暢談經典細聽金曲 MUSIChatroom: LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND

"THE SPANISH CAVALIER"
一首1881年的歌曲, 描繪維多利亞年代的青年軍人, 離家遠赴戰場, 唯恐一去而不能回家的心情。當年被視為西部牛仔歌謠, 歌詞較為傷感, 但曲調優美, 仍被普遍家庭接受, 再而被學校選用為教材歌曲。1915年被 Cable Company 編錄在 "The 101 Best Songs" 當中的歌曲。而美國國會圖書館則列它入1870-1885年的著作, 為四節鋼琴合唱歌曲作品之列。

THE SPANISH CAVALIER - William D. Hendrickson - 1881

SPANISH CAVALIER - The Sons of the Pioneers - 1940 from Radio Program

Music & Lyric: William D. Hendrickson

A Spanish cavalier stood in his retreat

And on his guitar played a tune, dear

The music so sweet, they'd off times repeat

The blessing of my country and you, dear

Chorus

Say darling say, when I'm far away

Sometimes you may think of me, dear

Bright sunny days will soon fade away

Remember what I say and be true, dear

I am off to the war, to the war I must go

To fight for my country and you, dear

But if I should fall in vain I would call

The blessing of my country and you, dear

And when the war is o'er to you I'll return

Back to my country and you, dear

But if I be slain you may seek me in vain

Upon the battlefield you will find me

"Spanish Cavalier"

較早的錄音未有記錄, 衹有1940年的電台錄音, 由 "The Sons Of The Pioneers" 演譯版本, 直至1931年的一首歌曲 "Love Letters In The Sand", 其撰寫的靈感是由"The Spanish Cavalier"所啓發, 但亦未受關注, 至1957年 Pat Boone 的演譯, 經二十六年才登上 Billboard Top 100 逹34個星期之久。十年後, 1967年 Vince Hill 再把它登上 UK Single Chart 榜第二十三位, 可惜他的錄音沒法找到, 及後仍被受各歌者所喜愛錄製的歌曲。

LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND - Gene Austin - 1931

Music: J. Fred Coots

Lyric: Nick Kenny and Charles Kenny

The sunbeams kissed the sands

My fate was in your hands

The day I met you, dear

And though I find you gone

Your memory lingers on

I can't forget you, dear

On a day like today

We passed the time away

Writing love letters in the sand

How you laughed when I cried

Each time I saw the tide

Take our love letters in the sand

You made a vow that you would always be true

But somehow, that vow meant nothing to you

Now my poor heart just aches

With every wave that breaks

Over love letters in the sand