ALICE BLUE GOWN

ALICE BLUE GOWN
This waltz is from the 1919 Broadway musical, Irene. Alice Blue is a steel shade of blue made famous by a gown President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice, wore. Broadway songs typically included a verse (V) and chorus (A), with a bridge tune in the middle (B), thus V-A-B-A. Verses were intended to segue smoothly from speaking to singing in stage plays. But as radio airplay became too costly, verses were dropped and today only dedicated vocalists sing the verses of the classic Broadway songs. This is a pity because often the verses were as musical as the chorus and sometimes more so (listen to the verse for "Stardust" or "Someone to Watch Over Me" for two examples). Some Broadway songs ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is an example) lacked verses.

In my sweet little Alice blue gown,
When I first wandered down into town,
I was both proud and shy,
As I felt every eye,
But in every shop window I primped, passing by.

Then in manner of fashion I'd frown,
And the world seemed to smile all around.
'Til it wilted, I wore it,
I'll always adore it,
My sweet little Alice blue gown!

I was both proud and shy,
As I felt every eye,
But in every shop window I primped, passing by.

Then in manner of fashion I'd frown,
And the world seemed to smile all around.
'Til it wilted, I wore it,
I'll always adore it,
My sweet little Alice blue gown!

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