April

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: December 5, 1972

I woke up at dawn and April softly stole into my room
And spoke your name
And the whole world turned to April in that moment.
You were with me, then you were gone.
Now the long years into shadows hide
And April ’s not the same as we once knew.
And the long ago can’t live again
Nor April dressed in glory ever return.
It’s a long way back to April, Darling,
Where the winds of time still call to me.
So, if you return to April,
Someday, this I promise ~
Somehow, I will be there.

"April" is one of Bob Nolan's later songs and was registered for copyright on December 5, 1972. He told Ken Griffis that now he was writing only for his own satisfaction and filing the songs away to, in Bob's words, "await the time when conditions are right for them to be released."

Because Nolan couldn’t read or write music very well, Bob Ross Music would send a copyist to his house. Nolan would dictate a new song to the copyist, who would take it back to the office for final printing and publishing.
Published sheet music - Bob Ross Music
Handwritten pre-published dictated copy

Since this song was never commercially recorded, Elizabeth Drake McDonald and Calin Coburn sent the original lead sheet to Dave Bourne in 2001 and asked him to make a demo of it, exactly as it was written