Historic Sheet Music Collection

Document Type

Score

Publication Date

1850

Comments

O take me back to Switzerland, A Tyrolian. The words composed & music, arranged for the piano forte by the Hon. Mrs. Norton. Boston published by Geo. P. Reed, No. 17 Tremont Row.

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Lyrics

By the dark waves of the rolling sea,
Where the white sail'd ships are tossing free,
Came a youthful maiden,
Pale and sorrow laden,
With a mournful voice sang she:
Oh! take me back to Switzerland,
My own, my dear, my native land,
I'll brave all dangers of the main,
To see my own dear land again
La, la, la...

I see its hills, I see its streams,
Its blue lakes haunt my restless dreams,
When the day declineth,
Or the bright sun shineth,
Present still its beauty seems!
Oh! take me back to Switzerland,
Upon the mountains let me stand,
Where the flowers are bright, and skies are clear,
For, oh! I pine, I perish here!
La, la...

For months along that gloomy shore,
'Mid seabirds cry and Ocean's roar,
Sang that mournful maiden,
Pale and sorrow laden,
Then her voice was heard no more.
Far, far away from Switzerland,
From home, from friends, from native land,
Where foreign wild flowers coldly live,
The broken hearted found a grave.
La, la...

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