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You are here: Archive Home > Gondoliers > MIDI > Rising Early in the Morning
Rising Early in the Morning
Lyrics by William S. Gilbert
Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan
No. 12, Sung by Giuseppe and Men
MIDI file (3 min. 24 seconds, sequenced by Gordon Smyrell).
GIUSEPPE:
- Rising early in the morning,
- We proceed to light the fire,
- Then our Majesty adorning
- In its workaday attire,
- We embark without delay
- On the duties of the day.
- First, we polish off some batches
- Of political despatches,
- And foreign politicians circumvent;
- Then, if business isn't heavy,
- We may hold a Royal levee,
- Or ratify some Acts of Parliament.
- Then we probably review the household troops--
- With the usual "Shalloo humps!" and "Shalloo hoops!"
- Or receive with ceremonial and state
- An interesting Eastern potentate.
- After that we generally
- Go and dress our private valet--
- (It's a rather nervous duty--he's a touchy little man)--
- Write some letters literary
- For our private secretary--
- He is shaky in his spelling, so we help him if we can.
- Then, in view of cravings inner,
- We go down and order dinner;
- Then we polish the Regalia and the Coronation Plate--
- Spend an hour in titivating
- All our Gentlemen-in-Waiting;
- Or we run on little errands for the Ministers of State.
- Oh, philosophers may sing
- Of the troubles of a King;
- Yet the duties are delightful, and the privileges great;
- But the privilege and pleasure
- That we treasure beyond measure
- Is to run on little errands for the Ministers of State.
CHORUS. - Oh, philosophers may sing
- Of the troubles of a King;
- Yet the duties are delightful, and the privileges great;
- But the privilege and pleasure
- That we treasure beyond measure
- Is to run on little errands for the Ministers of State.
GIUSEPPE:
- After luncheon (making merry
- On a bun and glass of sherry),
- If we've nothing in particular to do,
- We may make a Proclamation,
- Or receive a deputation--
- Then we possibly create a Peer or two.
- Then we help a fellow-creature on his path
- With the Garter or the Thistle or the Bath,
- Or we dress and toddle off in semi-state
- To a festival, a function, or a fête.
- Then we go and stand as sentry
- At the Palace (private entry),
- Marching hither, marching thither, up and down and to and fro,
- While the warrior on duty
- Goes in search of beer and beauty
- (And it generally happens that he hasn't far to go).
- He relieves us, if he's able,
- Just in time to lay the table,
- Then we dine and serve the coffee, and at half-past twelve or one,
- With a pleasure that's emphatic,
- We retire to our attic
- With the gratifying feeling that our duty has been done!
- Oh, philosophers may sing
- Of the troubles of a King,
- But of pleasures there are many and of worries there are none;
- And the culminating pleasure
- That we treasure beyond measure
- Is the gratifying feeling that our duty has been done!
CHORUS. - Oh, philosophers may sing
- Of the troubles of a King,
- But of pleasures there are many and of worries there are none;
- And the culminating pleasure
- That we treasure beyond measure
- Is the gratifying feeling that our duty has been done!
Updated 6 December 2003
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