by Thomas Hood (1799 - 1845)
Spring it is cheery
Language: English
Spring it is cheery, Winter is dreary, Green leaves hang, but the brown must fly; When he's forsaken, Withered and shaken, What can an old man do but die? Love will not clip him, Maids will not lip him, Maud and Marian pass him by; Youth it is sunny, Age has no honey, -- What can an old man do but die? June it was jolly, O for its folly! A dancing leg and a laughing eye; Youth may be silly, Wisdom is chilly, -- What can an old man do but die? Friends they are scanty, Beggars are plenty, If he has followers, I know why; Gold's in his clutches, (Buying him crutches!) -- What can an old man do but die?
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Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Hood (1799 - 1845), "Ballad", appears in The Plea of the Midsummer Fairies, Hero and Leander, Lycus the Centaur, and Other Poems, first published 1827 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (Robert) Houston Bright (1916 - 1970), "What can an old man do?", published <<1969 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Holbrooke (1878 - 1958), "Spring is cheery", op. 9 (Six part-songs, madrigals, and glees) no. 1, published 1903 [ satb chorus and piano ad libitum ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934), "Spring it is cheery", 1895 [ six-part chorus (soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass) a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 120