688. Flitting Away
'Flitting Away.' Sung by Mrs. Arizona Hughes, recorded at Upper Hinson's Creek, P. O. Spear, Avery county, August 27, 1939. The first two measures and related parts are identical with those of "Last night as I lay on my pillow" from the old song 'My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.' The cadences of the various phrases also match those of the latter song. Our song furnishes
another good example of the fate of a tune through all its travels. Not all the words could be understood.
F-587
I'm long - ing- for the flow - ers that have bios - somed and fled.
For the hearts that are burst - ing with long - ing-
For the grass that's all with - ered and dead-
Beau-ties I thought ne'er would per - ish-
One by one fad - ed a-way. —
The — bless - ings of earth that we cher - ish,-
That is lov - ing and true that will stay.
Flit - ting — flit - ting- a - way
All that we cher - ish most dear, —
There's noth - ing on earth that will stay-
Ros - es must die with the year.
Scale: Hexatonic (4), plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: abacddac a1b1ac (2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2) = aaiba1a1ai (4,4,4,4,4,4). As aa1ba1 is a Reprisenbar comprising the stanza, the over-all form would then be : Reprisenbar plus strophe, a compound form.
2nd stanza:
are sleeping,
Are the beautiful dreams of the past,
And the eyes of the weary with weeping-
Or the hopes that we fancied might last.
Lovingly, longingly, sighing,
Over the ashes we sit.
While the roses about us are dying
And the moments
3rd stanza:
There were eyes that were gleaming.
There were lips that ,
That the mold of the grave now is dimming
In silence unbroken