Song of Songs by Arthur Lloyd

Displayed here is the song sheet for Arthur Lloyd's 'Song of Songs'. The text at the bottom of the sheet reads: 'Written, composed and sung by the author at The Oxford & Canterbury music halls.' You can hear the song here.

The ERA remarked in Arthur's obituary:- 'In 1863 Arthur Lloyd wrote and composed Song of Songs, the idea being suggested to him by reading on the back of a sheet of music a list of the popular songs. It proved a sensational success, thousands of copies being sold and the publishers reaped handsome profit by the sale.'

And in the ERA Obituary:- 'Meantime Mr Arthur Lloyd had found it convenient to write his own songs. Almost his earliest efforts was a medley called The Song Of Songs, that started from the base of I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls with the dark girl dressed in blue. It had a most extraordinary career of popularity, but did not bring it's author and composer the large fortune that one sometimes hears of as the guerdon of a comic song, for he sold the rights of publication for a mere trifle.'