Lyrics to Charlie Chaplin Film Music

Lyrics of Charlie Chaplin' s Music

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Spring Song

'Smile'
Charlie Chaplin's Theme Music for 1936 'Modern Times'
Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons - 1954
Recorded by Nat "King" Cole. Link to recording.
(The lyrics for 'Smile' was never sang in the film 'Modern Times)

Smile tho' your heart is aching,
Smile even tho' it's breaking,
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by,

If you smile
thro' your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow,
You'll see the sun come shin-ing thro' for you

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide ev-'ry trace of sadness,
Al -'tho a tear may be ever so near,

That's the time,
You must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying,
You'll find that life is still worth-while,

If you just smile,

Original lyrics sheet from the Edna Purviance Research Collection

'This is My Song'
Charles Chaplin's Theme Music for 'A Countess of Hong Kong'
Lyrics by Charles Chaplin
Recorded by Petula Clark in 1967. Link to recording.

Why is my heart so light,
Why are the stars so bright,
Why is the sky so blue,
Since the hour I met you,

Flowers are smiling bright
Smiling for our delight,
Smiling so tenderly,
For the world, you and me,

I know why the world is smiling,
Smiling so tenderly,
It hears the same old story,
Through all eternity

Love, this is my song,
Here is a song, a serenade to you,
The world cannot be wrong,
If in this world there is you

I care not what the world may say,
Without your love there is no day,
So, love, this is my song
Here is a song, a serenade to you

(instrumental interlude and repeat last verse)

'Swing Little Girl'
Music and Lyrics by Charles Chaplin
Sung by Charles Chaplin
Written for the 1970 reissue of 'The Circus'
Opening Credits. Link to song.

Swing Little Girl

Swing Little Girl,
Swing, high, to the sky,
And don’t ever look at the ground,

If you’re looking for rainbows,
Look up, to the sky,

You’ll never find Rainbows,
If you’re looking down,

Life maybe be dreary,
But never the same,

Some day(s), it’s sunshine
Some day(s), it’s rain,

Swing Little Girl,
Swing high, to the sky,
And don’t ever look to the ground,

If you’re looking for rainbows,
Look up to the sky,
But never, no never, look down,

'Spring Song'
by Charles Chaplin
Sung by Charles Chaplin
Written for 'Limelight' (1952)
Dream scene. Link to scene.

Spring is Here

Spring is here
Birds are calling.
Skunks are crawling.
Wagging their tails for love!

Spring is here.
Whales are churning.
Worms are squirming.
Wagging their tails for love!
What is this thing
Of which I sing
That makes us all bewitched?
What is this thing
That comes in Spring
That gives us all the itch?
Oh, it's love, it's love,

It's love, love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love,

Bound for Texas

I’m bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas land.

To hear the moo and rattle,
Of snakes and cattle,

I’m bound for Texas land,

I’ll sing her a song,
At the end of the day,
A song that will drive all our cares away,
I’ll sing out (in) the prairie,
The blue starry skies,
And the stars shining bright in her eyes,

I’m bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas land.

To hear the moo and rattle,
Of snakes and cattle,

I’m bound for Texas land,
(song pauses in the film)

'Bound for Texas'
Music and Lyrics by Charles Chaplin
Sung by Matt Monro. Link to recording.

Written for the 1959 reissue of 'The Pilgrim'
Included in the 1959 'The Chaplin Revue'
Opening of the film and during the train ride

(song starts again as Charlie looks for
a place to buy a train ticket)

I’m tried of the city,
Of smoke stack and steel,
I’m tried of the grind,
Of the factory wheel,
I’m spreading my wings,
And I’m ready to fly,
To the land of the wide open sky,

I’m bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas land.

To hear the moo and rattle,
Of snakes and cattle,

I’m bound for Texas land,

I’ll work on a ranch,
Where there’s plenty of sun,
With my horse and my saddle,
My rope and gun,
I’ll ride on the prairie,
My face to (the) sky,
And the rest of the world can go by,

I’m bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas land.

To hear the moo and rattle,
Of snakes and cattle,

I’m bound for Texas land,
(top of next column)

I’ll save up my money,
And look for a wife,
A wife who be true,
And a pal for life,
I’ll build her a home,
And a room for a child,
With the roses, around growing wild,

I’m bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas land.
To hear the moo and rattle,
Of snakes and cattle,
I’m bound for Texas land,

I’m bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas land.
To hear the moo and rattle,
Of snakes and cattle,
I’m bound for Texas land,

I’ll sing her a song,
At the end of the day,
A song that will drive all our cares away,
I’ll sing out (in) the prairie,
The blue starry skies,
And the stars shining bright in her eyes,

I’m bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas,
Bound for Texas land.
To hear the moo and rattle,
Of snakes and cattle,

I’m bound for Texas land,

'Sardine Song'
Music and Lyrics by Charles Chaplin
Sung by Charles Chaplin
Performed in 'Limelight'

When I was three, my nurse told me,
About reincarnation,
And ever since, I’ve been convinced,
Thrilled with anticipation,
That when I leave this earth,
It makes my heart feel warm,
To know that I’ll return,
In some other form,

But I don’t want to be a tree,
Sticking in the ground,
I’d sooner be a flea,
I don’t want to be a flower,
Waiting by the hour,
Hoping for pollens to alight on me,
So when I cease to be,
I want to go back I want to go back,
I want to go back to the sea,

Oh for the life of a sardine,
That is the life for me,
Cavorting and spawning every morning,
Under the deep blue sea,
To have no fear for storm or gale,
Oh to chase the tail of a whale,
Oh for the life of a sardine,
That is the life for me,
(top of next column)

When I’m a fish,
It is my wish,
For lots of recreation,
To drink my fill up to the gill,
With no intoxication,
I want fun in the sea,
Not in this world of strife,
With its morality,
Give me the animal life,

But I don’t want to be carrot,
Sticking in the ground,
I ‘d rather be a maggot,
Life without a will,
Would surely make me ill,

To get a little action,
I’d even be a pill,
So when I cease to be,
I want to go back I want to go back,
I want to go back to the sea,

Oh, for the life of a sardine,
That is the life for me,
Cavorting and spawning every morning,
Under the deep blue sea,
To have no fear of a fisherman’s net,
Oh what fun to be gay and all wet,
Oh for the life under the sea,
That is the life for me,

Eternally

I’ll be loving you,
Eternally
With a love that’s true
Eternally,
From the start within my heart it seems I’ve always known
The sun would shine when you were mine and mine alone.

I’ll be loving you,
Eternally
There’ll be no-one new, my dear, for me.
Though the sky should fall remember I shall always be
Forever true and loving you
Eternally,

'Eternally' (1953)

Limelight Theme
Also known as Terry's Theme
Music by Charles Chaplin
Lyrics by Geoffery Parsons
and John Turner
Copyrighted Bourne Co. Music

First recording by Jimmy Young
UK singer in 1953. Link to recording

In 1973, the score for Limelight won
the 1972 Best Original Score Oscar
20 years, after it's first release. Reason?
1972 was the first year the film was
released in Los Angeles, making it eligible. Chaplin wasn't permitted back in the USA in 1952 during the McCarthy years, that black listed so many people.

If you are interested in the ORIGINAL film recordings, this CD contents some of the original film recordings. It has Chaplin singing 'A Nonsense Song' from Modern Times and 'Swing Little Girl' from The Circus. It also has the original The Moderm Times theme 'Smile'. Check the MUSIC section for more information.