by Charles Edward Ives (1874 - 1954)
The one way
Language: English
Here are things you've heard before, Turned out daily by the score, Pretty rhymes you know How gently on the ear They bring a smile or bring a tear, Do re mi fa mi re do. When we go a-marching Down thro' life and the Street, O loud and free must the music be With [the] tunes to match the feet. Now a softer cadence, Now we change the key, Just to stage a come-back To the main strain of our glee. So if you'd go a-marching To fortune or to Fame, Perhaps the safest way's to play the same old, same old game. Tunes we've often heard before, Snatches of a dozen more, Jingles row on row, When borne upon the ear, They bring a smile or bring a blear, Do re me fa me re do. When we go a-marching Down the aisle or the Street, O nice and sweet must the music bleat, With [the] time to match the feet. Now a softer cadence, Now we change the key, Just to stage a comeback To the nice key of our glee. So if you'd go a-marching To Fortune or to Fame, The safest way's to play the same old, same old game. [Hola! Huzza! Je ne sais pas!]1
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Ives: a bracketed alternative in the score is: "Same old game! Same old game! Same old game!"
Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller
1 Ives: a bracketed alternative in the score is: "Same old game! Same old game! Same old game!"
Authorship:
- by Charles Edward Ives (1874 - 1954) [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 Charles Edward Ives (1874 - 1954), "The one way", subtitle: "The True Philosophy of all Nice Conservatories of Music and Nice "MUS. DOC'S" "IMBCDGODAMLILY"", 1923 [voice and piano], from the collection Eleven Songs and Two Harmonizations, no. 11. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller
This text was added to the website: 2010-05-29
Line count: 35
Word count: 211