Love Song

Song #96 in Ives's song collection is entitled "Love Song," though, instead of simply writing the title of the song, he writes the following explanation:

"Leigh Hunt, in his Essays, 'Rhyme and Reason,' says: ...'yet how many "poems" are there...of which we require no more than the rhymes, to be acquainted with the whole of them? You know what the rogues have done by the ends they come to. For instance, what more is necessary to inform us to all the following gentleman has for sale, than the bell he tinkles at the end of his cry? We are as sure of him as the muffin-man.' Then he quotes the beautiful text, found in the song below. It is called a 'Love Song,' but this is not enough; when attached to music, it becomes a 'Morceau du Coeur,' -- a 'Romanzo di Central Pak,' or an 'Intermezzo Table d'hote.' '...Was there ever peroration more eloquent? Ever a series of catastrophes more explanatory of their previous history?'"

Date: 1900Composer: Charles IvesText: Charles Ives

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