by Frederick E. Weatherly (1848 - 1929)
When I was one and twenty
Language: English
When I was one and twenty I lov'd a pretty face, And if a hundred smiled on me I took my luck with grace. Whate'er they bade, I swore it, By all the gods above, For I was one and twenty And over heels in love. Oh then I feared no window, Nor heeded any door, I always had one girl to love And might have loved a score. And when a graybeard glowered, And tried my heart to. move, "A fig!" I said, "old Wrinkled-head, You've never been, in love!" So if ye'd fain keep jolly, And if ye'd all be young With nothing bitter in your heart, Or acid on your tongue; Just fall in love as I did, Just do as I have done, And though you live to fifty, You're always twenty-one.
Authorship:
- by Frederick E. Weatherly (1848 - 1929) [author's text not yet checked 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 Stephen Adams (1844 - 1913), "When I was one and twenty" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ronald A. Beckett , "When I was one and twenty", 2008 [ voice and piano ], from Four Romantic Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Harry Joelson
This text was added to the website: 2008-02-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 136