Wish I Had A Braver Heart

Written for: Summer Holiday (1948)
Lyric: Ralph Blane
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1946
Original publisher: Harry Warren Music, Inc.

Sheet music version:

Chorus 1:

Wish I had a braver heart,
I would disregard the things I'm told,
I would be more daring, be more bold;
If I only had a braver heart,
Maybe I would then outgrow things,
Like locks upon my door;
Why, I might even throw things,
And stomp and kick the floor.
And I'd be fearless in the dark,
Why I might even be another Joan of Arc!
Wish I, wish I had a braver heart.

Chorus 2:

If I had a braver heart,
I would do the things he wants me to,
Be another taming of the shrew;
If I only had a braver heart,
Show a Sampson with a new beard,
I'll give Delilah breath;
And be a lady Bluebeard,
And scare them half to death.
For, that's the way the wool is dyed,
A lady Doctor Jekyll and a Missus Hyde!
If I, if I had a braver heart.

Chorus 3:

Mine will be a braver heart,
I will never hesitate to say,
Things that I can hardly wait to say;
I'll surprise you with a braver heart,
You're the only one that I love,
And you will only do;
So, hurry back to my love,
I'll keep it just for you.
And if they tell me I'm all wrong,
No matter how they punish me, I'll still be strong!
For I love you, only you, with a braver heart.
And I'll meet you by our fav'rite rock,
Tonight at nine o'clock.

Movie version:

Intro:

(Gloria De Haven, spoken:) Oh, I'm such a coward, no mind of my own.
[She tries the door - it's locked]
But I'm being punished, locked in, alone…

Chorus 1:

(De Haven, sung:) Wish I had a braver heart,
I would disregard the things I'm told,
I would be more daring, be more bold;
If I only had a braver heart,
Maybe I would then outgrow things,
Like locks upon my door;
Why, I might even throw things,
And stomp and kick the floor.
And I'd be fearless in the dark,
Why I might even be another Joan of Arc!
Wish I, wish I had a braver heart.
(Spoken:) I wish I could meet Richard at the beach tonight,
Wish I could explain, but that's way beyond my reach tonight.

Chorus 2:

(Sung:) If I had a braver heart,
I would do the things he wants me to,
Be another taming of the shrew;
If I only had a braver heart,
Show a Sampson with a new beard,
I'll give Delilah breath;
And be a lady Bluebeard,
And scare them half to death.
For, that's the way the wool is dyed,
A lady Doctor Jekyll and a Missus Hyde!
If I, if I had a braver heart.
(Spoken:) I know what I'll do, I'll write another note
And tell him I'm sorry for the things I wrote…
Dear Dick, things are going to be different…

Chorus 3:

(Sung:) Mine will be a braver heart,
I will never hesitate to say,
Things that I can hardly wait to say;
I'll surprise you with a braver heart,
You're the only one that I love,
And you will only do;
So, hurry back to my love,
I'll keep it just for you.
And if they tell me I'm all wrong,
No matter how they punish me, I'll still be strong!
For I love you, only you, with a braver heart.
And I'll meet you by our fav'rite rock,
Tonight at nine o'clock.
(Spoken:) Muriel McComber, now I wish there was some way to sneak it out to him…