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POPULAR BALLAD: NEVER FORGET YOUR PARENTS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: A young man once was sitting
Last Line: You would not have been born.
Alternate Author Name(s): F. P. A.
Subject(s): Gratitude; Grief; Parents; Sorrow; Sadness; Parenthood


A YOUNG man once was sitting
Within a swell cafe,
The music it was playing sweet --
The people was quite gay.
But he alone was silent,
A tear was in his eye --
A waitress she stepped up to him, and
Asked him gently why.

(Change to Minor)

He turned to her in sorrow and
At first he spoke no word,
But soon he spoke unto her, for
She was an honest girl.
He rose up from the table
In that elegant cafe,
And in a voice replete with tears
To her he then did say:

CHORUS

Never forget your father,
Think all he done for you;
A mother is a boy's best friend,
So loving, kind, and true,
If it were not for them, I'm sure
I might be quite forlorn;
And if your parents had not have lived
You would not have been born.

A hush fell on the laughing throng,
It made them feel quite bad,
For most of them was people, and
Some parents they had had.
Both men and ladies did shed tears.
The music it did cease,
For all knew he had spoke the truth
By looking at his face.

(Change to Minor)

The waitress she wept bitterly
And others was in tears
It made them think of the old home
They had not saw in years.
And while their hearts was heavy and
Their eyes they was quite red.
This brave and honest boy again
To them these words he said:

CHORUS

Never forget your father,
Think all he done for you;
A mother is a boy's best friend,
So loving, kind, and true,
If it were not for them, I'm sure
I might be quite forlorn;
And if your parents had not have lived
You would not have been born.





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