They Are Taking the Old Piano
They're taking the old piano,
They're lifting it from the floor.
A carrier's cart is waiting
Outside the old home door.
And Mother is mutely watching
With tears on her faded cheek;
I wonder of what she's thinking,
Her heart is too full to speak.
Perhaps of the day he brought her,
When out from a wreathed arch
There rang from the old piano
Bright bars of a bridal march.
Or maybe when long years after
It wailed the dead march in Saul,
As slowly he went for ever
Enwrapped in funeral pall.
I know by her pain drawn features
How tightly it's chords entwine,
I know the piano corner
To her is a wasted shrine.
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
- published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
- anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
- government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.
Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse