| AKA | Bluebells I’ve gathered |
| First Published | 1899 |
| Writer/composer | Harry Dacre | Roud | RN13465 |
| Music Hall Performers | Lil Hawthorne |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Jarvis, Walter; England : Essex ; 1964/5 Mills, Billy; England : Yorkshire; 1970 Poacher, Cyril; England : Suffolk; 1975 Ellaway, Arthur; England : Gloucestershire; 1977 Johnson, John; England : Sussex; no date |
One day I saw two lovers in a garden A little lad and lass with golden hair They looked as sweet as honey in a beehive And so I stood and watched the youthful pair The lad, all blushing, gave the maid a kiss Then tenderly he whispered this, I'll be you sweetheart, if you will be mine All my life, I'll be your Valentine Bluebells I've gathered, keep them and be true When I'm a man my plan will be to marry you. The bluebells were accepted by the maiden She said, “I'll keep them safely all my life But then suppose you meet some other lady And I should never be your darling wife?” He shook his head and took another kiss Then once again he whispered this, The years flew by and once again I saw them They stood before the alter hand in hand A handsome pair I never shall forget them The happiest young couple in the land Then once again he took the loving kiss Then passionately whispered this,
At the turn of the century Harry Dacre followed the hugely popular Daisy Bell (A bicycle built for two) with this song – which had similar success throughout the English speaking world. In the British Halls it was most often associated with Lil Hawthorne.
This sentimental song, set to a memorable lilting waltz, was collected from a number of traditional singers in the 2nd half of the 20th century and is still widely sung today. It became a common feature in the repertoire of barbershop singers.
Sources:
- VWML entry
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Image (c) Victoria and Albert Museum
- Lyrics and Sheet Music: monologues.co.uk
Last Updated on April 28, 2022 by John Baxter | Published: April 28, 2022
