A reimagination of a poem by Christina Rossetti from 1867.
reinventing the wheel
kratzman
Story behind the song
I reimagined this old poem about a baby born while a husband was out at sea with new music as more of a folk tale. Dave added some great 12 string arpeggios to help it shimmer while keeping it simple. Not even a chorus on this one.
Lyrics
Oh kiss me once before I go,
To make amends for sorrow;
Oh kiss me once before we part
We shall not meet tomorrow
And I was wrong to urge your will
And wrong to mar your life;
But kiss me once before we part
Because you are my wife
She turned her head and tossed her mane
And puckered up her brow
I never kissed you yet said she
And I’ll not kiss you now
He’d been away a month and a day
Counting from morn to morn
And many buds and turned to leaves
And many lambs were born
And many buds had turned to flowers
For Spring was in a glow
When she was upon her bed
As white and cold as snow
Oh let me kiss my baby once
Once before I die
And bring it sometimes to my grave
To teach it where I lie
And tell my husband when he comes
Safely home from sea
To love the baby that I leave
If ever he loved me
And tell him, not for might or right
Or forsworn marriage vow
But for a helpless baby’s sake
I would have kissed him now.