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When I was only seventeen, I had my first romance; I fell seriously in love, At the High School Harvest Dance.
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Johnny was a college man, He was in his freshman year; He wore a cashmere sports coat, And was very debonair.
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I felt so proud when we walked in, All eyes had turned our way; The corsage he had pinned on me... I later pressed and put away.
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The first and final dance, Were both Vienna waltzes... Played gently by the Harvest Band, As if out of music-boxes.
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Together we danced every dance, There was not a one we missed; And when Johnny later took me home, At the front door...we stood and kissed.
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Then Johnny led me in a waltz, Across that cold front porch; He hummed music in three-quarter time, As we held each other for support.
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Our love bloomed throughout that winter, And blossomed fully in the spring; When I graduated high school, I was wearing Johnny's ring.
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Selective Service then called Johnny, A small war was going on; They said he was in A-one shape, They shipped him out to Vietnam.
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Fate has a way of stepping in, And Johnny disappeared; The whole town wept in mourning, And I, too, shed bitter tears.
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With broken heart, I carried on, What choice did I have? I still cried and ached for him, But time was a healing salve.
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And, as the months rolled by, And spring stretched on into fall... It was on the second anniversary, Of the High School Harvest Ball.
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That a package was delivered, Which was dirty, mussed, and torn; Together with a "Sorry" note, On the usual postal form.
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I trembled as I opened it, I recognized his hand; The inner wrappings were secure, So the contents were as planned.
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First I heard a magic sound, As I removed the object from its box; And then what did my eyes behold, But a dainty music-box.
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Its bone china base...hand-painted, With baby roses and green leaves; And the music it was playing, Was a waltz...pure Viennese.
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A tiny female figure, In a ballerina dress... Turned in circles on its top, In utter charmingness.
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"La-la-la-la-la...la-la-la-la," The music-box played for me; "La-la-la-la-la...la-la-la-la," The dancer danced for me to see.
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I hugged the tiny music box, And wiped away a tear; Sweet Johnny's final gift to me, At last had made it here.
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I placed it on my bedside table, And at night before I'd sleep... I'd watch the ballerina dance, And she often made me weep.
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Well, the years went on; I married, A man near Johnny's ilk; But I always kept his music-box, In a container lined with silk.
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One of the things my daughter liked, When she was very young... Was for me to take down Johnny's box, Wind it up and let it run.
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And if she had trouble sleeping, I would place the box beside her bed; Then she would nod off sweetly, With its gentle music in her head.
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"La-la-la-la-la ... la-la-la-la," Sometimes I'd stand there and I'd watch; "La-la-la-la-la ... la-la-la-la," As she fell asleep to Johnny's box.
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And my thoughts would then go back in time, To that High School Harvest Dance; And that final waltz on that cold front porch, And a young girl's first romance.
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