Dé Danann were first to find her - see her web site www.mauraoconnell.com for more information.
Love's Old Sweet Song
Maura O'Connell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When on the world the mists began to fall,
Out of the dreams that rose in happy throng
Low to our hearts love sang an old sweet song
And in the dusk where fell the firelight gleam
Softly it wove itself into our dream
Just a song at twilight
And the flickering shadows
Softly come and go
Though the heart be weary,
Sad the day and long,
Still to us at twilight comes love's old song
Comes love's old sweet song.
Even today we hear love's song of yore
Deep in our hearts it dwells forever more
Footsteps may falter, weary grows our way
Still we can hear it at the close of day
So till the end when life's dim shadows fall
Love will be found the sweetest song of all.
Just a song at twilight
When the lights are low,
And the flickering shadows
Softly come and go
Though the heart be weary,
Sad the day and long,
Still to us at twilight comes love's old song
Comes love's old sweet song.
Maura O'Connell's Love's Old Sweet Song is a profound lyrical representation of love and the memories that it creates. In the first stanza, the song reminisces about a time long gone when the world was filled with mists and dreams. It narrates how, amidst all the dreams, love would gently sing an "old, sweet song" that would thread and weave itself into people's dreams. The second stanza expresses how, though time has passed, the essence of the song still lingers on in people's hearts. Even when one's footsteps falter and the journey of life becomes wearisome, the song still whispers gently in the background, reminding us of the love that once was. The song concludes by emphasizing the everlasting nature of love, stating that until the end, when life's dim shadows fall, love will always persist, representing the sweetest song of all.
Line by Line Meaning
Once in the dear dead days beyond recall.
In the past, in a time so distant that it cannot be brought back into memory.
When on the world the mists began to fall,
When the evening came and the mist started to appear, like a curtain descending to cover the earth.
Out of the dreams that rose in happy throng
From the joyful dreams that filled our hearts and minds.
Low to our hearts love sang an old sweet song
Love whispered to us, singing an old, sweet melody that warmed our hearts.
And in the dusk where fell the firelight gleam
In the twilight hours, when the light of the fire was dying and the darkness crept in.
Softly it wove itself into our dream
It wrapped itself around us, becoming a part of our dreams and our memories.
Even today we hear love's song of yore
Even in the present day, we still hear the same love song from long ago.
Deep in our hearts it dwells forever more
It is deeply embedded in our hearts, and will remain there for all time.
Footsteps may falter, weary grows our way
We may stumble and become tired as we journey through life.
Still we can hear it at the close of day
But even at the end of the day, when we are exhausted, we can still hear the song.
So till the end when life's dim shadows fall
And so, until the very end of our lives, when darkness begins to surround us,
Love will be found the sweetest song of all.
Love will always be the most beautiful and precious thing in our lives.
Writer(s): maura o'connell, béla fleck
Contributed by London N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.