FAWM Song No. 3 Dulcimer Love Song
When I posted asking for prompts for FAWM songs, lemmozine suggested "A love song to a dulcimer." That reminded me of a little story I wrote about 30 years ago about a magical dulcimer. I don't know if I still have it lying around, but I incorportated the nucleus of the story here, changed to first person simply so I could cut out any introduction to the character. My scratch recording is *really* scratchy, because I'm way out of practice on the dulcimer, and it seemed just wrong to play this on the uke. Anyway, Here's the mp3: Dulcimer Love Song and the chords and lyrics are under the cut:
Dulcimer Love Song
Peter Alway (Feb 6-8 2014)
Dm C Dm G
By the corner there once was a wee music shop
Dm Am F C
Where I thoughtlessly wandered inside
Dm C Dm G
There the sight of a dulcimer bade me to stop
Dm C Dm
By her strings and her hourglass sides
Chorus:
Am F C F
There are those who play any instrument made
F C Am
And with sweetness of timbre can croon
Dm C Dm G
But the music eluded my fingers and throat
Dm C Dm
Till the dulcimer met me that June
Dm C Dm G
Said the shopkeeper, “She’s of a wood that’s unknown”
Dm Am F C
And the last that her maker had tried
Dm C Dm G
When I strummed her I knew I must make her my own
Dm C Dm
And I carried my zither outside
Dm C Dm G
I would strum, I would fret, I would play if I could
Dm Am F C
In my room by the candlelight’s glow
Dm C Dm G
Was it me, was it muse, was it magic of wood?
Dm C Dm
Somehow music had started to flow
(Chorus)
Dm C Dm G
So the music did play as I drifted away
Dm Am F C
And she lay singing under my hands
Dm C Dm G
Was it dream, was it real was she one of the fey
Dm C Dm
As she sang of mysterious lands
Dm C Dm G
Then she wandered through valley, she wandered through wood
Dm Am F C
And to follow her oh how I tried
Dm C Dm G
Then I woke by a tree when I no longer could
Dm C Dm
With my dulcimer there by my side
(Chorus)
Dm C Dm G
Oh her skin is rhe color of sweet honey wood
Dm Am F C
And her hair is the silver of strings
Dm C Dm G
You would stare at her beauty if only you could
Dm C Dm
And you’ll stop in your tracks if she sings
Dm C Dm G
So please tell me have you seen my dulcimer maid
Dm Am F C
As she leads me about every night
Dm C Dm G
Or now am I a madman whose sense has betrayed
Dm C Dm
Any knowledge of truth and of light.
Dulcimer Love Song
Peter Alway (Feb 6-8 2014)
Dm C Dm G
By the corner there once was a wee music shop
Dm Am F C
Where I thoughtlessly wandered inside
Dm C Dm G
There the sight of a dulcimer bade me to stop
Dm C Dm
By her strings and her hourglass sides
Chorus:
Am F C F
There are those who play any instrument made
F C Am
And with sweetness of timbre can croon
Dm C Dm G
But the music eluded my fingers and throat
Dm C Dm
Till the dulcimer met me that June
Dm C Dm G
Said the shopkeeper, “She’s of a wood that’s unknown”
Dm Am F C
And the last that her maker had tried
Dm C Dm G
When I strummed her I knew I must make her my own
Dm C Dm
And I carried my zither outside
Dm C Dm G
I would strum, I would fret, I would play if I could
Dm Am F C
In my room by the candlelight’s glow
Dm C Dm G
Was it me, was it muse, was it magic of wood?
Dm C Dm
Somehow music had started to flow
(Chorus)
Dm C Dm G
So the music did play as I drifted away
Dm Am F C
And she lay singing under my hands
Dm C Dm G
Was it dream, was it real was she one of the fey
Dm C Dm
As she sang of mysterious lands
Dm C Dm G
Then she wandered through valley, she wandered through wood
Dm Am F C
And to follow her oh how I tried
Dm C Dm G
Then I woke by a tree when I no longer could
Dm C Dm
With my dulcimer there by my side
(Chorus)
Dm C Dm G
Oh her skin is rhe color of sweet honey wood
Dm Am F C
And her hair is the silver of strings
Dm C Dm G
You would stare at her beauty if only you could
Dm C Dm
And you’ll stop in your tracks if she sings
Dm C Dm G
So please tell me have you seen my dulcimer maid
Dm Am F C
As she leads me about every night
Dm C Dm G
Or now am I a madman whose sense has betrayed
Dm C Dm
Any knowledge of truth and of light.