{"id":19768,"date":"2023-04-22T08:55:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-22T08:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=19768"},"modified":"2025-12-14T10:07:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T10:07:02","slug":"if-those-lips-could-only-speak","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/if-those-lips-could-only-speak\/","title":{"rendered":"If those lips could only speak"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>He stood in a beautiful mansion<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1905<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Chas. Ridgewell and Will Godwin<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN5307<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Will Godwin<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Keeping Family; England : London 1930s – 1950s
Walton, Grace; England : Yorkshire : 1970
Belton, George; England : Sussex : 1971
Hart, Bob England : Suffolk : 1975-78
Messenger, Alice; England : Suffolk : 1975-80
Hammond, Bessie; England : Suffolk : 1975-80
Webb, Percy; England : Suffolk : 1975-76
Goodchild, James; England : Hampshire : 1976
Lavallee, Joe; Canada : Quebec : 1978
Ryder, Mr. E.C. England : Hampshire : 1982
Syrett, Gordon; England : Suffolk : 1982
Ryder, E.C. (Charlie) & Mrs. England : Hampshire : 1983
Modern performances<\/strong>
Foster and Allan, Hugo Duncan, Shawn Cuddy, Chas and Dave, John Forman, many others..<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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He stood in a beautiful Mansion\nSurrounded by riches untold\nHe gazed at a beautiful picture\nThat hung in a frame of gold\n\u2018Twas a picture of a lady\nSo beautiful young and fair\nTo the beautiful life-like features\nHe murmured in sad despair.\n\nIf those lips could only speak\nIf those eyes could only see\nIf those beautiful golden tresses\nWere there in reality\nCould I only take your hand\nAs I did when you took my name\nBut it\u2019s only a beautiful picture\nIn a beautiful golden frame.<\/em>\n\nWith all his great power and riches\nHe knows he can never replace\nOne thing in that mansion that\u2019s absent\nHis Wife\u2019s tender smiling face\nAnd each time he sees her picture\nThese same words he\u2019ll always say\n\"All my wealth I would freely forfeit\nAnd toil for you night and day\".\n\nHe sat there and gazed at the painting\nThen slumbered forgetting all pain\nAnd there, in that mansion in fancy\nShe stood by his side again\nThen his lips they softly murmured\nThe name of his once sweet bride\nWith his eyes fixed upon the picture\nHe awoke from his dream and cried,\n<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A popular sentimental ballad originally co-written and performed in the Halls by Will Godwin<\/a>. It has remained popular for over 100 years, a standard song for  certain type of sentimental crooner. It was played on the Titanic in the hours before the ship went down and has been recorded by jazz, country, blue grass and commercial Irish ballad singers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One early 20th century form of marketing was the use of song postcards like the ones shown below. The artwork on the postcards was also used to produce magic lantern slides which could be hired or bought, presumably the slides were used at public singing events. This combination of song postcards and magic lantern slides seem to peak between 1910 and 1920.<\/p>\n\n\n\n