101 Strings was an umbrella term for a highly successful easy listening sym… Read Full Bio ↴101 Strings was an umbrella term for a highly successful easy listening symphonic music organization, with a discography exceeding a hundred albums and a creative lifetime of roughly thirty years. Their LPs were individualized by the slogan "The Sound of Magnificence", a puffy cloud logo and sepia-toned photo of the orchestra. According to the photograph, the 101 Strings orchestra was composed of 124 string instruments (all male except for the harpist) and was conducted by Wilhelm Stephan. The orchestra's famous official photograph was taken in the Musikhalle Hamburg. In reality, of course, the recordings also featured a full brass, woodwind and percussion section, and not quite as many strings as are shown in the photograph. In later years (right up to the 80's), the recordings were made by a session orchestra in London, with a line-up including a modern "pop" rhythm section. In the late 1990's, the 101 Strings Orchestra was revived with "The New 101 Strings Orchestra" for a series of modern recordings.

High Noon
101 Strings Orchestra Lyrics

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Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
On this, our weddin' day
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
Wait, wait along

I do not know what fate awaits me
I only know I must be brave
And I must face a man who hates me

Or lie a coward, a craven coward
Or lie a coward in my grave

Oh, to be torn 'twixt love and duty
S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty
Look at that big hand move along
Nearin' high noon

He made a vow while in state prison
Vowed it would be my life or his'n
I'm not afraid of death but oh
What will I do if you leave me?

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
You made that promise as a bride
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
Although you're grievin', don't think of leavin'
Now that I need you by my side

Wait along, (wait along) wait along

Wait along, wait along
(Wait along, wait along, wait along, wait along)

Overall Meaning

The Theme from High Chaparral is a song that brought emotions to the viewers of the television show "The High Chaparral." This song is a reflection of the love between a couple who are about to be married, and they are having cold feet. The man is telling his bride not to leave him alone as he faces a man who hates him, which may lead to him dying or facing imprisonment. The singer is not afraid of death but is scared of what will happen if his bride leaves him. The lyrics evoke feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and a sense of duty.

The song portrays a man who is bound by duty, and he must fulfill his promise as a bridegroom to his bride. He is conflicted between love and duty, and he fears what may happen if he fails to fulfill his vow. He reminds his bride of the promise they made to stand by each other, and he begs her not to leave him.

In summary, the song Theme from High Chaparral is a reflection of the conflict of a man between love and duty. The man is not afraid of death, but he fears losing his bride. The song invokes emotions of uncertainty and anxiety and portrays the love between two people who face challenges.

Line by Line Meaning

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
My beloved, please do not abandon me

On this, our weddin' day
On the day we committed our lives to each other

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
My beloved, please do not abandon me

Wait, wait along
Please wait for me

I do not know what fate awaits me
I am uncertain of what destiny has in store for me

I only know I must be brave
I must be courageous

And I must face a man who hates me
I must confront an adversary who despises me

Or lie a coward, a craven coward
Or submit to cowardice, which would be shameful

Or lie a coward in my grave
Or die a coward's death

Oh, to be torn 'twixt love and duty
Oh, the struggle between affection and responsibility

S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty
What if I were to lose my beloved?

Look at that big hand move along
The clock is ticking

Nearin' high noon
Approaching noon, the time of confrontation

He made a vow while in state prison
My foe swore an oath during his incarceration

Vowed it would be my life or his'n
Pledged that either he or I would fall

I'm not afraid of death but oh
I do not fear death, but

What will I do if you leave me?
How will I cope if you depart?

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
My beloved, please do not abandon me

You made that promise as a bride
You gave your word when we wedded

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
My beloved, please do not abandon me

Although you're grievin', don't think of leavin'
Despite your anguish, do not consider departing

Now that I need you by my side
At this moment, when I require your support

Wait along, (wait along) wait along
Please wait for me

Wait along, wait along
Please wait for me

(Wait along, wait along, wait along, wait along)
Please wait for me

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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