| Whatever happened to melody
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| Sweet, old-fashioned melody?
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| Roses and ribbons and romance and rhyme
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| Songs about two hearts in three-quarter time
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| Once, there were movies with stars who were stars
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| Where, oh where can they be?
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| And why aren’t there heroes
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| Like yesterday’s heroes?
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| And whatever happened to melody?
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| Gene Tunney, Joe Louis
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| Ah, those were fighters!
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| Not like the pipsqueaks they palm off today
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| Hemingway, Steinbeck
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| Now, those were writers
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| With style
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| And with substance
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| And something to say!
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| Garbo and Gable
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| And Franklin D. Roosevelt
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| I could go on and on!
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| Babe Ruth and Bogey
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| And Gershwin
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| And Hoagy
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| Ah, what’s the use?
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| They’re gone, all gone!
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| And whatever happened to melody?
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| Who stole all the poetry?
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| Posies and picnics and walks in the wood
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| Hammocks and hayrides, have they gone for good?
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| Whatever happened to just holding hands
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| 'neath the old apple tree?
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| Gone is the magic
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| And speaking of magic
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| Whatever happened to melody? |