I Remember, I Remember

1. I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away!

2. I remember, I remember,
The roses, red and white,
The vi’lets, and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,—
The tree is living yet!

3. I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow!

4. I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now ’tis little joy
To know I’m farther off from heav’n
Than when I was a boy.

– Thomas Hood (1799-1845)

Sung by Susan Diamond

Click here for sheet music

Commentary: Thomas Hood was a Victorian poet and author, the son of a London bookseller. He was in his lifetime best known for his humorous work, as well as certain poems, especially “The Song of the Shirt,” which became a national sensation and helped expose the abject work conditions of working women. Almost as celebrated, “I Remember, I Remember” offers a typically nostalgic view of Hood’s childhood.

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I Remember, I Remember

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