The Colonel & The Lady
This story was one of my favourites and the ideas in it were some of the earliest I wrote but it was one of the last songs I finished as I couldn’t get the structure quite right. One of the learning curves for me writing in a more traditional ‘folk’ storytelling style has been working out how to fit the story in without making a 12 minute rambler; what to put in and what to leave out.
This is another song which came from reading about Beau Nash – he plays quite a pretty important part in the story but I’ve left him out of the song as I wanted to keep it about the two main characters.
This is about a Lady (‘Miss L’) and the Colonel. Miss L had a very wealthy father and was due to inherit a grand sum down the line – her father had set her up with a Nobleman (in whom she was not really interested) She came to Bath and attended the assemblies and balls of which Beau Nash was in charge of. While there she met the attention of the Colonel.
The Colonel spent all his money on fineries and ingratiating himself with the upper social classes at the assemblies – however, whereas a lot of the dalliances and relationships were formed at these assemblies around money and power, the Colonel was only ever interested in finding love.
The Lady and The Colonel fell for each other in a big way and developed a strong bond which was noticed by Beau Nash – he told of this relationship to the Lady’s father who was furious. He called her back from Bath and left them both broken hearted.
The Colonel, having lost his love signed up with the Dutch Army in Flanders. Word followed back that he’d sadly been killed in battle. The Lady, broken-hearted, remained with her nobleman and began to move on with her life, never forgetting the Colonel.
However, Beau Nash later got word that the Colonel hadn’t actually been killed and that he’d returned to join a band of strolling players – a travelling theatre company. Nash had second thoughts about what he’d previously done to the pair and decided to make amends. He arranged for the Lady and her nobleman to see the show, sitting them on the front row with him. He told neither of his plans.
As the play began, the Colonel stepped forward in his role as usual, but in one instant, they caught each other’s eyes and both fell into shock. The lady began to faint, so the colonel leaped forward and caught her. Beau Nash then stood before them all and delivered a speech whereby he asked their forgiveness and urged them to be together.
Lyrics:
Dear Lady I beg you, allow me to ask for
Your heart and your hand both the same
I may not have fortunes and status to bare but
I’ll love you far beyond my grave
Dear Colonel, I gladly will give you my heart though
My hand has been promised away
For my father has chosen a nice Noble man so
To his choice I’m cursed to stay
Why is it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Dear Lady, I care not what man you belong to
I see the love within your eyes
Good Lady, you know that we should be together
Why does sadness fill your sighs?
Dear Colonel, I’m broken for my father was told of
The fire in me that burns for you
So he brings me away from this place and I must go
A poisoned tongue tore us in two
Why is it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Dear Lady, I write you to tell you I’ve gone to
Carry arms across the seas
But even if darkness should happen to find me,
You’ll be the last light I see
Why was it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Dear Colonel, I’ve have heard that in war you did fall, oh
My soul is empty, ripped apart
For even though my hand was wed to another
You’ll have died carrying my heart
Why was it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Two years have gone by and a play I have come to,
The lights are dim the act begins
My life has been tough since I lost my good Lady
But somehow I end up on this stage…
Dear Colonel, it can’t be do my eyes deceive me?
I feel my legs fall away
My Lady, I thought I had lost you forever
Has your love burned for all this time?
I gave up my heart when I could not be with you
But something carried it to you
Maybe if not for the stars… we’d always have been left apart?
They’ve never kept us apart … they’ll never keep us apart…
This is another song which came from reading about Beau Nash – he plays quite a pretty important part in the story but I’ve left him out of the song as I wanted to keep it about the two main characters.
This is about a Lady (‘Miss L’) and the Colonel. Miss L had a very wealthy father and was due to inherit a grand sum down the line – her father had set her up with a Nobleman (in whom she was not really interested) She came to Bath and attended the assemblies and balls of which Beau Nash was in charge of. While there she met the attention of the Colonel.
The Colonel spent all his money on fineries and ingratiating himself with the upper social classes at the assemblies – however, whereas a lot of the dalliances and relationships were formed at these assemblies around money and power, the Colonel was only ever interested in finding love.
The Lady and The Colonel fell for each other in a big way and developed a strong bond which was noticed by Beau Nash – he told of this relationship to the Lady’s father who was furious. He called her back from Bath and left them both broken hearted.
The Colonel, having lost his love signed up with the Dutch Army in Flanders. Word followed back that he’d sadly been killed in battle. The Lady, broken-hearted, remained with her nobleman and began to move on with her life, never forgetting the Colonel.
However, Beau Nash later got word that the Colonel hadn’t actually been killed and that he’d returned to join a band of strolling players – a travelling theatre company. Nash had second thoughts about what he’d previously done to the pair and decided to make amends. He arranged for the Lady and her nobleman to see the show, sitting them on the front row with him. He told neither of his plans.
As the play began, the Colonel stepped forward in his role as usual, but in one instant, they caught each other’s eyes and both fell into shock. The lady began to faint, so the colonel leaped forward and caught her. Beau Nash then stood before them all and delivered a speech whereby he asked their forgiveness and urged them to be together.
Lyrics:
Dear Lady I beg you, allow me to ask for
Your heart and your hand both the same
I may not have fortunes and status to bare but
I’ll love you far beyond my grave
Dear Colonel, I gladly will give you my heart though
My hand has been promised away
For my father has chosen a nice Noble man so
To his choice I’m cursed to stay
Why is it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Dear Lady, I care not what man you belong to
I see the love within your eyes
Good Lady, you know that we should be together
Why does sadness fill your sighs?
Dear Colonel, I’m broken for my father was told of
The fire in me that burns for you
So he brings me away from this place and I must go
A poisoned tongue tore us in two
Why is it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Dear Lady, I write you to tell you I’ve gone to
Carry arms across the seas
But even if darkness should happen to find me,
You’ll be the last light I see
Why was it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Dear Colonel, I’ve have heard that in war you did fall, oh
My soul is empty, ripped apart
For even though my hand was wed to another
You’ll have died carrying my heart
Why was it always the stars… fighting to keep us apart?
Two years have gone by and a play I have come to,
The lights are dim the act begins
My life has been tough since I lost my good Lady
But somehow I end up on this stage…
Dear Colonel, it can’t be do my eyes deceive me?
I feel my legs fall away
My Lady, I thought I had lost you forever
Has your love burned for all this time?
I gave up my heart when I could not be with you
But something carried it to you
Maybe if not for the stars… we’d always have been left apart?
They’ve never kept us apart … they’ll never keep us apart…