(THE)  OLD  LAMPLIGHTER


Time signature:  4/4

​Lyrics:  Charles Tobias
Music:  Nat Simon
​1946
UNDER CONSTRUCTION:  Everything needs to be checked.
​
Accordion Notation
Beats per bar = 4
Beat symbol  =  Dot ( . ) or equivalent
Either row (high) =  Buttons 5 to 9*
Inside row (low)  =  Buttons 2 to 5* plus o3*
Verse 1

 '5    "6     '7    |   .:9*   '8  "8  '8*  |     .8*  .;7    "7    |  ;7  "6*  .7      .7*    |   ;:6
 '2    "3     '4    |   .:5*   '5  "5  '4*  |     .4*  .;4    "4    |  ;4  "2*  .4      .3*    |   ;:3  
He made the    night  a   lit-tle     bright-er  wher - ev - er   he  would    go

 "6   |   :5*    :6   |    .5      :6   .8*   |   :7       .7    .6   |   .;7* 
 "3   |  :o3*   :3   |    .2      :3   .4*   |   :4       .4    .3   |   .;3*
The    old  lamp - light - er   of      long,  long   a  -   go

 '5    '''6    '7  |  .:9*   '8    "8      '8*   |   .8*   .;7    "7  |   ;7     "6*     .7   .7*   |   ;:6  
 '2    '''3    '4  |  .:5*   '5    "5      '4*   |   .4*   .;4    "4  |   ;4     "2*     .4   .3*   |   ;:3
His snow-y    hair  was  so  much   whit -er,    be - neath  the  can-dle    glow,

 "6   |   :5*    :6   |    .5      :6   .8*   |   :7       .7    .7*   |   .:6 
 "3   |  :o3*   :3   |    .2      :3   .4*   |   :4       .4    .3*   |   .:3
The    old  lamp - light - er   of      long,  long   a  -   go

Verse 2

    '5     "6    '7*  | "'7  '8  "'7  '7*  '''6     '5  "'6   '7*   |  "'7    '8      "'7      '7*    ;6     
    '2     "3    '3*  | "'4  '5  "'4  '3*  '''3     '2  "'3   '3*   |  "'4    '5      "'4      '3*    ;3    
You'd hear the   pat-ter  of his feet   As he came   tod-dling down the street

 ''7*   |  '''7       '8       '''7   '7*  '''6  '5    '''6    '7*   |   .:7  
 "3*   |  '''4       '5       '''4   '3*  '''3  '2    '''3    '3*   |   .:4
His     smile would hide  a  lone-ly heart you      see

 '5*   "7*    '7    |    '''8       '9*    '''8*  '7   '''7*      '5*    '''7*  '7   |  '''8*   '9*   '''8*   '7   ;7*
'o3*  "3*    '4    |    '''5       '5*    '''4*  '4   '''3*     'o3*   '''3*  '4   |  '''4*   '5*   '''4*   '4   ;3*         
 If    there were   sweet-hearts in  the park   He'd pass  a     lamp and leave it dark

"7   |   '''8*   '9*  '''8*   '7   '''7*    '5*    '''7*   '7   |  .:8* 
''4   |   '''4*   '5*  '''4*   '4   '''3*   'o3*   '''3*   '4   |  .:4*
 Re - mem-ber- ing  the days that used   to      be

 '5   ''6  '7*  |  '''7       '8       '''7         '7*    '''6     '5    '''6       '7*  |  '''7    '8      '''7     '7*   ;6     
 '2   ''3  '3*  |  '''4       '5       '''4         '3*    '''3     '2    '''3       '3*  |  '''4    '5      '''4     '3*   ;3   
For he  re - called when dreams were new   He loved some - one who loved him too

  "5   |  '''7      '8    '''7   '7*  '''6   '5   '''6*   '7* |  .:6  
  ''2   |  '''4      '5    '''4   '3*  '''3   '2   '''2*   '3* |  .:3
Who  walks with him  a - lone in  mem- o -  ries

Chorus:

 '5    "6     '7    |   .:9*   '8  "8  '8*  |     .8*  .;7    "7    |  ;7  "6*  .7      .7*    |   ;:6
 '2    "3     '4    |   .:5*   '5  "5  '4*  |     .4*  .;4    "4    |  ;4  "2*  .4      .3*    |   ;:3  
He made the    night  a   lit-tle     bright-er  wher - ev - er   he  would    go

