The Stately Homes of England-Noel Coward and Orchestra

[ti:Stately Homes Of England] [ar:Noel Coward----(replace by 84005)] [al:English Gentleman] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]The Stately Homes of England - Noel Coward and Orchestra [00:05.05]Lord Elderly Lord Borrowmere [00:06.95]Lord Sickert and Lord Camp [00:08.58] [00:09.39]With every virtue every grace [00:11.10] [00:11.83]Ah what avails the sceptred race [00:14.36] [00:15.82]Here you see the four of us [00:18.63]And there are so many more of us [00:20.50]Eldest sons [00:21.90]That must succeed [00:22.82] [00:23.74]We know how Caesar conquered Gaul [00:26.03]And how to whack a cricket ball [00:27.82]Apart from this our education [00:29.55] [00:30.39]Lacks co-ordination [00:31.55] [00:32.40]Though we're young [00:33.89]And tentative [00:34.96]And rather rip-representative [00:36.74]Scions of a noble breed [00:39.93]We are the products of those homes [00:42.11]Serene and stately [00:42.91] [00:43.93]That only lately [00:45.05] [00:46.49]Seem to have run to seed [00:48.15]The stately homes of England [00:50.47]How beautiful they stand [00:51.82] [00:52.38]To prove the upper classes [00:54.37]Have still the upper hand [00:56.00]Though the fact [00:56.83]That they have to be rebuilt [00:58.22]And frequently mortgaged to the hilt [01:00.23]Is inclined to take the gilt [01:01.81] [01:03.06]Off the gingerbread [01:04.45]And certainly damps the fun [01:06.30]Of the eldest son [01:07.63] [01:08.17]But still we won't be beaten [01:10.21]We'll scrimp and scrape and save [01:12.20]The playing fields of Eton [01:14.09]Have made us frightfully brave [01:15.41] [01:16.05]And though if the Van Dycks have to go [01:18.10]And we pawn the Bechstein Grand [01:19.87]We'll stand [01:20.81]By the stately homes of England [01:23.41] [01:28.48]Here you see the pick of us [01:30.93]You may be heartily sick of us [01:32.75]Still with sense we're all imbued [01:35.18] [01:35.83]Our homes command extensive views [01:37.77]And with assistance from the Jews [01:39.90]We have been able to dispose of [01:42.10]Rows and rows and rows of [01:44.49]Gainsboroughs and Lawrences [01:46.93]Some sporting prints of Aunt Florence's [01:49.05]Some of which were rather rude [01:51.21] [01:51.94]Although we sometimes [01:53.01]Flaunt our family conventions [01:54.77] [01:55.85]Our good intentions [01:57.12] [01:58.57]Mustn't be misconstrued [02:00.32]The stately homes of England [02:02.41]We proudly represent [02:03.53] [02:04.29]We only keep them up [02:06.01]For Americans to rent [02:08.02]Though the pipes [02:08.85]That supply the bathroom burst [02:10.30]And the lavatory [02:11.02]Makes you fear the worst [02:12.17]It was used by Charles I [02:13.67] [02:15.15](Quite informally) [02:16.02]And later by George IV [02:17.66] [02:18.31]On a journey north [02:19.76] [02:20.27]The state departments keep their [02:22.22]Historical renown [02:23.74] [02:24.30]It's wiser not to sleep there [02:26.06]In case they tumble down [02:27.54] [02:28.16]But still if they ever catch on fire [02:30.11]Which with any luck they might [02:31.73]We'll fight [02:32.71]For the stately homes of England [02:35.53] [02:36.23]The stately homes of England [02:38.19]Though rather in the lurch [02:39.60] [02:40.20]Provide a lot of chances [02:42.22]For psychical research [02:43.75]There's the ghost [02:44.72]Of a crazy younger son [02:46.31]Who murdered in 1351 [02:48.05]An extremely rowdy nun [02:49.59] [02:51.11]Who resented it [02:52.21]And people who come to call [02:53.59] [02:54.16]Meet her in the hall [02:55.97]The baby in the guest wing [02:58.19]Who crouches by the grate [02:59.51] [03:00.06]Was walled up in the west wing [03:02.12]In 1428 [03:03.22] [03:04.12]If anyone spots [03:05.10]The Queen of Scots [03:06.10]In a hand-embroidered shroud [03:07.93]We're proud [03:08.81]Of the stately homes of England