A witty, tongue-in-cheek toast to the carefree life, 1855.
words and music by Stephen C. Foster
From the American Dreams website: “Foster did not prepare this arrangement. Very untypical is the heavy use of fingerings.”
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Benjamin R. Tubb:
Lyrics
- Some folks like to sigh
Some folks do, some folks do
Some folks long to die
But that’s not me nor you
Chorus
Long live the merry, merry heart
That laughs by night and day
Like the Queen of Mirth
No matter what some folks say
- Some folks fear to smile
Some folks do, some folks do
Other laugh through guile
But that’s not me nor you - Some folks fret and scold
Some folks do, some folks do
They’ll soon be dead and cold
But that’s not me nor you - Some folks get grey hairs
Some folks do, some folks do
Brooding o’er their cares
But that’s not me nor you - Some folks toil and save
Some folks do, some folks do
To buy themselves a grave
But that’s not me nor you
Sung here by Fred Feild: