A White House Cantata: Part 1: Sonatina Songtext
von London Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano
A White House Cantata: Part 1: Sonatina Songtext
By Jove!
Egad!
God′s teeth!
Have I gone around the bend
Or is this appetizing splendor really there
Or just a gastronomic ghost?
For a leader with a talent
For conspicuous ungallantry
This medicine is quite a decent host!
By Jove!
Egad!
G-g-g-g-god! What a l-l-libation!
You'll g-g-get a commendation
F-f-for v-v-valour at the stove!
Silly pigeon head, we find it!
You f-f-f-f-find it?
Yes, we find it!
You f-f-f-f-f-
By Jove!
Egad!
God′s teeth!
I say!
What a spiffy epicure on display!
It was left, your ser'n'y
You were once a chef at Eton?
Ser′n′y, sir, not "Eton", sir, I said it!
Must you mumble in your teacup?
I will thank you, sir, to speak up!
Very good, sir!
'Tis a spiffy looking spread!
I have never seen a clearer
More exuberant madeira!
What a jolly bit of juice to leave behind them!
Hear hear!
Pity Jamie is unable
To be with us at the table
But he′s dining with his troops
If he can find them!
Hahahahaha!
Hahahahaha!
Barker, fill the beakers for a toast before we sup!
V-v-very g-g-g-good, sir!
V-v-very g-g-good, sir!
Oh, shut up!
Where are all the fuzzies, all the darkies, as they say?
Not a servant anywhere
Huh, Pims, and by the way
Just before we landed, you were certain every fuzzy
Would rise against his master and unite with us
But does he? No!
We landed and where was he, your fuzzy?
Oh, did he fight against them?
Fling his jungle might against them?
No, not even one oppressed fuzzy!
Which obliges me to mention
That your basic comprehension of the fuzzy
Is fuzzy!
Why, your research was a failure!
You are leaving for Australia?
I agree with your contention
That my basic comprehension of the fuzzy
Was fuzzy, sir!
Failure noted, pardon granted
Now, if the wine has been decanted
Gentlemen, be upstanding!
Sir!
To the King!
To the King!
And to Engla-
Oooooooh!
By Jove!
Egad!
God's teeth!
Mr. Pimms, your calculations did not totally miss the mark
Just when all is lost, behold, a ray of dark!
Lackey, to reward you for your laudable sedition
You′ll be serving the commander of the British Expedition
General Cockburn!
General Cockburn?!
I was told, sir-
Stop at once!
'Tis "Admiral", not "General", you prehistoric dunce!
And Cockburn, not Cockburn, for that you are excused
This spell′s the Aussie game, only half the cock is used!
Pass the bread!
You're a glutton!
How is your wife?
Gorgeous mutton!
Last I heard, lost a tooth!
How is yours?
Lost her youth!
Deserted mind!
Pass the wine!
Egad!
God's teeth!
Hello, the building on the hill′s begun to glow!
The Capitol′s ignited, sir!
The fire has been lighted, sir!
'Tis like the d-d-dawned on in the sky!
Barker!
It′s on fire, sir!
The Capitol's on fire, sir!
Barker, pass the wine!
But-
It′s someone passing by!
But why?
Why? Simple!
Primo, I have ordered it
And were it not aflame
The officer in charge would leave here deader than he came!
Secundo, not a brighter torch could there be
For, lackey, by tomorrow morning Washington D.C
Will be Washington deceased
I say, this is a feast!
'Tis time to make it hot for all these Yankee demagogues
With governmental buildings to be used instead of logs
And this one saved for last
Egad, what a repast!
Burn this house!
How can you do it?
How can we?
How can we?
How can we?
Nothing to it!
Kindling is required
But there′s more than one could want
Top every bit of furniture and woodwork that you see!
Second, spread a layer of rocket powder on't
Third, apply the torch and flee!
Hear hear!
Man ho!
By Jove!
Good show!
Dance, dance, dance!
Gaze yonder through the window
At the sweetest dish I know
Called "Washington Flambé"
Inspired by a recipe
Which I learned some time ago
While visiting Pompeii
And fill the night with music
As we British have of old
With voices harmonized
And sing our favorite drinking song
Which lately I am told
This Yank has plagiarized
Gather round by the fire
With your beaker in hand
With your beaker in hand
And there let us merrily
Be-sought ourselves thoroughly
Imbibe till we
Drop, drop, drop, drop
Drop your halter!
For what more pleasing custom
Of our own native land
Of our own native land
Than a chap with his chaps
A chap among chaps
A chap between chaps
Standing o'er the fire?
How blissful to gaze
Through cinder and haze
Through cinder and haze
How blissful to gaze
As visions of home
Gaily dance in the blaze!
Oh, I ne′er can recall
A more heartwarming sight
Than the Presidential Mansion
And Senate and Congress
Burning merry and bright!
Egad, God′s teeth!
Oh shit!
It's raining, it′s raining
Unseasonably raining
It's treasonably raining
It′s raining
I'll never pray again to you, sir
There′s one thing you must never, never do, sir
Extinguish the English!
If we cannot destroy their bloody house
They'll have the Lord's Bank
Another word against the House of Lords
And I′ll press you all to plank
Suspend the flames, the climbing fire
How dare you pee upon my fire?
You hear me! Stop dropping!
Enough of all this plopping!
′Tis time this slippy slopping
Was stopping!
The flames are getting d-d-darker
B-b-b-b-b-b-b-barker!
How dare he do this monstrous thing?
As if the Lord were nine to King!
