Derived from an old Scottish ballad, "O Waly, Waly," the song's origins go back centuries. Recorded by nearly every prominent modern folksinger and art song recitalist. A soaring lament on the ephemeral quality of love.
Written in 1912 by Irving Berlin(1888-1989) in response to the sudden death of his first wife just months after their marriage. This is the earliest of Berlin's simple, immensely expressive waltzes that would become one of the trademarks of America's Songwriter Laureate.