I went before God, and he said,
" What fruit of the life I gave?"
" Father," I said, " It is dead,
And nothing grows on the grave."

Wroth was the Lord and stern:
" Hadst thou not to answer me?
Shall the fruitless root not burn,
And be wasted utterly?"

" Father," I said, " forgive!
For thou knowest what I have done;
That another's life might live
Mine turned to a barren stone."

But the Father of Life sent fire
And burned the root in the grave;
And the pain in my heart is dire

VERSE

Let it rain and thunder!
Let a million firms go under!
I am not concerned with
Stocks and bonds that I've been burned with.
I love you and you love me,
And that's how it will always be.
And nothing else can ever mean a thing.
Who cares what the public chatters?
Love's the only thing that matters.

REFRAIN

Who cares
If the sky cares to fall in the sea?
Who cares what banks fail in Yonkers,
Long as you've got a kiss that conquers?
Why should I care?
Life is one long jubilee,

VERSE

If I should suddenly start to sing
Or stand on my head—or anything,
Don't think that I've lost my senses;
It's just that my happiness finally commences.
The long, long ages of dull despair
Are turning into thin air,
And it seems that suddenly I've
Become the happiest man alive.

REFRAIN

Things are looking up!
I've been looking the landscape over
And it's covered with four-leaf clover.
Oh, things are looking up
Since love looked up at me.
Bitter was my cup—

VERSE

Why are people gay
All the night and day,
Feeling as they never felt before?
What is the thing
That makes them sing?
Rich man, poor man, thief,
Doctor, lawyer, chief,
Feel a feeling that they can't ignore;
It plays a part
In ev'ry heart,
And ev'ry heart is shouting " Encore! "

REFRAIN

Love is sweeping the country;
Waves are hugging the shore;
All the sexes
From Maine to Texas
Have never known such love before.
See them billing and cooing

  VERSE

The more I read the papers,
The less I comprehend
The world and all its capers
And how it all will end.
Nothing seems to be lasting,
But that isn't our affair;
We've got something permanent—
I mean, in the way we care.

  REFRAIN

It's very clear
Our love is here to stay;
Not for a year,
But ever and a day.
The radio and the telephone
And the movies that we know
May just be passing fancies—
And in time may go.
But oh, my dear,
Our love is here to stay.
Together we're

REFRAIN

We thought that love was over,
That we were really through.
I said I didn't love her,
That we'd begin anew.
And you can all believe me,
We sure intended to,
But we just couldn't say good-bye.
The chair and then the sofa,
They broke right down and cried.
The curtains started wavin'
For me to come inside.
I tell you confidentially,
The tears were hard to hide,
And we just couldn't say good-bye.
The clock was striking twelve o'clock,
It smiled on us below.
With folded hands it seemed to say,

VERSE

I've been a pris'ner, locked in a jail,
Love held the only key;
Love heard me crying, locked in a jail,
Came to the help of me.
Oh! what a wonderful feeling,
To be free, really free!

REFRAIN

So, over my shoulder goes one care,
Over my shoulder go two cares.
Why should I cry? It's blue above.
I'm free at last, and I'm in love.
Over my shoulder go three cares,
Over my shoulder go four cares.
Bye-bye to trouble, it's gone beyond recall;
Over my shoulder goes it all.

Yes, I have lov'd before; for many a maid
Hath many a sigh this anxious bosom torn;
And oft the Muse with moving song to aid
My hope adventurous have I call'd; my youth
Was fond and ardent, yet the flower of truth
Beneath the cold aspect as oft did fade:
For how could Love, though faithful, live forlorn?
Not fickle was my heart, yet ah, to mourn
Through many a year affection ill-repaid

  VERSE

You are leaving me,
And I will try
To face the world
Alone.
What will be will be,
But time cannot
Erase the love
We've known.
Let me but have a token
Through which your love is spoken,
You are leaving me,
But it will say
You're my own.

  REFRAIN

Oh, give me something to remember you by,
When you are far away from me,
Dear;
Some little something, meaning love cannot die,
No matter where you chance to be.
Though I'll pray for you,
Night and day for you,
It will see me through

REFRAIN

Dancing in the dark,
Till the tune ends
We're dancing in the dark,
And it soon ends.
We're waltzing in the wonder
Of why we're here.
Time hurries by, we're here
And gone,
Looking for the light
Of a new love
To brighten up the night.
I have you, love,
And we can face the music together,
Dancing in the dark.

INTERLUDE

What though love is old?
What though song is old?
Through them we can be young!
Hear this heart of mine