The f-f-f-flames are getting g-g
Egad!
God′s teeth!
Have I gone around the bend
Or is this appetizing splendor really there
Or just a gastronomic ghost?
For a leader with a talent
For conspicuous ungallantry
This medicine is quite a decent host!
By Jove!
Egad!
G-g-g-g-god! What a l-l-libation!
You'll g-g-get a commendation
F-f-for v-v-valour at the stove!
Silly pigeon head, we find it!
You f-f-f-f-find it?
Yes, we find it!
You f-f-f-f-f-
By Jove!
Egad!
God′s teeth!
I say!
What a spiffy epicure on display!
It was left, your ser'n'y
You were once a chef at Eton?
Ser′n′y, sir, not "Eton", sir, I said it!
Must you mumble in your teacup?
I will thank you, sir, to speak up!
Very good, sir!
'Tis a spiffy looking spread!
I have never seen a clearer
More exuberant madeira!
What a jolly bit of juice to leave behind them!
Hear hear!
Pity Jamie is unable
To be with us at the table
But he′s dining with his troops
If he can find them!
Hahahahaha!
Hahahahaha!
Barker, fill the beakers for a toast before we sup!
V-v-very g-g-g-good, sir!
V-v-very g-g-good, sir!
Oh, shut up!
Where are all the fuzzies, all the darkies, as they say?
Not a servant anywhere
Huh, Pims, and by the way
Just before we landed, you were certain every fuzzy
Would rise against his master and unite with us
But does he? No!
We landed and where was he, your fuzzy?
Oh, did he fight against them?
Fling his jungle might against them?
No, not even one oppressed fuzzy!
Which obliges me to mention
That your basic comprehension of the fuzzy
Is fuzzy!
Why, your research was a failure!
You are leaving for Australia?
I agree with your contention
That my basic comprehension of the fuzzy
Was fuzzy, sir!
Failure noted, pardon granted
Now, if the wine has been decanted
Gentlemen, be upstanding!
Sir!
To the King!
To the King!
And to Engla-
Oooooooh!
By Jove!
Egad!
God's teeth!
Mr. Pimms, your calculations did not totally miss the mark
Just when all is lost, behold, a ray of dark!
Lackey, to reward you for your laudable sedition
You′ll be serving the commander of the British Expedition
General Cockburn!
General Cockburn?!
I was told, sir-
Stop at once!
'Tis "Admiral", not "General", you prehistoric dunce!
And Cockburn, not Cockburn, for that you are excused
This spell′s the Aussie game, only half the cock is used!
Pass the bread!
You're a glutton!
How is your wife?
Gorgeous mutton!
Last I heard, lost a tooth!
How is yours?
Lost her youth!
Deserted mind!
Pass the wine!
Egad!
God's teeth!
Hello, the building on the hill′s begun to glow!
The Capitol′s ignited, sir!
The fire has been lighted, sir!
'Tis like the d-d-dawned on in the sky!
Barker!
It′s on fire, sir!
The Capitol's on fire, sir!
Barker, pass the wine!
But-
It′s someone passing by!
But why?
Why? Simple!
Primo, I have ordered it
And were it not aflame
The officer in charge would leave here deader than he came!
Secundo, not a brighter torch could there be
For, lackey, by tomorrow morning Washington D.C
Will be Washington deceased
I say, this is a feast!
'Tis time to make it hot for all these Yankee demagogues
With governmental buildings to be used instead of logs
And this one saved for last
Egad, what a repast!
Burn this house!
How can you do it?
How can we?
How can we?
How can we?
Nothing to it!
Kindling is required
But there′s more than one could want
Top every bit of furniture and woodwork that you see!
Second, spread a layer of rocket powder on't
Third, apply the torch and flee!
Hear hear!
Man ho!
By Jove!
Good show!
Dance, dance, dance!
Gaze yonder through the window
At the sweetest dish I know
Called "Washington Flambé"
Inspired by a recipe
Which I learned some time ago
While visiting Pompeii
And fill the night with music
As we British have of old
With voices harmonized
And sing our favorite drinking song
Which lately I am told
This Yank has plagiarized
Gather round by the fire
With your beaker in hand
With your beaker in hand
And there let us merrily
Be-sought ourselves thoroughly
Imbibe till we
Drop, drop, drop, drop
Drop your halter!
For what more pleasing custom
Of our own native land
Of our own native land
Than a chap with his chaps
A chap among chaps
A chap between chaps
Standing o'er the fire?
How blissful to gaze
Through cinder and haze
Through cinder and haze
How blissful to gaze
As visions of home
Gaily dance in the blaze!
Oh, I ne′er can recall
A more heartwarming sight
Than the Presidential Mansion
And Senate and Congress
Burning merry and bright!
Egad, God′s teeth!
Oh shit!
It's raining, it′s raining
Unseasonably raining
It's treasonably raining
It′s raining
I'll never pray again to you, sir
There′s one thing you must never, never do, sir
Extinguish the English!
If we cannot destroy their bloody house
They'll have the Lord's Bank
Another word against the House of Lords
And I′ll press you all to plank
Suspend the flames, the climbing fire
How dare you pee upon my fire?
You hear me! Stop dropping!
Enough of all this plopping!
′Tis time this slippy slopping
Was stopping!
The flames are getting d-d-darker
B-b-b-b-b-b-b-barker!
How dare he do this monstrous thing?
As if the Lord were nine to King!
The f-f-f-flames are getting g-g
Writer(s): Leonard Bernstein, Alan Jay Lerner Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
