He Was Beautiful
Music written by Stanley Myers and lyrics penned later by Cleo Laine.

Released in 1991 on the album Keep The Music Playing. A live recording was released in 1994 on the video Live in Cardiff.

The music for this song is taken from the instrumental tune "Cavatina" played for example by the Mantovani Orchestra (1964). It has been used as theme song for the movie "The Deer Hunter" in 1978, then played by the popular film composer John Williams. (Read more about Williams at Can You Read My Mind.) Cleo Laine penned the lyrics to the tune and she sang it about 1976. Also sung by Kiri Te Kanawa.

A plot summary of the movie "The Deer Hunter" from the net: Michael, Steven and Nick are young factory workers from Pennsylvania who get drafted to fight in Vietnam. Before they go, Steven marries the pregnant Angela and their wedding-party is also the men's farewell party. After some time and many horrors the three friends fall in the hands of the Vietcong and are brought to a prison camp in which they are forced to play Russian roulette against each other. Michael makes it possible for them to escape, but they soon get separated again. In Germany they called this movie "Die durch die Hölle gehen".
 

Lyrics

He was so, so beautiful
Beautiful just to hold
In my dreams he was springtime
Winter was cold

How could I tell him
What I so clearly could see
Though I longed for him
Another ...
Trusted me completely, so I never could be free

It was beautiful
Knowing now that he cares
I will always remember moments we shared

Now it's all over
Still the feelings ling' on
For my dream keeps returning
Now that he's gone

For it was beautiful
Beautiful
Beautiful to be loved

(Transcribed by Roman with support by David)