what is the song?

[madjon]

have been trying to remember an old song for a week now and it is starting to bug me i think its probably a late victorian one.
its about a lass and has the line my(name?) of the gaslight in it, its not much to go on and i havent heard it since playing an ancient gramaphone record which is unfortunately now gone, many years ago, not much to go on or chance of finding out but worth a try, any suggestions?

[Lindsay]

If you can remember a couple more lines, try googling it. There is also www.mudcat.org which has a decent selection of folky type songs. They also have a forum so someone may be able to help.

[madjon]

it was just a long shot someone might know, all i can remember is about this lass who someone liked and it involved gas light in the title and one of those rather shrillish victorian formal voices. not much to go on im afraid.

[matilda]

Hi madjon,

don't know if this will help,

Its just that the words in the chorus "my lili of the lamplight" fit your query .. almost!

LILI MARLENE
Underneath the lantern, by the barrack gate,
Darling I remember the way you used to wait.
'Twas there that you whispered tenderly,
That you loved me, You'd always be,
My Lili of the lamplight, My own Lili Marlene.

Time would come for roll call, Time for us to part,
Darling I'd caress you and press you to my heart,
And there 'neath that far off lantern light,
I'd hold you tight, We'd kiss good-night,
My Lili of the lamplight, My own Lili Marlene.

Orders came for sailing somewhere over there,
All confined to barracks was more than I could bear;
I knew you were waiting in the street,
I heard your feet, But could not meet,
My Lili of the lamplight, My own Lili Marlene.

Resting in a billet, just behind the line,
Even tho'we're parted, your lips are close to mine.
You wait where that lantern softly gleams.
Your sweet face seems to haunt my dreams.
My Lili of the lamplight, My own Lili Marlene.

[madjon]

one of my favourites is telling people who ask about the two ladies lilli and marlene who worked under the lamplight good song but its a bit later than the one im thinking of.

[matilda]

I thought it was... and that you'd probably know that one, but it was worth a try!

Happy hunting.

[Dianne]

'Fanny by Gaslight' springs to mind but not sure if it's a song or a film!!

[Kate Tiler]

Hi Madjon try here:

http://bodley24.bodley.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin ... 6+b.11(245)&id=12368.gif&seq=1&size=0

Lyrics are:

Meet me by gaslight alone
Oh Molly thou fairest of cooks
and bring from the larder a bone
to regale your affectionate Snooks

etc etc

The Bodleian Library broadsheet ballads collection is one of my favourite sites in the whole www - start here & just browse the titles, or search for weird & wonderful subjects, or even by date - they have a lot of very early C16th ballads and are also a great source for woodcut images. I download the sheet to my harddrive, edit out the edges of the sheets & print at A3, they make great handouts to sing with.

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/ballads/ballads.htm

[madjon]

i think thats the one, it was a while ago, havent found another record of it since which is a shame, but now have the words ,