Charlie Zahm "Lorena"

Celtic singer Charlie Zahm performs a set of Americana music at the Gloucester County Public Library in Mullica Hill, NJ on November 4, 2006.

Folksinger Charlie Zahm is based in Pennsylvania and may be reached at http://www.charliezham.com for more information.

The years creep slowly by, Lorena
The snow is on the grass again
The sun's low down the sky, Lorena
The frost gleams where the flowers have been
But the heart throbs on as warmly now
As when the summer days were nigh
Oh, the sun can never dip so low
A-down affection's cloudless sky.
A hundred months have passed, Lorena
Since last I held that hand in mine
And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena
Though mine beat faster far than thine
A hundred months...'twas flowery May
When up the hilly slope we climbed
To watch the dying of the day
And hear the distant church bells chime.
We loved each other then, Lorena
More than we ever dared to tell
And what we might have been, Lorena
Had but our loving prospered well
But then, 'tis past, the years have gone
I'll not call up their shadowy forms
I'll say to them, "Lost years, sleep on
Sleep on, nor heed life's pelting storms."
The story of the past, Lorena
Alas! I care not to repeat
The hopes that could not last, Lorena
They lived, but only lived to cheat
I would not cause e'en one regret
To rankle in your bosom now
"For if we try we may forget"
Were words of thine long years ago.
Yes, these were words of thine, Lorena
They are within my memory yet
They touched some tender chords, Lorena
Which thrill and tremble with regret
'Twas not the woman's heart which spoke
Thy heart was always true to me
A duty stern and piercing broke
The tie which linked my soul with thee.
It matters little now, Lorena
The past is in the eternal past
Our hearts will soon lie low, Lorena
Life's tide is ebbing out so fast
There is a future, oh, thank God!
Of life this is so small a part
'Tis dust to dust beneath the sod
But there, up there, 'tis heart to heart.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Charlie Zahm
• Lorena
• Cival War
• Americana
• music

[tarzanlordofthe]

@BrittGuy08

It looks he's in the key of F - capo on third and play something like these chord shapes

D D G /Em A A D D The bridge looks like something like F#

He's got a good touch

[MsCatlover1994]

Yes this is just beautiful. Can all of you picture this story in your heads? All of his songs are like this, they are alive and beautiful.

[ausborne]

This is a beautiful rendition!! I'm slotted to sing this myself at a Civil War reenactment in West Virginia as the soldiers march onto the battlefield and the ladies look onward. I wish this guy could be there to play the guitar for me! WOW!! WELL DONE!!!

[Rodriguezx123]

@BrittGuy08 looks like he goes D then G? then E minor then A7 then back to D

[daryush55]

@weedunn Yes, I hope he does make it to this side of the Atlantic sometime :-)

[olmose]

I've loved this song since i first heard it in the John Ford classic western," The Searchers". Lovely song....

[weedunn]

Why isn't this guy famous? Great voice, great guitar playing and great songs. Charlie is the greatest. Come over to Scotland laddie!

[BrittGuy08]

Does anyone have the chords to this song as he plays it? I see he capoes up three frets. Can someone help here? Thanks

[Bluewaterrose]

Great Song !!!! My name is Lorena, too

[Cuzzbleed]

Before hearing this I had always leaned towards John Hartford for the most haunting version....but this rips my heart out. Can you imagine him doing this on a 12-string??