by Paul Dresser (1857 - 1906)
On the banks of the Wabash, far away
Language: English
Round my Indiana homestead wave the cornfields, In the distance loom the woodlands clear and cool. Oftentimes my tho'ts revert to scenes of childhood, Where I first received my lessons Nature's school. But one thing there is missing in the picture; Without her face it seems so incomplete. I long to see my mother in the doorway, As she stood there years ago her boy to greet. Oh, the moonlight's fair tonight along the Wabash; From the fields there comes the breath of new-mown hay, Through the sycamores the candlelights are gleaming, On the banks of the Wabash, far away. Many years have passed since I strolled by the river, Arm in arm, with sweetest Mary by my side. It was there I tried to tell her that I loved her; It was there I begged of her to be my bride. Long years have passed since I strolled thro' the churchyard. She's sleeping there, my angel, Mary dear. I loved her but she thought I didn't mean it, Still I'd give my future were she only here.
Authorship:
- by Paul Dresser (1857 - 1906) [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 Paul Dresser (1857 - 1906), "On the banks of the Wabash, far away", published 1897. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 178