PARTS: Soprano Alto Tenor Bass All
KEY: bold = first beat of bar ^ = rest Underline = triplet backing vocal = [text]
207 - When You Were Sweet Sixteen
INTRO
Verse 1
When first I saw the love-light in your eye
And heard your voice, like sweetest melo-dy
Speak words of love to my enraptured soul
The world had naught but joy in store for me
E’en though we’re drifting down life’s stream a-part
Your face I still can see in dream’s do-main
I know that it would ease my breaking heart
To hold you in my arms just once a-gain.(pause)
Chorus
I love you as I never loved be-fore
Since first I saw you on the village green
Come to me, or my dream of love is o’er
I love you as I loved you (pause)
(triplet) When-you-were sweet
(triplet) When-you-were sweet sixteen.
INSTRUMENTAL over CHORUS
Verse 2
Last night I dreamt I held your hand in mine
And once a-gain you were my happy bride
I kissed you as I did in Auld Lang Syne
As to the church we wandered side by side
The love I bear for you can never die
With-out you, I had rather not been born
And ev-en though we never meet a-gain
I love you as the sunshine loves the morn (pause)
Chorus
I love you as I never loved be-fore
Since first I saw you on the village green
Come to me, or my dream of love is o’er
I love you as I loved you (pause)
(triplet) When-you-were sweet
(triplet) When-you-were sweet sixteen.
Words and music written by James Thornton in 1898. The hugely popular cover recordings by Perry Como (1947) and The Fureys (1981) has helped to keep this beautiful love song alive in our hearts.