The Girl I Left Behind Me -

Complete descending tonic arpeggio (I, D),
ascending tonic arpeggio, and dotted syncopation.

Description

Grade: Fifth
Origin: Ireland – Traditional Folk Tune, circa. 1700’s
Key: D Major
Time: 2/4
Form: phrases: ABCB – song: AB
Rhythm: intermediate: | ti ti ti ti | ti ti ti/ ri | syncopation, | ti ti ti ri ti ri | ta ti ti ri | ti ti ti ti/ ri | syncopation, | ti ti ti/ ri | syncopation
Pitches: intermediate: So La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do – extended range
Intervals: intermediate: So8\Mi\Do descending tonic arpeggio (I, D), Do\La (m3), Mi/Do8 (m6), Ti/Re (m3), Re\So (P5), Do/So (P5), Mi/So (m3), Do8\So8\Mi\Do complete descending tonic arpeggio (I, D), Do/Mi/So8 ascending tonic arpeggio
Musical Elements: notes: quarter, dotted eighth, eighth, sixteenth; pickup beat, syncopation, tonic arpeggios
Key Words: world geography: Ireland, popular soldier’s song: USA war of independence, war of 1812, and American Civil war; lonesome, moor, heavy thoughts, parting, fine and gay, remind, swift, forget, night, stars, gently, lent, vowed, bound, Brighton camp, heaven, pray, guide, safely, golden hair, ringlets, diamonds, shining, slender waist, heavenly face, pining, gods, prayer, beauteous, bee, honey, taste, dove, ranger, falling waters, roar, cease, ere, vows, cheer, bind me, constancy; contractions: I’m (I am); abbreviations: ne’er (never), silv’ry (silvery), heav’n (heaven)
Recorder: advanced: introducing F#, (high and low), complete descending tonic arpeggio, extended range

**“The Girl I Left Behind Me”**

	1.	I’m lonesome since I crossed the hill, And o’er the moor and valley Such heavy thoughts my heart do fill Since parting with my Betsey. I seek no more the fine and gay For each does but remind me, How swift the hours did pass away With the girl I left behind me.

	2.	O ne’er shall I forget the night, The stars were bright above me And gently lent their silv’ry light When first she vowed to love me. But now I’m bound to Brighton camp Kind heaven then pray guide me And send me safely back again, To the girl I left behind me.

	3.	Her golden hair in ringlets fair, Her eyes like diamonds shining Her slender waist, her heavenly face, That leaves my heart still pining. Ye gods above oh hear my prayer To my beauteous fair to find me And send me safely back again, To the girl I left behind me.

	4.	The bee shall honey taste no more, The dove become a ranger The falling waters cease to roar, Ere I shall seek to change her The vows we made to heav’n above Shall ever cheer and bind me In constancy to her I love, The girl I left behind me.

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