A Tribute to Oscar Hammerstein

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 12:11am

Today (August 23rd) is the 50th anniversary of the death of Oscar Hammerstein II. As South Pacific closed last night, it seems a fitting time to pay tribute to this wonderful man. His lyrics have touched me so much over the years and I find such beauty in even the simplest of his lyrics. Feel free to share any memories, opinions, favorite lyrics, etc. to commemorate the life of this wonderful man who has blessed us all.

Favorite lyrics of mine:

"Out of my dreams and into your arms I long to fly, I will come as evening comes to woo a waiting sky..." from "Oklahoma!"

"I'm as trite and as gay as a daisy in May, a cliche coming true. I'm bromidic and bright as a moon-happy night pouring light on the dew." from "South Pacific"

"Ah gits weary an' sick of tryin', Ah'm tired of livin' an' skeered of dyin', but ol' man river, he jes'keeps rollin' along." from "Showboat"

"My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise from the lakes to the trees. My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies from a church on a breeze, to laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over stones on its way, to sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray." from "The Sound of Music"

"When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart, and you'll never walk alone. You'll never walk alone." from "Carousel"

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 5:05am

"But I'm stuck, like a dope, with this thing called hope and I can't get it out of my heart" (And here's the killer line:) "Not this heart....."

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 9:34am

But somehow I can see
Just exactly how I'd be-
"If I loved you,
Time and again I would try to say
All I'd want you to know.
If I loved you,
Words wouldn't come in an easy way
Round in circles I'd go!
Longin' to tell you,
But afraid and shy,
I'd let my golden chances pass me by!
Soon you'd leave me,
Off you would go in the mist of day,
Never, never to know how I loved you
If I loved you."

-Carousel

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 9:45am

From South Pacific:

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

[jv92]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 1:22pm

From Carousel:

What's the use of wond'rin,
If he's good or if he's bad?
Or if you like the way he wears his hat?
Oh, what's the use of wond'rin,
If he's good or if he's bad?
He's your feller and you love him,
That's all there is to that.

[Q]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 1:28pm

"We Kiss in a Shadow", from THE KING AND I.

We kiss in a shadow,
We hide from the moon,
Our meetings are few,
And over too soon.

We speak in a whisper,
Afraid to be heard;
When people are near,
We speak not a word.
Alone in our secret,
Together we sigh,
For one smiling day to be free
To kiss in the sunlight
And say to the sky:
"Behold and believe what you see!
Behold how my lover loves me!"

Not intricate, but true to the heart. And if two men sing it, I fall apart.

[lotiloti]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 2:39pm

If you can get it, the BBC proms next Sat (28th) at 8.30. R&H tribute. If it's half as good as the Sondheim concert, we're in for a treat!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 2:58pm

The lyric to "I am Going to like it Here" from FLOWER DRUM SONG always intrigued me because of its unique structure, which I later learned was based on a Malaysian form of poetry called a pantoum where the 2nd and 4th lines of one verse are repeated as the 1st and 3rd of the next verse creating a tumbling over of thought. Hammerstein does made a slight modification in the last 2 lines but does so, I think, rather ingeniously.

Moreover the simple structure perfectly captures the personality of the shy, fresh off the boat, Mei Li:


I am going to like it here
There is something about the place
An encouraging atmosphere
Like a smile on a friendly face

There is something about the place
So caressing and warm it is
Like a smile on a friendly face
Like a port in the storm it is

So caressing and warm it is
All the people are so sincere
Like a port in the storm it is
I am going to like it here

All the people are so sincere
There's especially one I like
I am going to like it here
It's the father's first son I like

There's especially one I like
There is something about his face
It's the father's first son I like
He's the reason I love the place


There is something about his face
I would follow him anywhere
If he goes to another place
I am to like it there

Notably Richard Rodgers modulates the melody of each verse taking it up a step. This serves to emphasize the growing feeling and thought development without drawing attention to the repetition. So simple. So elegant. So Rodgers and Hammerstein.

[Q]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 3:04pm

A viewable program from the R&H Prom:
Link

[maggiemar142]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 3:55pm

my favorite Hammerstein lyrics:

"Climb every mountain
Ford every stream
Follow every rainbow
Till you find your dream

A dream that will need
All the love you can give
Every day of your life
For as long as you live"
-Sound of Music

"Dat's de ol' man dat I'd like to be!
What does he care if de world's got troubles?
What does he care if de land ain't free?
Ol' man river,
Dat ol' man river
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin',
He jes'keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along."
-Showboat

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 5:38pm

I am a self-confessed bigger lover of Rodgers' lyrics than Hammerstein's (see Something Good from The Sound of Music and This Isn't Heaven from State Fair [1962]).

But for me, there is one standout lyric from Hammerstein:

One dream in my heart,
One love to be livin' for,
One love to be livin' for
This nearly was mine.

One girl for my dream,
One partner in paradise,
This promise of paradise
This nearly was mine.

Close to my heart she came
Only to fly away,
Only to fly as day flies from moonlight
Now, now I'm alone,
Still dreamin' of paradise,
Still sayin' that paradise
Once nearly was mine.

One dream in my heart,
One love to be livin' for,
One love to be livin' for
This nearly was mine.

Close to my heart she came
Only to fly away,
Only to fly as day flies from moonlight.

Now, now I'm alone,
Still a-dreamin' of paradise,
Still sayin' that paradise
Once nearly was mine.

[BellatrixxLestrangee]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 5:57pm

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss,Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever.

[jo]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 7:27pm

You can still listen to the R&H concert at The Proms for the next 5-6 days on BBC Radio 3 --

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007v097/episodes/player

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 7:51pm

Time and again I've longed for adventure,
Something to make my heart beat the faster.
What did I long for? I never really knew.
Finding your love I've found my adventure,
Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster,
All that I want in all of this world is you.

You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.

You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.

Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I'll know that moment divine,
When all the things you are, are mine.

"All The Things You Are" (music by Jerome Kern)

[gcal]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 8:39pm

Who can explain it
Who can tell you why
Fools give you reasons
Wise men never try

[jo]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 9:39pm

Has there ever been a more seductive ( and picturesque) courting song than the lyrics to A SURREY WITH THE FRINGE ON THE TOP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K-xRvLga40

[jv92]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 10:55pm

frontrowcentre, He also tried to use a pantoum in Allegro, but the lyric was revised.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 8/23/10 at 11:58pm

jo, thanks for the link to the R&H concert. I am having the best time listening to it!

[monestere]

Posted: 8/24/10 at 3:46am

My favourite Hammerstein lyric:

Softly, as in a morning sunrise
The light of love comes stealing
Into a new born day -- oh
Flaming with all the glow of sunrise
A burning kiss is sealing
The vow that all betray
For the passions that thrill love
And lift you high to heaven
Are the passions that kill love
And let you fall to hell
So ends the story
Softly, as in an evening sunset
The light that gave you glory
Will take it all away

[degrassifan]

Posted: 8/24/10 at 3:12pm

A bell is no bell till you ring it,
A song is no song till you sing it,
And love in your heart wasn't put there to stay
Love isn't love till you give it away...