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You asked me to tell you the reason,
Why the tears in my eyes never leave,
You asked me if anyone loved me,
And why in my heart I have grieved.
But if you will listen I'll tell you,
A story of days that are gone,
When life was as gay as the flower,
That was kissed by the sunbeams of dawn.
I once loved a beautiful maiden,
As true as the blue skies above,
Each night as we wandered together,
The moon seemed to shine on our love.
We vowed to be true to each other,
And nothing would tear us apart,
But little we knew that the future,
Held nothing but sad broken hearts.
Then came the day that we parted,
We quarreled like young lovers do,
And I learned what it meant to be jealous,
When they told me my love was untrue.
She told me her love had been faithful,
She told me her love would not die,
And then when I wouldn't believe her,
She kissed me and bid me good-bye.
And then when I falsely accused her,
I went back to make her my bride,
And there in the door stood her mother,
Who told me my sweetheart had died.
I went in and knelt down beside her,
Alone in that dark silent room,
And prayed that my Maker would take me,
And send my soul down to it's doom.
So now I have told you the reason,
There's always a tear in my eye,
Those long weary years I've been waiting,
Just longing to lay here and die.
But I wonder if I'll be forgiven,
When I face the great Maker some day,
And I wonder if I'll meet my darling,
On the beautiful shore far away.
And I wonder if I'll meet my darling,
On the beautiful shore far away.
Popularized by the bluegrass singing of the Carter Family (Carter Family On Border Radio, 1938-1941). Also recorded by Jimmie Rodgers (My Time Ain't Long, RCA, 1964; My Old Pal, ASV, 1989).
A variant was collected in 1951 from John Molloy of St. Shott's, NL, and published as I Once Loved A Beautiful Lady in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
