❤My first memory of any song was of this song. Me and my Sister aged 3 and 4 years old grew up in an orphanage in London in the early 1970s and the ladies who worked there used to sing it to the kids when it was on the radio. R.I.P. Thank You
Nostalgic, Beautiful, Sad and very well done. Reminds me of the first time my family and I saw the Caribbean (Grand Cayman), the gentle people and remoteness of the islands. It was 1969 and that has changed now, but it will stay with me for my life.
Roger Whittaker & Chet Atkins "The Last Farewell" Edited by HuntinBoots ~ Thank you! "The Last Farewell", lyrics: There's a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbour Tomorrow for old England she sails Far away from your land of endless sunshine To my land full of rainy skies and gales And I shall be aboard that ship tomorrow Though my heart is full of tears at this farewell For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly More dearly than the spoken word can tell For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly More dearly than the spoken word can tell I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing And the taste of war I know so very well Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising Their guns on fire as we sail into hell I have no fear of death, it brings no sorrow But how bitter will be this last farewell For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly More dearly than the spoken word can tell For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly More dearly than the spoken word can tell Though death and darkness gather all about me My ship be torn apart upon the seas I shall smell again the fragrance of these islands And the heaving waves that brought me once to thee And should I return home safe again to England I shall watch the English mist roll through the dale For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly More dearly than the spoken word can tell For you are beautiful, and I have loved you dearly More dearly than the spoken word can tell
This song is only one of thirty records to sell over twelve million copies and it was number 1 in eleven countries. Roger Whittaker got the words from a young apprentice jeweler, put them to music and Kerching!!!!
I understand completely LSUTexasTiger. My dad and mother both loved this song as well. Lost him in 97 and mother just a few months ago. It appears that we had a similar life experience ( a very good one). Thank you HuntinBoots for the post! Thank s from Eastern Canada. God Bless.
Roger is a white Kenyan. I'm a white Tanzanian. This song is so, so sad. Just like he felt sailing away from Kenya, I broke my heart to leave my bush-home, and sail away from Tanzania. I've never forgotten the wonderful watu, the amazing animals, the Swahili language. I'm not a musician, I didn't sing about my experience. I tried to recapture it in writing. And Roger's song inspired me.
@ronackerman3861, I'm only 25 and I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it.... on our local AM radio station! I enjoy listening to it as well! Joe
Quote from Wikipedia, "The opening of "The Last Farewell" features a French horn solo that was arranged by Lawrence on the initial airing of the radio program. Whittaker has stated that he feels much of the song's appeal comes from the classical-sounding nature of this instrumental arrangement at the beginning of the song." No wonder this sounds so familiar, it is the French horn solo rings the bell to me. Isn't this a gospel song? From the lyrics, you may tell.
@dxfreight You're right! I left Tanzania 45 years ago, aged 16, & miss it more than ever. Good thing- with kids grown up & through uni, we can travel, & been to E. Africa twice in the last 5 months. Getting involved building a top-rate school on 50 acres at Bagomoyo, off southern tip of Zanzibar. Education in Tanzania is poor, & hope to make a (small) difference. BTW, we also tried the antipodes - went to live & work in New Zealand for 3 years, but it didn't recapture Africa for us. Jimu
I can be a cynical ol' bark at times, I have 4 grandaughters, and I've lived a life. BUT, all I need to hear is the opening couple of bars of this, and I well up uncontrollably. So simple, so hauntingly poignant. By the time it is ended, I have tears streaming down my face. A tale of love found and lost, of leaving and homecomings, of friends and times forever gone. Nuff said.
I want to take-back my other post on another live version of this song. My post simply said 'It doesn't get any better than this.' But I was mistaken. This Chet Atkins dude is smooth as shit (pardon my language). My favorite live version of this song!!
tengo entendido que Roger and Chet eran grandes amigos,incluso Chet fue quién produjo (financió) uno de los discos de Roger. Alguién sabe qué pasó con esa amistad?? Oscar Olavarría, from Chile.
"The last farewell" comes, any-way the great-you do or not sees it come... Bear also that in mind for truth , you'll feel in accordance to what is really REAL... Hit the road with a talisman ,not blindly... Bernard.
@jimincairns Jambo sana! Ni mzima, asante. Niko Uriah, ko Cornwall. Lakini nina tembeya sana Tanzania na Kenya siku hizi. Na wewe, rafiki yangu, iko wapi? Jimu
ChubbyBeak- I like Elvis he is an amazing singer who has unbelievable' range and versatility. But as some one who does some Elvis and Some Whittaker I would tell you NO WAY. Certain songs are meant to be done a specific way. Elvis's voice does not always translate well to all songs. I do think he could do this one well BUT unless he can sing it with an English accent he is not in the same league with Rodger on this one. It is a song sung by an English sailer not someone from Tupalo Miss.
@ronackerman3861, I'm only 25 and I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it.... on our local AM radio station! I enjoy listening to it as well! Joe
Quote from Wikipedia, "The opening of "The Last Farewell" features a French horn solo that was arranged by Lawrence on the initial airing of the radio program. Whittaker has stated that he feels much of the song's appeal comes from the classical-sounding nature of this instrumental arrangement at the beginning of the song." No wonder this sounds so familiar, it is the French horn solo rings the bell to me. Isn't this a gospel song? From the lyrics, you may tell.
