1856
Gentle Annie
Composed by 
Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster Text by Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster "Gentle Annie" was probably written for Stephen Foster's cousin, Annie Evans, who died shortly before the song was composed. The tune of the song is based on an Irish melody.
Text
Gentle Annie
by Stephen Foster
Thou wilt come no more, gentle Annie,
Like a flower thy spirit did depart;
Thou are gone, alas! like the many
That have bloomed in the summer of my heart.
Chorus:
Shall we never more behold thee;
Never hear thy winning voice again
When the Spring time comes, gentle Annie,
When the wild flowers are scattered o’er the plain?
We have roamed and loved mid the bowers
When thy downy cheeks were in their bloom;
Now I stand alone mid the flowers
While they mingle their perfumes o’er thy tomb.
Chorus
Ah! the hours grow sad while I ponder
Near the silent spot where thou are laid,
And my heart bows down when I wander
By the streams and the meadows were we strayed.
Chorus
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Sheet Music