A melancholy waltz, 1912.
words and music by Irving Berlin
For their honeymoon, Irving and Dorothy Berlin went to Havana, Cuba. Dorothy contracted typhoid fever there and died five months later in NYC. During the period of anguish that followed, Irving wrote this sad ballad. Notice the bittersweet harmony that surrounds the poignant lyrics.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. The roses each one, met with the sun
Sweetheart, when I met you
The sunshine had fled, the roses were dead
Sweetheart, when I lost you
Chorus
I lost the sunshine and roses
I lost the heavens of blue
I lost the beautiful rainbow
I lost the morning dew
I lost the angel who gave me
Summer, the whole winter through
I lost the gladness that turned into sadness
When I lost you
2. The birds ceased their song, right turned to wrong
Sweetheart, when I lost you
A day turned to years, the world seemed in tears
Sweetheart, when I lost you
Sung here by Fred Feild: