This Nearly Was Mine

From the musical “South Pacific”, 1949
Words by Oscar Hammerstein 2nd
Music by Richard Rodgers


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

Refrain
One dream in my heart
One love to be living for
One love to be living for
This nearly was mine
One girl for my dreams
One partner in Paradise
This promise of Paradise
This nearly was mine
Close to my heart she came
Only to fly away
Only to fly as day
Flies from moonlight
Now, now I’m alone
Still dreaming of Paradise
Still saying that Paradise
Once nearly was mine

Verse
So clear and deep are my fancies
Of things I wish were true
I’ll keep remembering evenings
I wish I’d spent with you
I’ll keep remembering kisses
From lips I’ll never own
And all the lovely adventures
That we have never known


Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: