“Silver Threads among the Gold”

Description

"Darling, I am growing old, Silver threads among the gold Shine upon my brow today; Life is fading fast away; But, my darling, you will be... Always young and fair to me." The singer describes how (his) belove will grow old, but he will love her anyway

Supplemental text

Silver Threads among the Gold
  Complete text(s)

          *** A ***

From sheet music published 1873 by Charles W. Harris
Title page inscribed
         SILVER THREADS
         AMONG THE GOLD
         SONG AND CHORUS
Words by EBEN E. REXFORD, Music by
           H. P. DANKS
            AUTHOR OF
      THE GREAT POPULAR SONG
  DON'T BE ANGRY WITH ME, DARLING

1. Darling, I am growing old,
   Silver threads among the gold
   Shine upon my brow today;
   Life is fading fast away;
   But, my darling, you will be, will be, --
   Always young and fair to me, --
   Yes! my darling, you will be
   Always young and fair to me.

CHORUS.
Darling, I am growing old,
Silver threads among the gold,
Shine upon my brow today;
Life is fading fast away.

2. When your hair is silver white,
   And your cheeks no longer bright,
   With the roses of the May;
   I will kiss your lips and say --
   Oh! my darling, mine alone, alone, --
   You have never older grown, --
   Yes! my darling, mine alone
   You have never older grown.

      3.
Love can never more grow old.
Locks may lose their brown and gold;
Cheeks may fade and hollow grow,
But the hearts  that love will know
Never, never, winter's frost and chill:
Summer warmth is in them still --
Never winter's frost and chill,
Summer warmth is in them still. -- Cho.

      4.
Love is always young and fair, --
What to us is silver hair,
Faded cheeks, or steps grown slow,
To the heart that beats below?
Since I kissed you mine alone, alone,
You have never older grown --
Since I kissed you mine alone,
You have never older grown. -- Cho.

Notes

Jackson notes, "The fashionable message of the song -- that romantic love remains always young even though bodies wrinkle and age -- was apparently lost on Danks's wife; she left the forty-year-old composer the year after 'Silver Threads' appeared."

This was the only song by Rexford (1848-1916) that amounted to anything, but it by itself was enough to cause monuments to be erected to him in both his birthplace in New York and his primary place of residence in Wisconsin.

Danks (1834-1903) spent much of his life trying to make a career of music; he composed several other melodies and several stage pieces -- but, again, none of them amounted to anything.

According to James J. Geller's _Famous Songs and their Stories_, this collaboration came about in a curious way: Rexford was editing a Wisconsin farm magazine and, needing a space filler, threw in one of his poems. Danks saw it, thought it worth setting to music, and sent Rexford a small sum to purchase the rights. That song went nowhere -- but Rexford responded by sending Danks much of his other works. Among those songs was "Silver Threads." Danks supplied music, and the two had the only hit they would ever produce- RBW

Same tune

• At the Boarding House (Silver Threads; While the Organ Pealed Potatoes) (File: DTbordho)

Cross references

• cf. "Sweet Genevieve" (theme)
• cf. "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" (theme)

Recordings

• Henry Burr, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (Victor 19131, 1923)
• Fiddlin' John Carson, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (OKeh 45488, 1930)
• Andrew Jenkins & Carson Robison, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (OKeh 45246, 1928)
• Frank & James McCravy, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (Brunswick 197, 1928; rec. 1927)
• McMichen's Melody Men, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (Columbia 15247-D, 1928; rec. 1927)
• Marie Narelle, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (CYL: Edison 9162, 1905)
• Riley Puckett, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (Columbia 405-D, 1925)
• Royal Hawaiians, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (Broadway 8100, c. 1930)
• Will Oakland, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (CYL: Edison [BA] 1547, n.d.)

References

1. RJackson-19CPop, pp. 194-197, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Geller-Famous, pp. 1-4, "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Silber-FSWB, p. 259, "Silver Threads Among The Gold" (1 text)
4. Fuld-WFM, p. 501, "Silver Threads Among the Gold"
5. DT, SILVTHRD*
6. ST RJ19194 (Full)
7. Roud #6403
8. BI, RJ19194