If We Parted
- Amanda Riddell
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- Apr 23, 2024
- 1 min read
I was thinking about that lyric when I woke up this morning. So, I realise that people are probably saying 'that's a false rhyme' regarding betrayed/way. Actually, no it's not. This is an early example of my preference to rhyme phrases in subsequent stanzas. - I'd be sad if we parted. I'd be glad if you stayed, But I would understand either way. I'd be mad when you departed, And I'd feel betrayed. But I would understand anyway. I could act just the same without you, And I could seem just as happy as anyone while blue. I'd be sad if we parted. I'd be glad if you stayed, But I would be fine either way. - I didn't think that deeply about it; this was a tune-first thing. I do think that the identities build emotional tension, but again that's me taking a step back and analysing.
Oh, and a thought for all the Americans: I actually first encountered Sondheim's lyrics as poetry, as I read Finishing the Hat before studying many of the scores. So, unlike those people that grew up hearing them live, I had a more dispassionate view. I think that my lyrics are more like poetry than most lyricists, but they're still tight and comprehensible on a first listen. Kiwis are more laconic than Americans, so that's why the style is more poetic.