Lorena - the Civil War's most beloved song - by Jim Surkamp with Shana Aisenberg on mandolin
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- Опубликовано: 14 янв 2013
- Mandolin performance of Lorena copyright Shana Aisenberg at shanasongs.com
NOTE: According to Lloyd Hutchins in an email dated September 13, 2015,
the fate of the composer is NOT “lost in the mists of time.” He wrote more background material can be found in the June 10, 1984 edition of the Zanesville (OH) Times Recorder newspaper feature story about the song. It appears on the front page of section D.
He adds: The article spells the Ella’s last name as “Blocksom”. Rev. Webster served as pastor at several mid-Western Universalist churches after his Zanesville assignment where he met Ella (“Lorena"). He married a Miss Sarah Willmot Feb. 4, 1850. He died in Chicago Nov. 4, 1896.
Made possible with generous support from AmericanPublic University System at www.apus.edu
More at Lorena civilwarscholars.com (970 words).
Lyrics
VERSE 1
Oh, the years creep slowly by, Lorena,
The snow is on the ground again.
The sun's low down the sky, Lorena,
The frost gleams where the flow'rs have been.
But the heart beats on as warmly now,
As when the summer days were nigh.
Oh, the sun can never dip so low
A-down affection's cloudless sky.
VERSE 2
A hundred months have passed, Lorena,
Since last I held that hand in mine,
And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena,
Though mine beat faster far than thine.
A hundred months, 'twas flowery May,
When up the hilly slope we climbed,
To watch the dying of the day,
And hear the distant church bells chime.
VERSE 3
We loved each other then, Lorena,
Far more than we ever dared to tell;
And what we might have been, Lorena,
Had but our loving prospered 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 storms."
VERSE 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 rankle in your bosom now;
For "if we try we may forget,"
Were words of thine long years ago.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
My grandmothers name was Ada Lorena. She was born in 1902, and most likely named after this song.
Beautiful song the words are so touching
Beautiful indeed.. thanks for sharing :)
Norman Blake was my first listen. I enjoyed your video.
Pretty, thanks for the video capturing the era of the tune
very fine, thanks Jim. First heard the song from John Hartford. A good song is like a time capsule.
GREAT!
Who is the gentleman singing it?
+sufenta67
go here no name though
archive.org/details/gov.dod.dimoc.30155
This is a Bill Hayes. His name actually was in a video that mentioned above. On a 1:06. I think his name should be in a title or at least in the description of this video.