My Ear-Trumpet Has Been Struck By Lightning

vcrfl:

Gilbert and Sullivan: “When I Was A Lad” from H.M.S Pinafore, 1878.

furippupau:

I’m going to keep posting these until you all unfollow me…

As Some Day it May Happen (commonly know as “I’ve got a little list” or “the list song”) from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

This is probably the most famous song from the mikado, if not the most famous G&S song.  It’s also one of Gilbert’s most pointed pieces of satire - mocking society’s need to persecute and punish people.  The wording is very telling, opening with:

“As some day it may happen that a victim must be found” - as the Lord High Executioner begins his song about looking for people he may execute to fulfil his obligations as an executioner and judge.

And closing with the rather pithy:

“But it really doesn’t matter whom you put upon the list,

For they’d none of ‘em be missed — they’d none of ‘em be missed!”

Still rings true today doesn’t it?  

In any event this is a performance with the original lyrics in tact.  The song is never performed like this today because a few lines have become problematic since victorian times.  I’ll explain them here so nobody gets enraged over the non-pc-ness of a song that is over 100 years old.

When listing “the nigger serenader” - this is a reference to blackface performers - not black people.  Blackface wasn’t as popular in England as it was in the U.S. - and was considered low brow enough by Gilbert to be included on the executioner’s list of people nobody would miss.

 ”And the lady from the provinces, who dresses like a guy” is not refering to a cross dresser.  If you’re familiar with British English then you know that they don’t use the word “guy” like we do.  Guy refers to Guy Fawkes (don’t know who? google it) - and more generally, to a scare crow type thing… you’ll have to google it.

Today other lyrics are commonly substituted, often refering to current events, or anything else topical.

Some examples:

Thomas Allen sings the list song at the proms

Stewie sings the list song on a cut scene from Family Guy

The 1990 D’oyly Carte Opera version

Creative Commons info:

Gilbert & Sullivan: THE MIKADO.
D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.
Isidore Godfrey, conductor.

Victor 78rpm Album C-26 (02044 - 02065). Recorded June 3-22, 1936.
Digital transfer by F. Reeder

(Source: furippupauplus)

pauflip:

I am the monarch of the sea and When I was a lad from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore

Pinafore is my favorite of the savoy operas.  Gilbert really went all out with making the circumstances of the characters as absurd as possible (check out the article on tv tropes for good examples) - but the best part is that the characters are really very human and realistic compared to most of the other savoy operas.

Anyway these two songs deal with the theme of somebody rising to a position of power for which they are wholly unqualified.  A theme Gilbert played with repeatedly in his operettas.

Verses such as 

“I always voted at my party’s call, 

And I never thought of thinking for myself at all”

…prove politicians haven’t changed much in the past 130 odd years…  

Anyway this isn’t the best recording I could find, but it has Henry Lytton as Sir Joseph Porter, so that’s why I chose it.

Creative commons info:

D’Oyly Carte Opera Company Chorus.
London Symphony Orchestra.
Victor 78rpm Album C-13. Recorded in London, February 4 - June 4, 1930.
Digital transfer by F. Reeder

(Source: furippupauplus)

pauflip:

I am the monarch of the sea and When I was a lad from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore

Pinafore is my favorite of the savoy operas.  Gilbert really went all out with making the circumstances of the characters as absurd as possible (check out the article on tv tropes for good examples) - but the best part is that the characters are really very human and realistic compared to most of the other savoy operas.

Anyway these two songs deal with the theme of somebody rising to a position of power for which they are wholly unqualified.  A theme Gilbert played with repeatedly in his operettas.

Verses such as 

“I always voted at my party’s call, 

And I never thought of thinking for myself at all”

…prove politicians haven’t changed much in the past 130 odd years…  

Anyway this isn’t the best recording I could find, but it has Henry Lytton as Sir Joseph Porter, so that’s why I chose it.

Creative commons info:

D’Oyly Carte Opera Company Chorus.
London Symphony Orchestra.
Victor 78rpm Album C-13. Recorded in London, February 4 - June 4, 1930.
Digital transfer by F. Reeder

(Source: furippupauplus)

vinyltown:

Three Little Maids From School Are We

Elsie Morison, Marjorie Thomas, Jeanette Sinclair & Chorus

Record: The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

pauflip:

Here’s a how-de-do and The Criminal Cried from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

Note: “snickersnee” is an archaic word for a large knife, or in some cases a knife fight.

I’m probably not going to post any more songs from this, so if you want the WHOLE DANG THING click here.

Creative Commons info:

Gilbert & Sullivan: THE MIKADO

D’Oyly Carte Opera Company
New Promenade Orchestra
Isidore Godfrey, conductor

Recorded in London, March 8, 1950 
Digital transfer by F. Reeder

(Source: furippupauplus)

pauflip:

From every kind of man and A more humane Mikado from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

….

Anyway a few verses: 

“My object all sublime

I shall achieve in time —
To let the punishment fit the crime —
The punishment fit the crime;
And make each prisoner pent
Unwillingly represent
A source of innocent merriment!
Of innocent merriment!”

“The billiard sharp who any one catches,

His doom’s extremely hard —
He’s made to dwell —
In a dungeon cell
On a spot that’s always barred.
And there he plays extravagant matches
In fitless finger-stalls
On a cloth untrue
With a twisted cue
And elliptical billiard balls!”

D’Oyly Carte Opera Company
New Promenade Orchestra
Isidore Godfrey, conductor

Recorded in London, March 8, 1950 
Digital transfer by F. Reeder

(Source: furippupauplus)