 "6   |   :5*    :6   |    .5      :6   .8*   |   :7       .7    .7*   |   .:6 
 "3   |  :o3*   :3   |    .2      :3   .4*   |   :4       .4    .3*   |   .:3
The    old  lamp - light - er   of      long,  long   a  -   go
​
Verse 3

   '5  "6   '7*  |  "'7    '8  "'7   '7*  '''6         '5    "'6   '7*   |  "'7    '8    "'7   '7*    ;6    
   '2  "3   '3*  |  "'4    '5  "'4   '3*  '''3         '2    "'3   '3*   |  "'4    '5    "'4   '3*    ;3      
Now  if you    look  up  in  the  sky    You'll  un-der - stand the rea-son why

 "7*   |  '''7    '8   '''7    '7*  '''6    '5    '''6    '7*  |   .:7   
 "3*   |  '''4    '5   '''4    '3*  '''3    '2    '''3    '3*  |   .:4     
The       lit - tle stars  at night are  all      a  -  glow   

'5     "6       '7*    |   '''7    '8       '''7   '7*   '''6       '5   '''6       '7*  |  '''7     '8      '''7    '7*  ;6   
'2     "3       '3*    |   '''4    '5       '''4   '3*   '''3       '2   '''3       '3*  |  '''4     '5      '''4    '3*  ;3  
He turns them       on when night  is  near    He turns them    off when dawn  is here

 "7   |  '''7  '8     '''7    '7*    ''6    "5   "6*  "7* |  ::6  
 ''4   |  '''4  '5     '''4    '3*    ''3    "2   "2*  "3* |  ::3
The      lit-tle   man who  left   us  long  a  -  go

Most renditions end with the Chorus.
Guitar (Chord) Notation
First draft - "cherry-picked" and merged from several online sources.

Key of G:  To play in key of G, but sound in key of A or B - place capo at fret 2 or 4.
Key of C:  To play in C, but sound in key of Db, D, Eb or F - place capo at fret 1, 2, 3 or 5

If you prefer, Key of G chord G6 can be replaced by Em
If you prefer, Key of C chord C6 can be replaced by Am
Verse 1
 G                       C                           G                        B7                             Em
 C                       F                            C                        E7                             Am  
He made the    night  a   lit-tle     bright-er  wher - ev - er   he  would    go

            C                G                                  A7             D7
            F                 C                                 D7             G7
The    old  lamp - light - er   of      long,  long   a  -   go

                        C                                  G                      B7                              Em
                        F                                  C                       E7                              Am
His snow-y    hair  was  so  much   whit -er,    be - neath  the  can-dle    glow,
 
           C                 G                                  D7             G
           F                 C                                  G7             C
The    old  lamp - light - er   of      long,  long   a  -  go

Verse 2
                                                    G6                            G                               G6     
                                                    C6                            C                               C6    
You'd hear the   pat-ter  of his feet   As he came   tod-dling down the street

          G                               G6                          G
          C                                C6                         C                   
His   smile would hide  a  lone-ly heart you  see

                            Am                             Am6                            Am                         Am6  
                            Dm                             Dm6                            Dm                         Dm6         
 If   there were   sweet-hearts in  the  park   He'd pass  a    lamp and leave it  dark

        Am                       Am6                           Am 
        Dm                       Dm6                           Dm
 Re-mem-ber-ing  the days that used   to   be

                     G                                         G6                                 G                              G6     
                     C                                         C6                                  C                              C6   
For he  re - called when dreams were new   He loved some - one who loved him too

           G                            C                       G  
           C                            F                        C
Who  walks with him   a-lone in  mem-o-ries

Chorus:
 G                       C                           G                      B7                           Em
 C                       F                            C                      E7                           Am  
He made the    night  a   lit-tle     bright-er  wher-ev-er   he  would    go

            C              G                                D7            G
            F              C                                G7            C
The    old  lamp-light - er   of    long,  long   a -  go
​
Verse 3
                        G                         G6                               G                            G6    
                        C                         C6                                C                            C6
Now  if you    look  up  in  the  sky    You'll  un-der - stand the rea-son why

           G                        G6                            G    
           C                        C6                            C     
The    lit - tle stars  at night are  all      a - glow   

                             G                             G6                                  G                            G6
                             C                             C6                                  C                             C6  
He turns them    on when night  is  near    He turns them   off  when dawn  is here

