The Lyric Archive - Song Lyrics
[Main] [Artists list] [Charts] [Genres] [Last added lyrics] [ Advanced Search]
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z




#  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

Rating:  Not rated
Rate It:   Poor  Poor  Average  Hot. Excellent  Hot. Excellent
Composer:

Tom Lehrer - Clementine lyrics



I should like to consider the folk song, and expand briefly on a theory I have held for some time, to the effect that the reason most folk songs are so atrocious is that they were written by the people. If professional songwriters had written them instead, things might have turned out considerably differently. For example, consider the old favorite, with which, I'm sure, you're all familiar, ";Clementine";, you know:

In a cavern, in a canyon,
dadada dadadada...
A song with no recognizable merit whatsoever, and imagine what might have happened if, for example, Cole Porter had tried writing this song. The first verse might have come out like this:

In a cavern, in a canyon,
Excava-ha-ha-hating for a mine,
Far away from the boom-boom-boom of the city
She was so pretty, what a pity, Clementine.

Oh Clementine, can't you tell from the howls of me
This love of mine calls to you from the bowels of me.
Are you discerning the returning
Of this churning, burning, yearning for you-oo-oo... ah-ah...
Well, supposing at this point that Mozart (or one of that crowd) had tried writing a verse, the next one might have come out as a baritone aria from an Italian opera, somewhat along these lines:

Era legera e come un fairy
E suo shoes numero nine,
Herring bo-ho-ho-hoxes senza to-ho-ho-hopses,
Sandalae per Clementina si, per Clementina si,
Per Clementina sandalae, per Clementina sandalae, per Clementine.
Clehementina, Clehementina, Clehe-he-mentina...

Herring boxes senza topses sandalae per Clementina,
Herring boxes senza topses sandalae per Clementina,
Che sciagura Clementina, che sciagura Clementina, cara Clementina, cara
Clementina-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!
Supposing at this rather dramatic juncture in the narrative, one of our modern ";cool sch
Songs list of album: More of Tom Lehrer (1959)
         Title Rating
01    Poisoning Pigeons in the Park lyrics Add lyrics   -
02   Bright College Days lyrics   -
03   A Christmas Carol lyrics   -
04   Elements lyrics   -
05   Oedipus Rex lyrics   -
06   In Old Mexico lyrics   -
07   Clementine lyrics   -
08    It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier lyrics Add lyrics   -
09   She's My Girl lyrics   -
10   Masochism Tango lyrics   -
11   We Will All Go Together When We Go lyrics   -
 

Top songs of Tom Lehrer lyrics
No songs


Last added lyrics
Rather Ripped
Rather Ripped
by Sonic Youth
Minutes to Midnight
Minutes to Midnight
by Linkin Park
Version
Version
by Mark Ronson
Fundamental
Fundamental
by Pet Shop Boys
Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister
Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister
by Pigeon John



Navigation

Browse Artists
Add Lyrics
Lyrics Charts
Lyrics Genres
Today's Lyrics
Search Lyrics

 

Charts

Country Lyrics
Folk Lyrics
Gospel Lyrics
Latin Lyrics
R&B Lyrics
Rap Lyrics
Rock Lyrics
Soundtrack Lyrics

Links

Free CD & DVD Covers
Covers at CDcovers.to
Songs-lyrics.net