Song of the Day - 16th November

Today's Song of the Day beautifully captures the bittersweet theme of growing up, of embracing the journey into adulthood.

Growing up is an unpredictable and often tumultuous time, whether it’s a phase you anticipated with excitement throughout your childhood or one you feared upon grasping the weight of adult responsibilities.

This poignant poem by William Bliss Carman, who wrote under the name of Bliss Carman, is called "When I Was Twenty." It reflects the heartfelt nostalgia of a man reminiscing about the carefree moments of his youth as he fell in love with the enchanting, "melting, wayward, wistful, shy" Madeline, before the demands of the "hurrying world" pulled him away. First published in 1896 in the collection "More Songs From Vagabondia," it resonates deeply with anyone who has navigated the complexities of growing up.

William Bliss Carman FRSC (1861 – 1929) was a gifted Canadian poet who spent much of his life in the United States, where his talent blossomed into international acclaim. In his later years, he was celebrated as Canada's Poet Laureate, a testament to the lasting impact of his work.

Get the music for this song for free - find out how here.

When I Was Twenty

By Bliss Carman (William)

It was June, and I was twenty.

All my wisdom, poor but plenty,

Never learned Festina lente.

Youth is gone, but whither went he?

Madeline came down the orchard

With a mischief in her eye,

Half demure and half inviting,

Melting, wayward, wistful, shy.

Four bright eyes that found life lovely,

And forgot to wonder why;

Four warm lips at one love-lesson,

Learned by heart so easily.

We gained something of that knowledge

No man ever yet put by,

But his after days of sorrow

Left him nothing but to die.

Madeline went up the orchard,

Down the hurrying world went I;

Now I know love has no morrow,

Happiness no by-and-by.

Youth is gone, but whither went he?

All my wisdom, poor but plenty,

Never learned Festina lente.

It was June, and I was twenty.