Douglas Gregg, January 6, 1927 to July 21, 2015Lora Lee
By Inez Gregg
- Once there lived a maiden
- On a rock, out in the sea,
- Lured men to destruction-
- And her name was Lora Lee.
- Her song was one of beauty
- It promised paradise,
- And men forgot their duty
- To answer- then to die!
Chorus
- I hear the song of the Lorely
- When I look into your eyes
- Shining with light and mystery
- They call to my heart- tell me why!
- You may not be like the siren of old,
- Lovely, but heartless , cruel and cold-
- Yet I hear the song of the Lorely
- When I look into your eyes.
About Inez Gregg's Lora Lee
A sound recording of Jim Gregg (1899–1990) on violin accompanied by son Douglas (1927–) on guitar playing Inez Gregg's Lora Lee in 1964 is available.[Gregg: loralee-sound] Jim's sister Yic (1905–1996) can be faintly heard in the background at the end, asking for the words. Inez Gregg (1904–1992) of Juneau, Alaska wrote this love song which refers to the mythological spirit who lured sailors to their destruction on the rocks.[juneau.org: Gregg, Jim & Inez]
Other Lorelei Songs
The Wikipedia Lorelei disambiguation page lists some 20 songs based on the legend of the Lorelei.[Wikipedia: Lorelei_(disambiguation)] Perhaps the most famous is the Song of Loreley, a poem written by Heinrich Heine in 1824 as set to music by Friedrich Silcher in 1837.[loreley-info: loreley-song.php] The legend is explained in the main Wikipedia Lorelei article.[Wikipedia: Lorelei]