Guess what? “Toyland” is in the public domain! It was written in 1903 by Victor Herbert (music) and Glen Mac Donough (lyrics).

I absolutely love these lyrics. They’re far more gloomy and grim than I realized. And so… it felt like a good “Christmas” song for me to give a go.

I recorded it in 3/4 time with 70 BPM. You’ll find two vocals with FX and one dry, the bells, and midi for bells in the zips. The drums in the preview are not included, as they’re a royalty free loop I purchased that can’t be shared separately (it can be shared and used commercially as part of another piece). I left the drum loop in the preview to help demonstrate the 3/4 vibe. I hope you dig!

Happy Holidays!

WORDS
When you’ve grown up, my dears,
And are as old as I,
You’ll often ponder on the years
That roll so swiftly by, my dears,
That roll so swiftly by.

And all the many lands
You will have journeyed through
You’ll oft recall,
The best of all,
The land your childhood knew
Your childhood knew.

Toyland, toyland,
Little girl and boy land,
While you dwell within it,
You are ever happy then.
Childhood, joyland,
Mystic merry toyland,
Once you pass its borders,
You can never return again.

When you’ve grown up, my dears,
There comes a dreary day
When ‘mid the locks of black appears
The first pale gleam of gray, my dears,
The first pale gleam of gray.

Then of the past you’ll dream
As gray haired grownups do
And seek once more
Its phantom shore
The land your childhood knew
Your childhood knew.