When My Love Was Here

Written by John Stewart

This one is from “A Night at Jimmy Duke´s – Johnny and the Nasty Britches” (Neon Dreams, 2002), the naughty pants being Dave “Dave” Batti (of course) and Dennis Kenmore.

The song is a little bit older. First appeared on The Kingston Trio´s album “Close-Up”, October 1961. Bob Shane sang then. I like John´s intro to the song on “Jimmy Duke´s”. Perfect timing. Don´t miss it.

We´ll spoil you today, JS and KT fans. Yes, both versions.

JS-version:

Well, I (Cj7)thought(hold) I´d spend a (Fj7)week(hold) or two

(Cj7)Where(hold) we went last year,

Was a (Cj7)little cottage (F)and(hold) a lake

(D7)That we held so (G)dear.

And the (Cj7)trees (G/B)all seemed much (Fj7)greener, (G)(G/D)

(Cj7) Much gree(G/B)ner than this (Fj7)year, (G)

(Cj7)Thinking about last (Fj7)summer (on B, E and G strings:

b hammer on c pull off b-e-c-a)

(G) When my love was (Cj7)here. (Fj7)

And the (Cj7)wind a(G/B)cross the (Fj7)meadow

(Cj7) Seems to (C)hide a (Fj7)tear, yeah,

(Em) Thinking about last (Fj7)summer

(G) When my love was (Cj7)here. (C7)

(F) Even the (G)old care(Cj7)taker

(Fj7) Who ar(G)rives from the (Cj7)train

(Dm7) It hasn´t seemed the (G)same."

And the (Cj7)wind (G/B)´cross the (Fj7)meadow,

(Cj7)Oh, it (C)seems to (Fj7)hide a tear, (G)

(Cj7) Thinking a(Em/B)bout last (Am)summer (Am7/G)

(F) When my (G) love was (Cj7)here.

(on B-string: hammer on/pull off b-c-b-c-b) (C5)

janhauenstein@gmx.de, Charlie Woodward & Art Faller

KT-version

I wondered how to get across to my friends Charlie and Art that I know too little about the Kingston Trio to write an intro to one of their songs…This was my approach:

This tenderly sung ballad is from The Kingston Trio´s excellent/mediocre/awful/simply disgusting LP Ahem, first published by Nowwhom in Nowwhen, re-released as CD by Someone, Somewhen. Ah, this is difficult!!! One of the first songs John wrote (at the tender age of 18) that were committed to vinyl. Why do you leave this difficult business to a Janny-Come-Lately, you seasoned KT-fans?? Ain´t fair!!!------------

Upon this scream for help, Charlie asked the WKotKTB (Worthy Keeper of the Kingston Trio Book), Art Faller, to provide assistance. He did: Some helpful background for our facilitator. As provided by the historical passages in the Kingston Trio on Record: “CLOSE-UP” was indeed John's first vinyl appearance with the Trio. Capitol Records released the album in October 1961 and it earned a Grammy nomination for 'Best Performance by a Vocal Group' in 1961. It states that although John's picture and name appear several times on the album, no specific mention is made of the fact that he was a new member of the group. Concerning WMLWH, the book mentions that Bob's (Shane) moving solo on John's sad-summertime composition is certainly the LP's beautiful zenith. Hopefully, this will help you Jan. It did.

Capo 2nd fret

I (Cj7)thought I’d spend a (Dm7)week or two

(Cj7)Where we went last (Am7)year,

The (C)little cottage (Dm7)and the lake

(D7)That we held so (G7)dear.

But the (C)trees all (Am)seemed much (Dm)greener, (G7)

Much (C)greener (Am)than this (Dm)year, (G7) (Cj7)

Thinking a(Em)bout last (Am)summer, (Dm)

When my (G7)love was (C)here. (Am) (Dm) (G7)

And the (C)stars all (Am)lost their (Dm)glitter, (G7)

(Cj7) They were so (Am)full of (Dm)cheer, (G7) (Cj7)

Thinking a(Em)bout last (Am)summer, (Dm)

When my (G)love was (C)here. (C7)

(F)Even the (Dm7)old care(Cj7)taker,

Who (Am)brought us from the (Dm)train, (G7)

(Cj7) Says, “This (Am)year just (Dm)hasn’t, (D7)

It hasn’t seemed the (G)same.” (G7)

And the (C)winds a(Am)cross the (Dm)meadow (G7)

(Cj7) Seem to (Am)hide a (Dm)tear, (G7) (Cj7)

Thinking a(Em)bout last (Am)summer,

(Dm)When my (G)love was (C)here. (C7)

(F) (Dm) (Cj7) (Am) (Am7) (Dm) (G7) (C) (Am) (Dm)

(D7) It hasn’t seemed the (G)same. (G7)

And the (C)winds a(Am)cross the (Dm)meadow (G7)

(Cj7) Seem to (Am)hide a (Dm)tear, (G7) (Cj7)

Thinking a(Em)bout last (Am)summer,

(Dm)(hold)When my (G7)(hold)love... was (C)here. (Am) (Dm) (G) (Cj7)

Charlie Woodward, Art Faller & janhauenstein@gmx.de

(The trio)

2003