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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.

Text 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

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