
“Now, little one, don’t cry” he said
“For though tonight we part
And though another soon will be my bride
This gold will help you to forget”
But with a breaking heart
She scorned his gift and bitterly replied
Sung here by Fred Feild: