Alice Blue Gown
Amber Edwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, the daintiest thing, it was sweet Alice blue
With little forget-me-nots placed here and there
When I had it on, I walked on the air
And it wore, and it wore, and it wore
'Til it went, and it wasn't no more
In my sweet little Alice blue gown
I was both proud and shy, as I felt every eye
And in every shop window I primped passing by
Then in manner of fashion, I'd frown
And the world seemed to smile all around
'Til it wilted, I wore it, I'll always adore it
My sweet little Alice blue gown
The little silk worms that made silk for that gown
Just made that much silk and then crawled in the ground
For there never was anything like it before
And I don't dare to hope there will be any more
But it's gone, 'cause it just had to be
Still it wears in my memory
In my sweet little Alice blue gown
When I first wandered down into town
I was both proud and so shy, as I felt every eye
And in every shop window I primped passing by
Then in manner of fashion, I'd frown
And the world seemed to smile all around
So it wouldn't be proper if made of silk were another
My sweet little Alice blue gown
The song "Alice Blue Gown" by Joseph McCarthy and Harry Tierney is a nostalgic ode to a beautiful dress that the singer once had. The dress, which was almost new and made of delicate Alice blue silk, was adorned with small forget-me-not flowers. The singer reminisces about how she felt like she was walking on air whenever she wore it, and how she loved to primp and preen in shop windows as she passed by. She describes her feelings of pride and shyness as she wandered down into town for the first time wearing the dress.
The lyrics also touch on the fact that the silk used to make the dress was so rare and of such high quality that it's unlikely there will ever be another like it. The little silk worms that made the silk for the dress only made that much before crawling into the ground, and the singer admits that she doesn't dare to hope that there will be any more like it in the future. Despite this, the dress lives on in the singer's memory and she will always cherish it.
The song "Alice Blue Gown" was first introduced in the 1919 Broadway musical "Irene," where it was performed by Edith Day. It quickly became a hit and has since been covered by many well-known artists, including Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, and Bette Midler. Interestingly, the color "Alice blue" was named after Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, who was known for wearing gowns of this color.
Line by Line Meaning
I once had a gown, it was almost new
I had a gown that was almost new at one time
Oh, the daintiest thing, it was sweet Alice blue
The gown was a dainty, beautiful color called Alice blue
With little forget-me-nots placed here and there
The gown was decorated with little forget-me-nots
When I had it on, I walked on the air
I felt incredible when I wore the gown
And it wore, and it wore, and it wore
The gown was worn many times
'Til it went, and it wasn't no more
The gown eventually wore out
In my sweet little Alice blue gown
I felt wonderful in my Alice blue gown
When I first wandered down into town
I first wore the gown when I went into town
I was both proud and shy, as I felt every eye
I was both proud and shy when others saw me in the gown
And in every shop window I primped passing by
I admired my reflection in every shop window I passed
Then in manner of fashion, I'd frown
I would try to look fashionable by frowning
And the world seemed to smile all around
Everyone seemed happy around me
'Til it wilted, I wore it, I'll always adore it
Even though the gown eventually wore out, I will always cherish it
The little silk worms that made silk for that gown
The gown was made from silk produced by small worms
Just made that much silk and then crawled in the ground
After producing the silk, the worms died and were buried in the ground
For there never was anything like it before
The gown was unique and unlike any other
And I don't dare to hope there will be any more
I don't expect to ever find another gown like it
But it's gone, 'cause it just had to be
The gown is gone because it eventually wore out
Still it wears in my memory
I still remember the gown fondly
So it wouldn't be proper if made of silk were another
It wouldn't be right to create another gown made of the same silk
My sweet little Alice blue gown
I loved my Alice blue gown very much
Contributed by Lucas F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stephen Walter
My father died in 1988, age 73. This was one of his favorite songs--but knew but few lyrics. Thanks, Amber, from him and me.
william smythe
Beautiful piece - pure musical nostalgia!
Colin Clarke
I love the music of boardwalk empire..its as close as you're going to get to a time machine
Alco
except for listening to the original song
Colin Clarke
@Alco absolutely old fruit ...I actually search out the originals
Alco
@Colin Clarke Did you find them?
Colin Clarke
@Alco I did Indeed...many of them are right here on you tube ...
Diontae Daughtry
Great song 👍👍
Robert Stevens
Atlantic City, 1920. When alcohol was outlawed, outlaws became kings. HBO's unequivocal drama series that follows the birth and rise of organized crime in 'the world's playground' at the dawn of Prohibition. Steve Buscemi stars, magnificently of course, as the epitome of graft and corruption in his post as Atlantic City county treasurer.
Mrs Natari
Cute song, thanks! :)