           G                          C           D7            G                       
           C                          F            G7            C
The    lit-tle   man who  left   us  long  a  -  go
Embedded youTube VIDEOS
 Total of 17 videos in various keys:  D=5    Eb=2    F=1    G=1     A=1     B=1     C=5     Db=1
Key:  D

​Tempo:  ~90 bpm

Group:  The Browns  (1960)

Posted by:  jukejointjohnny48

From:  60s Country Classics Volume 3

​
Key:  D

​Tempo:  ~95 bpm

​Group:  Swing and Sway

Singer:  Sammy Kaye  (1946)

Posted by:  Tim Gracyk
Key:  D

​Tempo:  ~105 bpm

Singer:  Teresa Brewer   (1963)

​Posted by:  TheLimePopsicle
Key:  D

​Tempo:  ~85 bpm

Singer:  Gene Autry  (1947)

Posted by:  Gene Autry

From film "Twilight on the Rio Grande"
Key:   D

​Tempo:  ~75 bpm

Singer:  Perry Como  (1960)
with the Mitchell Ayers' Orchestra,
and the Ray Charles Singers.
​
Posted by:  Cost Ander
Key:  Eb

​Tempo:  ~105 bpm

Group:  The Original Houghton Weavers

Posted by:  Paul Jackson

From Late 1970's - on a BBC North West program.
Key:  Eb 

​Tempo:  ~135 bpm

Group:  Millican and Nesbitt
​
​Posted by:  slackmonkie
Key:   F 

​Tempo:  ~95 bpm

Singer:  Slim Whitman    (1961)
​
Posted by:  Orvil Morris
Key:   G 

​Tempo:  ~80 bpm

Pianist:  Edward Tarte

​Posted by: Edward Tarte
Key:  A 

​Tempo:  ~90 bpm
 
Singer:  Ann Pascoe

Posted by:  Ann Pascoe - Topic
Key:   B 

​Tempo:  ~85 bpm

Singer:  Pat Hamilton
​
Posted by:  MayFire55

​Beautiful!  However, the order is a little different from that given above.
Key:  C

Group:  The Lennon Sisters

Posted by:  MusicMaker 1979
Key:  C

Group:  The Ventures

Singer:  Bill Rice ?

Posted by:  barryarice
Key:  C

​Tempo:  ~90 bpm

Singer:  Vince Castro

​Posted by:  VINCE CASTRO
​Key:   C

Tempo:  ~80 bpm

Singer:  Bing Crosby

Posted by:  ChUSA7-BING CROSBY

From "The Radio Years - Vol 2"
Key:   C

​Tempo:  ~105 bpm

Singer:  Anthony (Tony) Archibald

Posted by:  threelegsoman

View the youTube site for this rendition to get his guitar chords in key of C.
Key:   Db

Singer:  Colin James

​Posted by:  Colin James
Lyrics, Background Information & Links
LYRICS
Verse 1




Verse 2






Chorus


Verse 3


​
​He made the night a little brighter wherever he would go,
The old lamplighter of long, long ago.
His snowy hair was so much whiter beneath the candle glow,
The old lamplighter of long, long ago.

You'd hear the patter of his feet,   as he came toddling down the street.
His smile would cheer a lonely heart you see.
If there were sweethearts in the park, he'd pass a lamp and leave it dark,
Remembering the days that used to be.
For he recalled when things were new.  He loved someone who loved him too,
Who walks with him alone in memories.

He made the night a little brighter wherever he would go,
The old lamplighter of long, long ago.

Now if you look up in the sky,  you'll understand the reason why
The little stars at night are all aglow.
He turns them on when night is near,  he turns them off when dawn is here,
The little man who left us long ago.

End with Chorus
Return to Top of Page
Background
Links




​
​Guitar-chord
Links:
 Click HERE for additional info about this song (wikipedia).

Click HERE for wikipedia info on song-writer Charles Tobias.

Click HERE for wikipedia info on composer Nat Simon.


Guitar Chord links for keys of C and D.  For other guitar keys, use capo.

Click  HERE for guitar chord notation in key of C.  (See next link....)
​
Click HERE (then "SHOW MORE") for C chords used by Tony Archibald.
 
​Click HERE  or HERE or HERE  for guitar chord notation in key of D.

HEADS UP:  Although I have drawn from these (and other) sources to create the Guitar Chord Section above, I have not had the time to carefully evaluate the accuracy of these chords and placements relative to the tune given above;  nor do I have the knowledge and skill to evaluate the overall quality of these guitar-chord sites.
​