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According to Von Tilzer, he was approached in 1899 by Lamb with the lyrics for a song. Although Von Tilzer liked it, he asked Lamb to change some of the words to make it clear that the woman in the song was married and not a mistress. Later that evening, as he worked out a melody at a piano in a
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public house with some friends, he noticed that many of the girls nearby were crying, which convinced him the song could be a hit. Later, Von Tilzer would claim that this song was "the key that opened the door of wealth and fame" for him. Its success signalled the dominance of ballads in
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The song describes the sad life of a beautiful woman who has married for money instead of love. Its lyrics are as follows:
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116:(or tear-jerker) that became one of the most popular songs of 1900, reportedly selling more than two million copies in
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132:) recorded two early popular versions of this song.
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But she married for wealth, not for love, he cried,
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223:And looked at the people who'd come to grieve,
165:The ballroom was filled with fashion's throng,
249:You may think she’s happy and free from care,
195:You may think she's happy and free from care,
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342:Breaking Records (One Hundred Years of Hits)
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253:It’s sad when you think of her wasted life,
199:'Tis sad when you think of her wasted life,
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231:And I thought she is happier here at rest,
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295:"Harry Von Tilzer, Tin Pan Alley Pioneer"
227:A tall marble monument marked the grave,
316:"Tear Jerkers in American Song, Part 1"
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173:A girl to her lover then softly sighed,
169:And there was a woman who passed along,
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219:I stood in a churchyard just at eve',
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418:Songs with music by Harry Von Tilzer
179:Though she lives in a mansion grand.
423:Songs with lyrics by Arthur J. Lamb
245:She’s only a bird in a gilded cage,
191:She's only a bird in a gilded cage,
233:Than to have people say when seen,
229:Of one who'd been fashion's queen,
197:She's not, though she seems to be,
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18:A Bird in a Gilded Cage (TV play)
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355:"A Bird in a Gilded Cage lyrics"
272:List of best-selling sheet music
225:For loved ones now laid at rest,
167:It shone with a thousand lights,
16:For the Australian TV play, see
261:She’s a bird in a gilded cage.
255:For youth cannot mate with age,
201:For youth cannot mate with age,
251:She’s not but she seems to be,
207:She's a bird in a gilded cage.
175:There's riches at her command;
171:The fairest of all the sights,
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221:When sunset adorned the west,
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357:. PD Music. Archived from
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247:A beautiful sight to see,
193:A beautiful sight to see,
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29:"A Bird in a Gilded Cage"
257:And her beauty was sold,
203:And her beauty was sold,
104:" is a song composed by
388:A bird in a gilded cage
102:A Bird in a Gilded Cage
259:For an old man’s gold,
205:For an old man's gold,
143:American popular music
390:at Wikimedia Commons
408:20th-century ballads
340:Ruhlmann, William.
114:sentimental ballad
386:Media related to
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359:the original
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126:Steve Porter
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118:sheet music
112:. It was a
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73:Composer(s)
403:1900 songs
397:Categories
365:2010-04-14
322:2010-04-14
301:2010-04-14
278:References
136:Background
50:Published
266:See also
239:Refrain:
213:Verse 2:
185:Refrain:
159:Verse 1:
149:Synopsis
130:Columbia
124:) and
122:Edison
59:Genre
108:and
53:1900
44:Song
23:Song
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331:^
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
