The wonderful Helen Espinosa has, this week, declared Song-Lyric Sunday’s theme to be a song that we love from a movie. (Please join in – it’s fun!) It was a tough decision, but finally I chose a song from the movie, Babe. It’s sung by Farmer Hoggett, played by the lovely James Cromwell, during the film and by the Field Mice in the end credits.

The song has quite a history. “If I Had Words” was first recorded in  1978, sung by Scott Fitzgerald as a duet with Yvonne Keeley. It became a hit in the UK. I imagine Scott Fitzgerald gave it lyrics, but I haven’t been able to confirm it. Considering the lyrics themselves, this is strangely ironic. The music was adapted from Symphony No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns, written in 1886.

The lyrics are simple but deeply profound to me, as a writer. They represent everything I would give to my children, every day of their lives, if I could.

“If I Had Words”

If I had words to make a day for you,
I’d sing you a morning golden and new
I would make this day last for all time
Give you a night deep in moonshine

*****

The music moves me as much as the words, so I’ll leave you with two sources. First the version from the movie, and second, the Symphony. The latter is 36+ minutes long, but the section in question, if you want to hear just that, begins shortly after 27:20 in the Youtube video. The whole Symphony is beautiful.

Oh, and what the hell: I’ll add the Mice version too, since it’s so cute.