Sweet Sixteen
Finbar & The Furey Lyrics


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When first I saw the love-light in your eye
I thought the world held naught but joy for me
And even though we drifted far apart
I never dream but what I dreamt of thee

I loved you as I've never loved before
Since first I saw you on the village green
Come to me ere my dream of love is o'er
I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
When you were sweet sixteen

I loved you as I've never loved before
Since first I saw you on the village green
Come to me ere my dream of love is o'er

I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
When you were sweet sixteen

Overall Meaning

The song "Sweet Sixteen" by Finbar & The Fureys is a melancholic love song that revolves around the themes of nostalgia and lost love. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing for a past relationship where the singer remembers the first time he saw the love-light in his lover's eyes, and how he thought the world held nothing but joy for him at that moment. Despite drifting apart, the singer confesses that he never stopped dreaming about his lover and loving her. The singer then goes on to express his love for his lover when she was "sweet sixteen," a time when their love was pure and untainted.


The lyrics paint a picture of a deep and intense love that the singer had for his lover, one that transcends time and distance. The use of phrases like "dream of love is o'er" signifies the singer's worry that his love may never be fulfilled as time seems to be running out. The sorrowful tone of the song is further accentuated by the singer's repetition of the lyrics "When you were sweet sixteen" at the end of every verse.


Overall, "Sweet Sixteen" is a bittersweet melody that speaks to the hearts of those who have experienced the pain of lost love or who long for a relationship from their past.


Line by Line Meaning

When first I saw the love-light in your eye
At the moment I first saw the affection in your gaze


I thought the world held naught but joy for me
I believed that nothing but happiness existed for me in the world


And even though we drifted far apart
Despite the fact that we moved a great distance away from each other


I never dream but what I dreamt of thee
I always dreamt of you, and no other thought entered my mind


I loved you as I've never loved before
I adored you more than any other person I had ever fallen in love with


Since first I saw you on the village green
Ever since I first laid eyes on you in the open field


Come to me ere my dream of love is o'er
Return to me before my romantic aspiration ends


I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
My affection for you is still as strong as when you were innocent and youthful


When you were sweet sixteen
When you were charming and youthful at age sixteen




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Thornton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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