Oh, Bring Me Love!

Lyricist. Harold Simpson

Publisher. M. Witmark & Sons

Date. 1911

Key/Range. F Major (d' -- f")

COMMENTARY

The lyric by Harold Simpson, who wrote an important history of the ballad in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, is an excellent example of a mediocre text that Tours elevated substantially with his difficult and dramatic musical setting. The message of the protagonist to his lover is set against the backdrop of their parting for some unknown reason. Simpson’s elliptical use of the word “love” in the second sentence for both his love and that of his would-be lover (“Oh, bring me [your] love, that [my] love may not be in vain”) creates on ambiguity that is not worth the effort it takes to unpack. An even more awkward ambiguity exists in the opening line, which suggests that the lover brings the protagonist tears, when it is the presence of their tears that makes the protagonist cry (this connotation should not be conflated with the phrase “bring me to tears”). The lyric’s passionate plea mounts throughout the song until it climaxes in dramatic fashion at the end, giving the singer a powerful vehicle to exercise the full extent of their vocal capacity to great effect.