My Sweetheart Of Years Ago - song lyrics 
American Old-time song lyrics from www.traditionalmusic.co.uk 
My Sweetheart of Years Ago. Copyright. 1894, by Isaac Doles. Words by Alonzo B. Clark. Composed by Isaac Doles. 
I once had a sweetheart, as sweet as could be, in my childhood's happy school-days, So loving and true I believed she loved me, But 'twas only a fancy, I guess; We played truant together quite often for fun, Knowingly breaking the rule, Not caring for school-books or lessons begun, Only just to be out of the school. 
Chorus. I once had a sweetheart, many years ago, The dearest, loving playmate that one could ever know, But she married another, I never learned his name, And all I have to say is this, I'll love her forever the same. 
This worried the teacher, a spiteful old dame, Who vowed that our parents should know; She troubled herself to go and explain, in words that were cruel and low, My sweetheart was taken away from the school. And sent to a city to learn Good manners and dress, a fine lady to be. While I was kept home at the farm. 
Chorus. Dear old-fashioned roses, violets and all that's sweet, Could not compare with her, so graceful and so neat; Oh! how sad was the parting with my sweetheart that day-A kiss, a tear, the world is drear, now that she is far, far away. 
Her music, her friends, and her fair loving face, Soon won for her laurels untold, For who could help hiving her womanly grace, My sweetheart, my darling of old; From the number of suitors her hand to obtain. She made a good choice, I am told, Forgetting her lover, her playmate for fame-Oh! my sweetheart, my sweetheart of old. 
Chorus. I once had a sweetheart, many years ago, The dearest, loving playmate that one could ever know. But she married another, I never learned his name, And all I have to say is this, I'll love her forever the same.