To John E. McWade.
"Good Bye for Aye!" (1884)
Words by Eben Eugene Rexford, 1848-1916
Music by Frederic Woodman Root, 1846-1916
from "Two Songs," Op. 12, No. 1
for a Medium or Low Voice

[Source: 03348@LoC]

He kissed her lips and sailed away,
And as his bark went down the bay
He turned with one last look to say
Good bye, sweetheart, for many a day;

He turned with one last look to say
Good bye sweetheart,
Good bye, Good bye for many a day,
Good bye sweetheart,
Good bye, Good bye for many a day.

One night he paced the deck alone;
How strangely still the air had grown!
The sea seemed list'ning;
Not a breath
Broke silence deep,
broke silence deep as that of death!

Low like the sound of winds that play
On pipes of summer far away,
A voice across the silence came,
His sweatheart's voice, and called his name.
Tender yet sad the tones he heard,
Recalling his own last parting word;
A voice across the silence came,
His sweetheart's voice, and called his name.

And now again within the bay
The good ship Wand'rer safely lay,
And eagerly he sought the shore
His sweetheart's eyes to see once more.

They told him that his love was dead!
"She called you ere her spirit fled,
And sent a last good bye," they said;

She sent a last good bye, they said;
And then he knew that he had heard
Across the world his love's last word
Good bye, sweetheart, good bye,
Good bye, Alas! for aye, Sweetheart,
Sweetheart good bye, good bye for aye,

For aye,
For aye!