[Robert E. Jordan]

<u>Beautiful Dreamer</u>
Stephen Collins Foster
1826-1864

1

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me!

2

Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Bobby

[Gail White]

Yes indeed. I would say the best example of
this (Awful Poems Make Beautiful Songs)
is "The Star-Spangled Banner."

[Robert E. Jordan]

Gail,

In my opinion, the SBB is the cooperative effort of a mediocre poem and a mediocre melody to produce an awful song.

Unpatriotic Bobby

[Janet Kenny]

Children Children!

You haven't heard an awful poem and an awful song until you have heard:
Advance Australia Fair

Everybody sane wanted "Waltzing Matilda" but all the stuffed shirts thought it wouldn't do for State Occasions. So instead of one of the best songs in the world we have the worst.
Janet

Australia’s National Anthem




Advance Australia Fair was proclaimed as our national anthem after exhaustive surveys of national opinion. In 1974 the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a national opinion poll of 60,000 and in 1977 a plebiscite for a national song was conducted. On each occasion, Advance Australia Fair was the preferred option, and it was in consideration of such support that Advance Australia Fair was proclaimed as the national anthem by the Governor-General on 19 April 1984.



"NATIONAL ANTHEM"



Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.



Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

[Michael Cantor]

Janet -

You're absolutely right! To paraphrase something I read recently about something else (I forget by whom, or about what), Advance Australia Fair is so awful it gathers a kind of grandeur unto itself.

I also agree with you regarding Waltzing Matilda. The use of it in the film of Shute's On the Beach - even as a dirge in one sequence - was brilliant.

Michael



[This message has been edited by Michael Cantor (edited January 27, 2005).]

[David Barnes]

Dear Bobby -

Hey Robert,
It is great to read your work again old friend.
& I already know your a beatuiful Dreamer anyway, I love the poem... mate.

Talk about Aussies - what Janet Kenny said is so true.

Sorry that I haven't seen you in ages but as you know my problem, you'll understand - however I'm on my feet to a point and writing again
look forward to seeing you again..

cheers.

ml David - db

[Robert E. Jordan]

David,

Great to see you here old friend. I've missed your poetry. Glad to hear you're feeling better.

Bobby

[David Barnes]

Bobby-

Thanks my friend --

see you soon

David - db

[Kevin Andrew Murphy]

Were the Australians seriously stoned in the mid-70s to choose THAT as a good song? Or was it a matter of the good songs all splitting the vote and the truly awful but otherwise unobjectionable rose to the surface?

On the positive side, it is not without precedent to change anthems. Ray Charles "Georgia" took the place of some forgettable old song as the state song some years back.