Go Where Glory Waits Thee

Go Where Glory Waits Thee was written by Irish writer Thomas Moore.

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The song focuses on the wishes of a woman left behind while a man she loves ventures out into the world seeking fame and fortune. The relationship between the two is not made it clear so the woman could be a mother or a sister, but it’s almost certain that Moore had a lover in mind.

The opening lines make it clear that the man is seeking fame and glory. Moore could be referring to himself as he too set out to build a reputation as a writer.

The woman left behind doesn’t try to prevent him going; she just asks that he should remember her.

Moments of emotional intensity

She’s quite specific in her wishes. She particularly wants him to remember her at key moments of high emotional intensity – moments such as when the praise he receives from the world is at its sweetest or when his dearest friends are with him.

She also refers to when he sees the star that guides him homeward, the flowers he most loves and the music he most enjoys. At all of these moments, when he is at his happiest, she wants him to think of her.

The strategy seems to be to make him associate her with the times when he is at his happiest. That way he may look upon her even more fondly.

Moore’s poem was later set to the traditional Irish melody, The Maid of the Valley.

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Go Where the Glory Waits Thee lyrics and chords

[chordsandlyrics]
[D]Go where glory waits thee,
[G]But while fame [A7]elates thee,
[D]Oh! still re[F#m]member [G]me, [A]
[D]When the praise thou [D7]meetest
[G]To thine ear is [A7]sweetest,
[D]Oh! then re[F#m]member [G]me. [A]
[Bm]Other [F#m]arms may press thee,
Dearer [A]friends ca[Bm7]ress thee,
[A]All the [D]joys that bless thee,
[G]Sweeter far may [Bm]be.
[D]But when [A]friends are [D7]nearest,
[G]And when joys are dearest,
[Bm]Oh! then then remember [G]me! [D]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When at eve, thou rovest
By the star thou lovest,
Oh! then remember me,
Think, when home returning,
Bright we’ve seen it burning,
Oh! thus remember me.
Oft as summer closes,
When thine eye reposes
On its lingering roses,
Once so loved by thee,
Think of her who wove them,
Her who made thee love them,
Oh! then remember me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When, around thee dying,
Autumn leaves are lying,
Oh! then remember me.
And, at night, when gazing
On the gay hearth blazing,
Oh! still remember me.
Then, should music, stealing
All the soul of feeling,
To thy heart appealing,
Draw one tear from thee –
Then let memory bring thee
Strains I used to sing thee,
Oh! then remember me.
[/chordsandlyrics]

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