Willie Has Gone to War
| "Willie Has Gone To War" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Released | 1862 |
| Composer | Stephen Foster |
| Lyricist | Stephen Foster |
| Language | English |
"Willie Has Gone To War" is a song written by Stephen Collins Foster sometime in 1862. It was considered a 'Civil War Song', though it was not as popular as some of his previous work.[1] George Cooper wrote the lyrics.[2] He may have composed up to 285 songs, hymns, arrangements and instrumental works during his lifetime. He also created many of the lyrics.[3]
Lyrics
The bluebird is singing his lay,
To all the sweet flow’rs of the dale,
The wild bee is reaming at play,
And soft is the sigh of the gale;
I stray by the brookside alone,
Where oft we have wander’d before,
And weep for my lov’d one, my own,
My Willie has gone to the war!
Chorus:
Willie has gone to the war,
Willie, Willie my lov’d one my own;
Willie has gone to the war,
Willie, Willie my lov’d one is gone!
’Twas here, where the lily bells grow,
I last saw his noble young face,
And now while he’s gone to the foe,
Oh! dearly I love the old place;
The whispering waters repeat
The name that I love o’er and o’er,
And daisies that nod at my feet,
Say Willie has gone to the war!
Chorus:
The leaves of the forest will fade,
The roses will wither and die,
But spring to our home in the glade
On fairy like pinions will fly;
And still I will hopefully wait
The day when these battles are o’er,
And pine like a bird for its mate,
Till Willie comes home from the war!
Chorus:[3][4][5][6]
Other Foster "Willie..." Songs
Foster wrote other “Willie” songs. Both his father and his half-brother were named William Barclay Foster.
- Willie My Brave, (1851) words and music by Foster.[7]
- Willi's Gone to Heaven,(1863) words and music by Foster.[8]
References
- ↑ "American Experience - Stephen Foster - People & Events". pbs.org.
- ↑ "Willie has gone to the war. Words by George Cooper, music by Stephen C. Foster". The Library of Congress.
- 1 2 "Introduction". stephen-foster-songs.de.
- ↑ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/media/loc.rbc.amss.cw106770/001a.tif/1785
- ↑ "1785 (1785×2732)". Retrieved 2016-01-29.
- ↑ "Handwritten Manuscript by Stephen Foster, "Willie Has Gone To War"" (PDF). Foster Hall Collection, Collection Number: CAM.FHC.2011.01. University of Pittsburgh, Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/text-idx?idno=31735061837989;view=toc;c=ulstext
- ↑ http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/text-idx?idno=31735061838128;view=toc;c=ulstext
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